Where am I?

[Snapshot]

Juan Miller?

I was camping at the Juan Miller campground at the time

[Edge]

Found this nifty bear mauling resource, lists North American bear attacks chronological order.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America

[Saguaro]

I know the cabin and the place you were at, I forget the name. Good post, that is the last unspoiled area in AZ. I don't get to go there as often as I like.

[Snapshot]

The Fritz Ranch was established on the Blue River in the 1880's near the New Mexico Border in eastern Arizona. Approximately 100 years later, the ranch was involved in a land swap for land near Showlow. The ranch is now owned by the Forest Service.

Access to the site is accomplished by the way of the Juan Miller Road off Highway 191 north of Clifton/Morenci. After 15 miles or so of travel on the Juan Miller Road, a primitive road takes off to the north a couple of miles to the ranch. The spur road was not constructed until the 1940's. A lot of blasting had to be done in order to carve the road out. It is said the Fred Fritz Jr. was able to use his influence as a state legislator to make the road happen.

 

 

The original owner was Fred Fritz Sr. In the 1880's, times were tough out on the Blue. One of Fritz's partners was killed by Apaches. One story states that he chose the location of the ranch so that it could not be readily seen by folks traveling along the river bed.

Another story describes how the brand came to be "XXX". Apparently, Fritz operated for a while without one. The range inspector said that could not continue. Fritz did not speak or write English well, so he put down an X for his name. Two of his cowboys put down their X's as witness. Thus the "XXX"

Fritz was mortally wounded by a grizzly bear in 1916. The attack was apparently a long and drawn out affair. Fritz shot the bear with a pistol. The shot did not kill it, but blew off the bear's jaw. The bear attacked. Fritz emptied his gun, then beat on it with his pistol. He then stabbed it multiple times with his knife. Someone finally came along and killed the bear. Fritz never recovered from the wounds and died a few months later. He is buried at the ranch site.

 

 

Fred Fritz Jr. took over the ranching operation after the death of his father. As the years passed, he acquired other ranches in the area. The ranching life apparently went well. Fred Jr. also became Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and the President of the Arizona Senate.

Life with the Forest Service was not so good. In later years, his cattle were blamed for the poor condition of the range land. His allottment to run cattle was reduced to a point that he was no longer able to keep the ranch working. It was sold. That buyer soon tied in with a group of investors who made the land swap.

The ranch is unoccupied today. All of the buildings currently standing look modern. I do not know if the original structures are underneath the siding and wallboard or whether they were demolished to make way for the new.

 

[Snapshot]

Some say Fritz died from the attack, some say he died 18 years later?

[huntlines]

I've been there many times and didn't know this story. Thanks

[Snapshot]

Fred Fritz and the Grizzly December 1, 2015by Marshall Trimble0 0 0 0

The days of marauding bands of Apache were gone but life was still not easy working cattle in the rough mountainous ranges along the Blue River. Beef-killing bears were still numerous. One day in 1888 Fritz came across one of his range cows that been freshly killed by a grizzly. The bear charged and he jerked his pistol and fired, hitting it in the jaw. The grizzly then raked its four-inch claws down the length of Fritz’s body ripping off his clothing, including his leather chaps. The cowman fired off four more shots point blank but this only made the bear even more furious. Then he dropped to the ground and lay still. The bear backed off but each time Fritz tried to get up the animal charged again. “He chawed on one end for a while and then he turned me around and chawed on t’other end,” he said later.

Fighting for his life, Fritz pounded on the bear with the butt of his empty pistol until it broke. Then he pulled out his pocket knife and stabbed it until the blade snapped. He even pulled some kitchen matches out of his pocket and tried to set the grizzly on fire and still the bear kept mauling him.

The struggle finally ended when a relative arrived with a rifle and shot the bear. It took seven bullets to bring it down. Fritz lived another 18 years but never fully recovered from the attack.

His son, Fred Fritz Jr., born in 1895 and a cattleman all his life, shared this story with me several years ago. He took over the ranch on the Blue River after his father died in 1916. Fred was President of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association. He also served in the Arizona Legislature as both Speaker of the House and President of the Senate.

[PRDATR]

Years ago my son and I rented a room in the lodge at Hannigan Meadow and there was a book written by I believe some local women that had a short excerp about the attack.

[Edge]

Great stuff

[Snapshot]

[Snapshot]

I've never really hunted the terrain on the east side of the river. As my Dad got older, it' was just too rugged for him. I haven't been lucky enough to draw a mulie tag in over 12 years, in GMU 27.

 

Some people have asked me if there are whitetail on that eastern side. I don't really know?

[GreyGhost85]

You were in the same neck of the woods as me this weekend. My family has a ranch not that far from the fritz place. Neat country. Love it there

[Snapshot]

You were in the same neck of the woods as me this weekend. My family has a ranch not that far from the fritz place. Neat country. Love it there

Stacey ranch?

[PRDATR]

I used to do some construction project with a Super who said his brother ran cattle up there and i think they had a family ranch up there years ago.

He used to guide for Coues and had his own outfit. I don't think he still does it since he bought a good sized ranch in Mexico and it had been a few years since we have talked but I remember him bringing in racks on occasion that went over 110 ans this was in the 80's and 90's. I always wanted to go but at the time he was getting more for a hunt then guides are charging now and there was no way I could do that.

[GreyGhost85]

North of juan miller, other side id the highway