The last grizzly killed in Colorado
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: cnelk
27-Dec-17
cnelk's Link
A great read
See link
From: kota-man
27-Dec-17
What a story!
From: Kurt
27-Dec-17
I knew Ed Wiseman, he was a CBA Member and came to our banquets in the 70s and 80s. He usually shot a Chastain Wapiti recurve. Really a big, tough bear of a man, but a very nice guy! Glad to hear he is still alive, or was recently. If anyone could survive the attack and kill the bear, it was Ed.
Good he had fixed blade heads in his quiver or he may not have gotten adequate penetration with hand thrust expandable heads! Had to throw that in!
From: Grunter
27-Dec-17
Thanks for sharing that, one tough guy! Amazing he survived
From: Irishman
27-Dec-17
Great story. Also a great example of how screwed up the government is when they investigate a grizzly killing. Almost dying from the wounds isn't enough justification for some people.
From: Ben
27-Dec-17
I meant Ed also. He was a great guy and was much maligned over the killing of the bear. He spoke at a Kansas Bowhunter meeting. He talked with many of us separately and I'm sure everything happened as he said. Not many people could have survived an encounter with a grizzly like he did.
From: Mpdh
27-Dec-17
Article about this was in Bowhunter magazine in the 80s. It was thought that there were no grizzlies left in Colorado at the time.
From: COHOYTHUNTER
27-Dec-17
Just like there are no wolves in Colorado... Hard to believe when both grizzlies and wolves are in surrounding states.. it's not like Wyoming is that far away and Colorado had some magical bear and wolf deterrent at the state line
From: COHOYTHUNTER
27-Dec-17
Just like there are no wolves in Colorado... Hard to believe when both grizzlies and wolves are in surrounding states.. it's not like Wyoming is that far away and Colorado had some magical bear and wolf deterrent at the state line
From: Bowboy
27-Dec-17
Amazing story. True tough guy!
From: Quinn @work
27-Dec-17
Back in January 1992 I saw a wolf just south of Eagle. Got a good look at it for 5 minutes in my binoculars from 300 yards away. I second guessed myself the entire time but could not come up with any reason why it was a coyote. It was not. I reported it to the CPW and the Forest Service and they acted like they didn't want to even acknowledge it. Even gave them the exact location and they chose not to investigate even the tracks left in the fresh snow.
From: Glunt@work
28-Dec-17
The sow was estimated at 20 years old and the necropsy showed she had given birth to cubs at some point. It was the first confirmed grizzly since the 50's. If she came from Wyoming, she traveled a good distance since this took place in southern Colorado.
From: Bou'bound
28-Dec-17
Bowhunter magazine had an article about that in the early 80's and it was as amazing reading it then as it is now.
Anyone 80 years old who deals with Walmart shoppers every day is certainly tough enough to survive a grizzly attack,
From: Rob in VT
28-Dec-17
A good read. A buddy of mine was involved in the air drop.
From: IdyllwildArcher
28-Dec-17
Crazy stuff.
From: Ironbow
28-Dec-17
I had talked to Ed a few months before his bear attack about doing a bear hunt with him. About as nice of a guy I had ever talked to.
He had a client tell him he saw a grizzly, and Ed didn't believe him. There were no grizzlies in Colorado. Ed also reported his camp got thrashed twice with enormous bear prints that made him wonder, but again, there were no grizzlies in Colorado.
Always wondered what happened to him.
From: 76aggie
28-Dec-17
Hard to believe the incident was that long ago.
From: yooper89
28-Dec-17
What a story. First time I'd read it. That's one tough SOB.
From: Destroyer350
28-Dec-17
Adam Greentree was hunting down in southern Colorado this past year. He would post short videos on his Instagram when he got service. He was way back in this basin and took some great video of a grizzly. I watched the video a few times and there is no doubt that it was a grizzly.
From: LINK
28-Dec-17
Maybe it was her 38 year old cub. ;)
From: Paul@thefort
28-Dec-17
Here is some additional info concerning Ed and the bear. After the attack an artist made a small bronze cast of the attack ( 22 in. in length or so), ie, Ed on this back with arrow in hand, compound bow on the ground, and the bear standing over him. An Wyoming rancher purchased the art piece and had it at his ranch until he died years later. His wife thinking the piece should be back in Colorado presented it to the Division of Wildlife at least 20 years ago. One of the CBA members made a stand for the bronze art piece, (under glass) and then presented it to Ed at the CBA banquet. I believe the bronze is now at the CPW headquarters in Denver.
So here is another grizzly story of Colorado. A past wildlife commissioner and rancher while guiding his friend on a sheep hunt, both saw that they thought was a grizzly and two cubs in southern Colorado. Both had hunted grizzlies before and actually, the sheep hunter was an Alaska guide who had guided bear hunter and knew what a grizzly looked like. They contacted the DOW and they investigated the area, but no tracks or hair (dna) was found. Grizzles still in Colorado. MAYBE or maybe not.
From: Starfire
28-Dec-17
I thought I was pretty tough for finishing off a deer with a knife once. This guy has more tough in his little finger than most of us combined. Maybe we should start changing all those tough Chuck Norris memes to Ed Wiseman memes like "Death Once had near Ed experience".
From: TBD
30-Dec-17
From: TBD
30-Dec-17
Greetings, I used to work for the USFS and guide hunts for Mike Murphy in the San Juans over out of Durango, but did some time out of Pagosa as well. A guy named David Peterson wrote a book about this bear attack. He used to come up to our camp to hang out and do a little hunting during bow season. I live back in VT now, but I think David is still in Durango and works with Backcountry hunters/anglers? Tim
From: Thornton
30-Dec-17
Good story! I though the last grizzly was 'Old Mose' back at the start of the 1900's. I had no idea it was 1979. But then again, I still think there are a few in Colorado.
From: Bou'bound
30-Dec-17
why wouldn't there be. They are in Wyoming. clearly a few could meander down. other animals ( ex: cougars) go further from well established populations than that across the US.
From: Jaquomo
30-Dec-17
We've had a collared wolverine in CO for several years. Came down from Idaho and hung around my place for a season before going further south toward Leadville, then headed back our direction. The batteries in his collar finally ran out.
If wolves and wolverines make it down here from the GYE, no reason why some grizz wouldnt too.
From: Cobie33
30-Dec-17
The name of Petersen's book is "Ghost Grizzlies". It's a great read specifically about Colorado Grizzlies including Mr. Wiseman's encounter as well as others encounters during the 20th century. The book also contains 9 pages of photos.
From: GregE
30-Dec-17
Tough story, tougher guy!!
From: fubar racin
01-Jan-18
jaq i remember that, i read an article awhile back he was killed in the Dakota's. M56 i think was his name.
From: fubar racin
01-Jan-18
yes m56 heres the link if i can do it right... https://www.denverpost.com/2016/05/11/colorado-wolverine-that-went-missing-confirmed-killed-in-north-dakota/
From: TGbow
01-Jan-18
What a story!
From: Franzen
01-Jan-18
Has anyone read the book? Is it well-enough written to be worthwhile instead of just reading the short article?
From: Mark Watkins
01-Jan-18
crazy story about one tough guy!
Mark
From: Topgun 30-06
01-Jan-18
That happened in the fall of 1979 while I was in the midst of planning a deer/elk combo hunt not too far west of there for 1980. Needless to say my entire time up in that area was spent more wondering if I would be the next grizzly victim than having a good hunt. That part of CO is some wild country and I have no doubt that there could still be other grizzlies there.
From: swampokie
02-Jan-18
I ordered the book yesterday it should be here by the end of the week. Cant wait
From: DartonJager
02-Jan-18
I distinctly remember reading that story the year it was published. Recall Mr. Wiesman saying he had seen what he had seen some impressive bear tracks he simply assumed were made by huge black bears that after the attack caused him to reconsider. And yes it is completely insane the way the Feds treated him . Am I recalling accurately the feds told him consider himself either under suspicion of illegally killing and endangered and federally protected species or actually placed him under arrest pending the outcome of the investigation. Been a long time so I don't remember. Few hunters would have survived that encounter let alone been able to be of the presence of mind to act and kill a mature grizzly, save for AK, the largest and most powerful predator in all of NA.
From: Woobie
22-Apr-18
I googled Adam Greentree's encounter after listening to the Joe Rogan podcast, I am surprised his story has not received more attention, especially with people in CO.
From: Ermine
22-Apr-18
Greentree was in Montana with his grizzly encounter not colorado
From: casekiska
22-Apr-18
Great story. Ed's quite the fellow. Where can the book be purchased?
From: swampokie
22-Apr-18
I had to order one at books a million. They may have it in stock if ur lucky
From: Fins&Feathers
22-Apr-18
I don't think the bear Adam Greentree saw in the San Juans is a grizzly.
I'm not saying that there couldn't be Grizzlies left in the San Juans, but the possibility is remote at best.
I was born and raised in Durango and I've spent an extensive amount of time in the San Juans and Weminuche. I like to keep current on the discussion of Grizzlies Colorado and was interested in the report from Adam Greentree. I've attached a photo that Adam took of the bear he believes is a grizzly.
I actually reached out to David Peterson, who wrote Ghost Grizzlies and asked his opinion of the bear in the photo. David replied to me and stated that from his experience, the color of the bear is wrong for a grizzly but common for black bears, and the hump of the bear is due to its posture as it is feeding.
Anyway, I'd like to believe there are still Grizzlies in Colorado but really doubt there are.
From: APauls
22-Apr-18
What a story! Almost as amazing is the actual outdoor knowledge you’ll get if you go to that Marion Walmart.
From: samman
23-Apr-18
I had a friend out of High School who was hooked up with a researcher that claimed they had some scat & hair samples they said were from a grizzly. This was back in the late 80's & early 90's. They claimed they bears had gone pretty much nocturnal. The area they were in was near where this attack happened. The whole deal was pretty secret to prevent people from flooding the area, so he couldn't give very many details. Lost touch with the friend, so not really sure what happened to their study. Being that remote, it's certainly a possibility. However with the number of trail cams available out there now, seems likely one would get picked up on those.
From: DonVathome
23-Apr-18
Read the story again amazing!
From: Orion
23-Apr-18
anyone have luck finding the book? Amazon had one for 80 dollars
From: Grasshopper
23-Apr-18
The color of the bear is wrong? Looks exactly the same color as the grizzly on my wall.
From: LUNG$HOT
23-Apr-18
I’m no expert by any means but I’ve laid eyes on quite a few black bears including some large boars and the bear in the pic looks nothing like a blackie. Hard to tell from a photo that far away but that is a massive bear. Color definitely looks Grizz to me also.... jmo.
Awesome read as well. Couldn’t imagine keeping my composure that well during and after a Grizz attack! Yikes.
From: PECO
23-Apr-18
"Good story! I though the last grizzly was 'Old Mose' back at the start of the 1900's." I thought that also. If you like bear stories, "Old Mose" is another great book. Very good, easy read.
From: hogthief
23-Apr-18
so, if she had recently had cubs there had to be a male around somewhere. didn't Marty Stouffer(wild America) have some sort of grizzly experience in CO about that time?
From: Mr.C
23-Apr-18
no expert but that's a grizz or 1 giant black bear IMO like hooper said wrong color? brothers bear and Dads bear are that color MikeC
From: Dinkshooter@work
24-Apr-18
I was 8 years old when that attack hit the news and still vividly remember how cool I thought is was that there was a G-bear in Colorado. I knew the story by heart.
From: Kurt
24-Apr-18
Fin and Feathers' photo looks like a nice color phase black bear to me. Large black bears show some shoulder, especially when bent down eating.
From: Manager
24-Apr-18
The "color" is not a deciding factor to tell differences between a Grizzly & just a color phased Black Bear. Here's a couple…..
From: Manager
24-Apr-18
and another example…..
From: Michael Schwister
24-Apr-18
In 96 In Garfield County CO I saw a pile of scat from a 800# carnivore and it made me think of this story from what I remember as outdoor life (but may have been Bowhunter Magazine, as back then I had subscriptions to both). The next day my cousin and I were stalking a herd of bedded elk in the aspens when a stocky 5x5 bull piled down the mountain and ran behind my cousin, stopping at a mere 3 yards directly behind him, apparently hiding from something uphill. His right antler had been been freshly torn off at the pedicle and was hanging by a string of hide..... thought "griz", until something made a horrible scream I have never heard before or since, and starting throwing football size rocks at us (not rolling like bowling, THROWING like Brett Favre). Never saw it, but you tell me.......... Still glad it WAS NOT a griz
From: Ermine
24-Apr-18
Be cool if there is more. It’s possible.
With that said that Looks like a black bear to me. We have so many color phase bears in Colorado it’s not funny. Finding a actual black one is a challenge.
Yikes Micheal! That’s a scary story. Wonder what the deal was
From: LUNG$HOT
24-Apr-18
^^^ Definitely big foot. Scary story Mike!
From: PO Cedar
24-Apr-18
I was archery elk hunting in 1981 out of Creede, Colorado....stopped in at Ernie Wilkerson's Outfitting, snowcaving, taxidermy in Monte Vista going home that year and Ernie told me the story...I had read about it in one of the archery magazines...Ernie knew Ed Wiseman, Toneida Outfiitters over in Moffatt..Ernie's version was a lil different than the printed accounts....
From: PO Cedar
24-Apr-18
I stopped back in at Ernie's in 2013 and had him autograph my book he wrote...he said Ed was still alive at that time...however, Ernie passed away a couple years ago...he was an icon...I drove by his store this past year and it had been completely cleared out and empty....
From: PO Cedar
24-Apr-18
2009 backpack mule deer hunt in the West Elks, this bear kept coming in at 12:30 @ night...tore the clothesline down, bit a hole in my solar shower, carried off my green scentless soap, bit the head region of my bivy bag....I moved a mile and a half away to another water source..got this pic of him near my new campsite....but he never bothered it....
From: PO Cedar
24-Apr-18
He got into a yellow jacket nest...
From: cnelk
24-Apr-18
cnelk's Link
Take the Montana Bear Identification Test - See Link
From: PO Cedar
24-Apr-18
As far as black bears go in Colorado, I spend lots of time fishing/bowhunting there and consistently have bear encounters...not so in the Wasatch Mtns. of Utah....porcupines a'plenty there...
From: PO Cedar
24-Apr-18
I took it a couple years ago when I was debating a sheep hunt in the Unlimited Unit areas of north Yellowstone....I saw a grizzly in 2015 lumbering down a Forest Road in the Island Park unit of Idaho while traveling up to Belgrade, MT....but never in a hunting situation...
From: LINK
24-Apr-18
I have only seen a few bears in the wild but didn’t miss any on that test. Too bad Adams bear isn’t a bit closer.
