The Last Known Grizzly Bear Killed in New Mexico

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10Bears

New member
I came across this cool article that told about the last written account of a grizzly bear taken in New Mexico. Historians believe the last grizzly bear in New Mexico was killed in the Gila in April 1931. It was trailed by two ranchers and four hounds and was fighting the dogs until it saw the ranchers and came after them. One rancher had a .351 Winchester semi auto and the other had a Winchester 94 30-30. The guy with the .351 was out of shells and the guy with the 30-30 had one shell left in the chamber when they finally killed him. The rancher with the .351 tried to roll a cigarette after but couldn't keep the tobacco on the paper. Dan
 
Originally Posted By: 220_SwiftI think I would have needed my cigarette papers to wipe my backside anyway!!!!!!!!!
Cigarette paper????
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More like a beach towel!!
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Well not that I know from using them but I have seen at the stores a larger size of papers now days.I have not seen any called beach towel size!!!!!
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If you want to read about some cool southwestern predator hunting of the bigger stuff by about the last of the mountain men, look up stories about a feller by the name of Ben Lilly. The guy lived with and hunted the lions, wolves, and bears of the southwest at the turn of the century. It was said he didn't sleep under a roof for something like ten years preferring to sleep outside on the ground with his dogs.
 
Originally Posted By: GCIf you want to read about some cool southwestern predator hunting of the bigger stuff by about the last of the mountain men, look up stories about a feller by the name of Ben Lilly. The guy lived with and hunted the lions, wolves, and bears of the southwest at the turn of the century. It was said he didn't sleep under a roof for something like ten years preferring to sleep outside on the ground with his dogs.

This is a awesome book! I have read it 3 or four times now. I just looked on EBAY and they have 7 copies listed.
I wont sell mine!! It's called 'The Ben Lilly legend'

CHECK IT OUT!!
 
Ya that Ben Lilly was quite a character. He settled in the Gila Wilderness New Mexico in 1911 and worked for cattle ranchers and the government on depredation. He killed grizzly, black bears, cougars and mexican gray wolves. I read somewhere it was said he killed between 600 and 1000 lions.
 
This really sounds like a good read. I was looking on Ebay and found 2 different books. Is one just a newer paperback copy of the same old book?
I may be getting this one. Thanks for posting this!
 
The last grizzly bear killed in Colorado was in 1979 in the San Juan Mtns in southern Colorado by a bowhunter hunting elk. The sow grizzly attacked him and he killed it with a hand held arrow. I read there have been grizzly sightings in the last few years in Co and one was in the same mtn range in southern co just north of the New Mexico border. Do you suppose the griz know where the border is and won't cross it lol
 
Originally Posted By: 10BearsThe last grizzly bear killed in Colorado was in 1979 in the San Juan Mtns in southern Colorado by a bowhunter hunting elk. The sow grizzly attacked him and he killed it with a hand held arrow.

That's the way the bow hunter always swore it went down. There was a whole bunch of controversy about that story. Nobody will ever know for sure except the man that was there.
 
I thought that story sounded a little wild when I read it. I wonder if the hand held arrow made a nice broadside double lung shot.......lol
 
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