Last Grizzly in AZ

[Outdoor Writer]

8 minutes ago, Big Tub said:

Growing up in Morenci and working with a grandson of 30+ years, I had heard a different story:

https://truewestmagazine.com/fred-fritz-and-the-grizzly/

 

 

That happened in1888. Grizzly bears still existed in AZ long after that. 

[gmcbob]

1 hour ago, Outdoor Writer said:

Another good read on my book shelves for those who enjoy such is Meet Mr. Grizzly - A Saga on the Passing of the Grizzly Bear by Montague Stevens (1859-1953). He was a Brit who graduated from Cambridge and moved to Catron County in New Mexico where he became one of the more noted grizzly bear hunters of the time. He used horses and hounds for most of his hunts, and after 1888, he did it with one arm after losing the other one in a hunting accident. He actually wrote the book, which was first published in 1943 by the University of New Mexico Press. 

Great book, one of my favorites.

[Couzer]

I think I have 12 bonus points for Bear if the crazy goverment ever finds the right DNA Strain to reintroduce to Arizona. I hear that’s the biggest controversy that’s setting them back to the reintroduction program. 

[biglakejake]

wonder whatever happened to the az grizz hide they had at Buckhorn mineral baths in mesa for 75 years or more.

 

lee

a funny aside in the early '90's i was pulled off beside the hiway past Arivaca in my 73 ford glassing for coues when this other old ford pulled up.  strange rig-they were ;pulling a boat and trailer with no engine or seats but it was stuffed full of hatch chilis.  they introduced themselves but all they wanted to talk about were the pronghorn hanging on down there..  later realized it was rick bass the the real grizzly man doug peacock.  

ran itno babe winkleman down there once also.

[trphyhntr]

16 minutes ago, biglakejake said:

i wonder whatever happened to the az grizz hide they had at Buckhorn mineral baths in mesa for 75 years or more.

 

lee

a lot of the stuff went to ASU not sure if the bear was one of them

[Alpinebullwinkle]

I was told by local old timers Jim Grammer and Don Grady (now both deceased) that the Freddy Fritz story was one of the last if not the last griz killed in the state. But as I recall they said the Fritz bear fight happened in the 1920's. Likely close to the truth, because they both knew the Fritz's well that lived and ranched in our area. What do you think about that pilgrims?

[Outdoor Writer]

24 minutes ago, Alpinebullwinkle said:

I was told by local old timers Jim Grammer and Don Grady (now both deceased) that the Freddy Fritz story was one of the last if not the last griz killed in the state. But as I recall they said the Fritz bear fight happened in the 1920's. Likely close to the truth, because they both knew the Fritz's well that lived and ranched in our area. What do you think about that pilgrims?

Not according to the article:

"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."  

And it later goes on to say:

"His son, Fred Fritz Jr., born in 1895 and a cattleman all his life, shared this story with me (author Marshall Trimble) 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.

 

[Alpinebullwinkle]

Yes was aware of all that. All I can share is hear say from the local pioneers

[photofool]

The story about Fred Hamblin , my Great Grandfather is not totally true, He never fully recovered from his wounds, he was crippled for the rest of his life. 

Edited July 21, 2019 by photofool
wrong

[Outdoor Writer]

14 hours ago, Alpinebullwinkle said:

Yes was aware of all that. All I can share is hear say from the local pioneers

Sharing is fine. It's up to you to separate the facts from the fiction -- especially how someone who has been dead for several years has hand-to-hand combat with a grizz. And what better "local pioneer" is there than his own son?  😉

[kidso]

Grizzly or color-phase black bear?

I bet that plenty of people would swear they spotted a grizz it they saw this particular AZ black bear moving through the woods.😁

[PRDATR]

2 hours ago, kidso said:

Grizzly or color-phase black bear?

I bet that plenty of people would swear they spotted a grizz it they saw this particular AZ black bear moving through the woods.😁

Black Bear, no hump.

[biglakejake]

so i was talking to this old fellow last week at my work.  he was born 92 years ago in a log cabin in reserve, nm.  i asked him if he had heard of when the last griz came out of the blue.  he was certain a wildlife service hunter had chased one down in the gila in 1966.

lee

[Outdoor Writer]

4 hours ago, biglakejake said:

so i was talking to this old fellow last week at my work.  he was born 92 years ago in a log cabin in reserve, nm.  i asked him if he had heard of when the last griz came out of the blue.  he was certain a wildlife service hunter had chased one down in the gila in 1966.

lee

It was already known that the lower-48 grizzly bear population was in severe decline in 1966. So it's unlikely a USFW hunter would be out and about killing them. And if that was the case, it probably would have been "news" in that time frame. About 10 years later, the grizz was added to the ESA. 

The only modern-day killing of a "last grizzly bear" anywhere that I can recall was the sow in Colorado where it attacked a guide who wound up killing it by stabbing it with an arrow. It happened in 1979 in the San Juan Mts., where I was living at the time. 

[ThomC]

News reporters never lie or are sadly mistaken.  😔