Here’s What Happened to the Last Grizzly in Southern Utah

Old Silver Tip Roamed the Pine Valley Area 

Southern Utah is home to some black bears, mountain lions, cougars and a whole lot of squirrels, but there was a time when one of the meanest grizzlies made his home here. This bear was so infamous he had a couple of names. 

Old Silver Tip came from a description of his fur. The second name, Old Crackfoot, was because of his injured front foot that he probably damaged yanking out of a bear trap. It left it deformed and may have contributed to the massive grizzly's ferocious nature. 

The First Ranger of the Dixie National Forest  

According to the story told by Bud Iverson and Mitt Moody, around 1903, Mitt was serving as a ranger in the Pine Valley area when reports came in of cattle being mauled and killed in a violent manner. All evidence pointed to a bear. 

Mitt spent the next few years tracking the grizzly that killed so many cattle that a reward was offered for $250, equal to a summer’s work. The reward brought in trackers from Colorado and then Wyoming who did their best but gave up when the bear took out many of their hunting dogs. 

Eventually Crackfoot had killed so many head of cattle that the reward climbed to $2,000. After many failed attempts, Mitt Moody tracked the bear down and shot him from a distance. This only made Old Crackfoot angrier, and he charged the ranger.  

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After unloading seven more shots and getting tossed 20 feet, the ranger won and the last grizzly in Southern Utah died. His massive skull and hide were sent to the Smithsonian to be displayed. And thus ended a legend.

You can read the full account here.