Chronicle Outdoors

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Longtime Billings Gazette outdoors writer and editor Mark Henckel dies

Sad news out of Billings this weekend …

Longtime Billings Gazette outdoors writer Mark Henckel died on Saturday night after suffering a heart attack at his Park City home. He was 59.

Mark Henckel

Mark Henckel

Henckel, the Gazette’s first outdoors editor, wrote stories about the outdoors for more than 38 years. His writing often focused on Montana’s world-class hunting and fishing opportunities and the men and women who enjoyed them.

Henckel wrote frequently about the warm-water fisheries of central and eastern Montana – Fort Peck Reservoir was a favorite haunt – and was honored numerous times for his writing, editing and community service.

Henckel received his journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1972. He took a job with the Gazette after a phone interview and moved to Billings, having never visited Montana’s largest city, to work as a night reporter. He transferred to the sports staff before assuming the role of outdoors editor.

His final outdoors story focused on habitat issues on Lake Elmo on the northern edge of Billings Heights.

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About The Author

Ben Pierce lives, works and plays in Bozeman, Montana. He blogs about the outdoors for Chronicle Outdoors. Catch him on the river, in the mountains or at bpierce@dailychronicle.com.

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