SILVERTIP-CO

I wrote a reply to this post on Wed eve but when I hit enter my pc locked up and I lost it so I'll try it again.

Yes the last grizzer was kilt in Colo in 70's. As I recall the story he attacked a mailman and the guy killed the bear. I don't know if he was delivering mail or if that was just his occupation and he was out hunting and was attacked. It was nw of Pagosa probably in the Weminuche if I recall what was relayed to me.

In the summer of 2011 one or more grizzlies was spotted in the area of Independence Pass. The DOW did some heli flights and saw nothing. Not sure if the viewers got pics. It was a big deal in the Salida and Leadville papers for a few weeks then the story died.

As to the 'they already did it' post above, you are probably right. When the public hears about wildlife stocking projects for grizz and wolves most state wildlife take the plausible deniability route. The states ( they're all LLC since the Klinton administration) do not want to accept RISK for wildlife projects gone wrong where people or property might suffer damage, so many predatory animal projects ( like the eastern cougar) don't exist, never happened, "we don't know anything about it".

As for my own self I will have no prob shooting each/every wolf I encounter, law or no law. And please don't cite/flame me here about 'ethics', my ethics is a Winchester rifle. <That's a period.

On the other hand I would never shoot a grizz or bigfoot unless under direct attack or if I had a grizz license. But that's just me.

I believe if there is grizzly habitat it is north and south of Independence Pass along the valleys leading up to the Divide. Just like some places look 'elky', those valleys look like grizz country. Pretty unscientific but that's way it seems. Which is not to say that northern Colo ranchers wont soon lose cows to migrating grizzers coming down from MT and WY. We are bound to see them in Colo in next ten yrs. ANd that will be 'interesting'.

Thanks.