Last Colorado Grizzly Bear
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: badbull
01-Sep-20
A current thread re: carrying or not carrying in bear country reminded me of great story about guide Ed Wiseman killing the last grizzly in Colorado in September of 1979. He killed the bear with a hand held arrow. If you do not know the story, l would recommend that you Goggle it as any elk bowhunter would appreciate what happened that day..... Badbull
From: SBH
01-Sep-20
I will definitely do that bad bull. Wonder when we will have the "first" grizzly killed in colorado.......
From: SBH
01-Sep-20
Just googled it. Great story. Crazy to me they have him do a lie detector test and all that bs when the guy barely survived!
From: badbull
01-Sep-20
There is kind of a backstory that I remember being published in I believe " Outdoor Life " at the time. He was guiding 2 elk hunters (father and son if I remember correctly) and one happened to be a doctor.
From: ruffedges
01-Sep-20
Here is a fairly recent picture of Ed holding the arrow that he used to kill the grizzly. The last I heard, he still has some books left for sale that is about that event. He lives in Marion, Iowa.
From: Glunt@work
01-Sep-20
The necropsy showed she had given birth in the past and that she had genetic markings consistent with NM and southern CO grizzlies from the past, meaning she was likely a local and not one that wandered in from WY. It was 27 years after the last confirmed grizzly so maybe, just maybe there were (are) a few still hiding out after that. Unlikely in this day and age of trail cams, increased use of the outdoors all year but sightings are still reported and some that have warranted the CPW to check them out.
From: Rupe
01-Sep-20
Great story
From: GF
01-Sep-20
Why do I recall some stink about that story?
From: Glunt@work
01-Sep-20
Investigation lasted months. Basically looking at the possibility the bear was shot before the attack. Ed and the clients took lie detector tests and eventually were cleared.
From: DL
01-Sep-20
Wouldn’t just looking at his crap stained underwear be enough evidence?
From: GF
01-Sep-20
That’s probably what it was. Couldn’t recall whether anything came of the questions/allegations....
I was a little distracted in those days.... LOL
From: Rob in VT
01-Sep-20
I enjoyed reading his book.
From: Ben
01-Sep-20
Met him and spoke with him after that happened and he was a stand up guy. Quite a story he told it at a Kansas Bowhunter convention when I was a member of KBA many moons ago.
From: Cobie33
02-Sep-20
My 12 yr old son and I had the pleasure of visiting Ed at his home in Marion, IA last Oct and listening to him tell the story of his encounter. A very humble man at 86 yrs young who was dedicated to his outfitting profession and his hunters. My son and I enjoyed the few hours we got to spend, seeing Ed’s scrap book of the happenings of that incident, hearing of the investigation, holding the arrow he used and seeing the bronze depicting the struggle. Ed still works part time, speaks to groups about the attack and continues to sell his book which is a great read.
From: midwest
02-Sep-20
That's cool! Hadn't heard that story. He doesn't live far from me.
From: scentman
02-Sep-20
I can still remember the cover of Outdoor life on that particular story.
From: keepemsharp
02-Sep-20
They didn't even let him have the hide, think it went to the Smithsonian.
From: scentman
02-Sep-20
I cannot find that illustration I mentioned above... but I distinctly remember a cover drawing of him having the bear hovering over him and he is on his back holding the arrow at the grizz. Any body good at finding that article?
From: Cobie33
02-Sep-20
The hide is actually at the Denver Museum of Natural History. They would not let Ed have it.
From: Milhouse
02-Sep-20
Scentman...... I KNEW I'd seen this story before, and that's where it was. Good old Outdoor Life. Back when it was a tremendous magazine. I waited for that to show up every month, I still have some of the old ones.... can't bear to part with them. Anyway, great story. That bear doesn't look like she'd have made the winter, judging by the looks of her teeth. She was a long ways downhill.
From: Boreal
02-Sep-20
I remember that issue of Outdoor Life well. I wish I had kept my copy. Here's the best picture of the cover I can find.
From: scentman
02-Sep-20
Boreal for the win! you came thru again, just as I remember reading that article while at my band saw milling machine in 1979 or so... I remember cuz my boss scolded me for letting my machine stop!... ah to be 21 again, NOT!
From: Vonfoust
02-Sep-20
"The necropsy showed she had given birth in the past and that she had genetic markings consistent with NM and southern CO grizzlies from the past, meaning she was likely a local and not one that wandered in from WY." Interesting. When did they do the genetic markings? I was under the impression that that technology wasn't available in 1979? Learn something every day.
From: Glunt@work
02-Sep-20
The hide and skeleton are at the Denver Museum of Natural History. The genetic test was done in 2006.
From: 7sdad
02-Sep-20
I hunt across the canyon from where he killed the bear and have meet an old outfitter that had worked with him.
From: Vonfoust
02-Sep-20
Thanks Glunt!
From: Helgermite
02-Sep-20
Ed Wiseman Story
Ed Wiseman Story
I still have this issue.
From: Mpdh
02-Sep-20
I think I still have that issue of Bowhunter too.
From: krieger
02-Sep-20
That's got to be a vast right wing conspiracy. Everyone knows grizzly's are peaceful. All you need is good intentions, a dab of elitism and some pepper spray, for LAST resort..
From: Scar Finga
02-Sep-20
Wow, I remember that story!!! I was a pretty young kid, but I recall the story! Wasn't it also in a couple other Mags? I remember seeing it multiple times!
From: Rgiesey
02-Sep-20
Hunted sheep around Ed in the 80s. Seemed like a great guy.
From: Surfbow
03-Sep-20
Only the skull is on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, it's in the wildlife halls in the bear section...
From: badbull
03-Sep-20
Yes, I remember the story being in Bowhunter as well as Outdoor Life. There is also a great bear story relayed here on Bowsite about a bear attack with a father likely saving his son's life by killing a bear as it attacked. I do not know the thread title but maybe someone can remember the thread title or I can do a search to try and find it. The bowhunters were Ron Leming and Ron Leming Jr. , I believe Cody Wyoming, 2011.... Badbull
From: badbull
03-Sep-20
If interested, you could Google the above info as it appears in other places as well.... Badbull
