Arizona ATV Outlaw Trail

The early years in Arizona saw a time of many predator animals, some causing trouble for ranchers and residents.  Bears, lions and wolves could do a lot of damage in a short time.  Many men found a way to make a living as hunters and trappers.  One such man was Clay Hunter, who was well-known [...]

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It’s hard to determine the exact date the last grizzly bear was killed in Arizona…1933, 1935 or 1939. In much written about the subject, the grizzly, Clay Thompson writing for the Arizona Republic states “many years ago, I read that the last grizzly bear in Arizona was killed by a government tracker in 1933. The [...]

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Fred Hamblin was the youngest brother of Jacob Hamblin Sr. and a son of Isaiah Hamblin who was 6’ 6” tall. Fred was 6’ 3” tall and weighed well over 200 pounds without an ounce of fat on his body. He was all muscle and well-coordinated and had great strength. He was a giant of [...]

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Clell Lee came to the Blue area in 1922 as a guide for a hunting party.  He returned many times and in 1955 he was called to come to hunt predators.  Born in Texas in 1905, the Lee family of eight children and the parents moved to Hidalgo County, New Mexico when Clell was four [...]

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Hank Sharp Ropes a Bear as told by Joe Pearce and originally published in the Apache County Historical Society Quarterly. The wide open cattle ranges during the early settlement of Arizona were ruled by smoking rifles, but in this case the range was domineered by a sea grass rope in the hands of a cowboy.  [...]

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