At the time, Fred and his wife Faye were living and working at La Canada in New Mexico, where they had built Dixon’s Apples—known simply as “The Ranch.” Faye, his lifelong partner and the matriarch of the family, was seriously ill. After being up much of the night caring for her, Fred rose early to shut off the irrigation pumps in the orchard. He had recently seen a coyote he feared might have rabies and intended to track it down before it could harm anyone during harvest season.

Armed with an M1 carbine, Fred headed into the upper orchard. The foreman, Fidel Comacho, insisted on joining him. As they walked near a peach orchard—where trees had been torn apart by a known bear in the area—Fidel went ahead to see if any peaches remained. Suddenly, a large brown bear burst from the brush and charged him.

Fred tried to intervene but hesitated to shoot for fear of hitting Fidel. Instead, he ran between them, hoping to scare the bear away. The bear did not retreat. It grabbed Fred by the arm, lifted him off the ground, and shook him violently. Though battered and losing his glasses in the struggle, Fred fought back, even attempting to force his hand down the bear’s throat—a tactic he had once read about.

When Fidel returned to help, the bear turned toward him. Fred struck the animal in the nose, drawing its focus back to himself. Amid the chaos, Fred carefully instructed Fidel on how to operate the rifle without accidentally ejecting the ammunition clip. With Fred steadying the gun, Fidel fired thirteen shots, several piercing Fred’s fallen hat, until the bear collapsed. Fred then reloaded and delivered a final shot behind the ear to ensure it was dead.

Injured and bleeding heavily—requiring more than seventy stitches—Fred was driven to the hospital by Faye, who, despite her illness, had emerged from the house neatly prepared as always. Doctors treated him and tested the bear for rabies, which it did not have. In the days that followed, law enforcement and game wardens arrived at the ranch, and even amid his pain, Fred managed to joke about whether he had a hunting license.

The attack left lasting damage to his arm and hand, including evidence of broken teeth marks where he had struck the bear. Yet in telling the story, Fred focused less on the injury and more on the resolve it required—protecting others, staying calm under pressure, and acting decisively in the face of danger.