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Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's outdoor and wildlife reporter, Mark Heinz.
Outdoors Reporter

Mark Heinz

Mark Heinz covers the outdoors and wildlife for Cowboy State Daily.

He previously worked or freelanced for numerous newspapers and magazines across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana covering all manner of news and feature stories. He has a strong background in topics related to wildlife, hunting, and wildlands conservation. Hes written extensively since the 1990s about the controversies surrounding wolves, grizzly bears and mustangs.

He also enjoys people-centric stories with quirky edge of humor and has written several such pieces for Cowboy State Daily. 

Mark lives in Laramie with his wife, Kendy, and the youngest of their five children.

Latest from Mark Heinz

Retired Forest Service hydrologist and wildlife photographer Pete Bengeyfield has been watching and photographing grizzlies, such as this one, in Wyoming and Montana for decades and says bears are plentiful.

Even If Grizzlies Have ‘Recovered,’ Advocates Still Don’t Want The Bears Delisted

Grizzly advocate Pete Bengeyfield, who has been watching and photographing the bears for decades, said even he has to admit there are probably enough of them to consider the species “recovered." However, he still opposes having the bears delisted.

Mark HeinzJuly 18, 2026

The Mollie’s Pack is Yellowstone's oldest wolf pack and includes the famous Wolf 1090F. The pack has strayed outside the park into a Wyoming wolf hunt area, and activists worry that 1090F will be shot this fall. They are requesting the pack be protected.

Oldest Yellowstone Wolf Pack Strays Into Hunt Area, Activists Want Pack Protected

The Mollie’s Pack is Yellowstone's oldest wolf pack and includes the famous Wolf 1090F. The pack has strayed outside the park into a Wyoming wolf hunt area, and activists worry that 1090F will be shot this fall. They are requesting the pack be protected.

Mark HeinzJuly 17, 2026

The study, published in Ecology And Evolution found that cortisol levels in hair samples from cows indicate that cattle exposed to wolves experienced different levels of seasonal cortisol fluctuation, compared to those not exposed to wolves.

Study Says Wolves Stress Cows Out; Ranchers Say, ‘We Told You So’

Ranchers in Wyoming said a new study that shows cattle get stressed out by wolves is something they've been saying all along. “We ranchers have known about this for years. Why do you think our great-great grandfathers eradicated them?" one rancher said.

Mark HeinzJuly 17, 2026

Although manufacturers of AI software that uses surveillance cameras to search for guns say it makes people safer, gun rights activists are alarmed. Buffalo's Mark Jones, of Gun Owners of America, says it violates the Second and Fourth Amendments.

Wyoming Gun Activists Increasingly Alarmed Over AI Cameras Searching For Guns

Although manufacturers of AI software that uses surveillance cameras to search for guns say it makes people safer, gun rights activists are alarmed. Buffalo's Mark Jones, of Gun Owners of America, says it violates the Second and Fourth Amendments.

Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2026

Eagles and other raptors are highly vulnerable to colliding with wind turbines.

Wyoming Wind Turbines Killed More Than 23,000 Birds And Bats Last Year

More than 23,000 birds and bats were killed by wind turbines in Wyoming in 2025, according to a report presented Wednesday to the state Game and Fish Commission. “They’re flying around and they’re not paying attention to those blades,” said an official.

Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2026

Grizzly bears, such as this female with cubs near Cody, would be brought under state management, according to a proposal put forward by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Full Implications Of Fed Move To Hand Grizzly Management Over To States Unclear

It remained unclear Wednesday whether a federal decision to hand management of grizzlies over to the state will set the stage for a full delisting of grizzlies. But Rep. Harriet Hageman said efforts will continue to get them delisted through legislation.

Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2026

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