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Author Topic: Winston the Lillooet Griz  (Read 8101 times)

VAGAbond

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Winston the Lillooet Griz
« on: February 24, 2026, 03:45:50 PM »
This story has been around for years, recycling it for those who may have missed it.

https://search.app/xn7Ao9fpQ4uYciMs6
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danielk

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Re: Winston the Lillooet Griz
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2026, 05:10:40 PM »
Oh I’m pretty sure I’ve bumped into him a few times on the upper elaho.   He’s a tank.     All I can say is riffles were up.   Until he was done checking us out.     I wish I took a picture but hard pass we were not dropping the riffle.   
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clarki

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Re: Winston the Lillooet Griz
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2026, 10:46:54 AM »
Interesting read. Thanks for posting that.

1992 was the first year that I fished the Chilliwack River, at the same time that Winston was feeding on the river, while enroute from Manning Park to the Upper Lillooet.

I was definitely not bear aware in my early days on the river and I would have been alarmed to hear I was sharing the water with a grizzly.

FYI: status of grizzlies and in the North Cascades https://www.coasttocascades.org/north-cascades
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RalphH

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Re: Winston the Lillooet Griz
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2026, 11:03:24 AM »
I knew a fellow who had a farm near Agassiz. We bought some produce, his wife had a gift shop plus a little bistro there Once when my wife and I stopped by he told us he had recently seen a large grizzly bear walking through his fields. He told me he was a hunter and had hunted grizzlies & bagged a few and  was was certain that is what it was. Some time after that I read a newspaper article about Winston. Seemed likely to me he was the same bear. Best I know Winston never had a negative direct interaction with people.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2026, 06:39:42 PM by RalphH »
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RalphH

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Re: Winston the Lillooet Griz
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2026, 02:36:21 PM »
attached is a related article from the Narwhal.

Winston the Grizzly was twice relocated to the Manning Park area to introduce from fresh genetics to what was an isolated population. At the time I read that it was thought the grizzly population in the Manning area was perhaps 20 to 40 bears. Turns out it is currently much less than 10 at best and the last confirmed sighting was at Eastgate just outside the Park in 2015. Many consider grizzlies extirpated from the Cascades. In the US the Federal Government has withdrawn support for reintroduction of grizzlies to the area. Various groups are still trying to move bears  there.

https://thenarwhal.ca/north-cascades-grizzly-recovery/
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