Book Description

At a time when the world is taking more interest than ever in the fate of North America's grizzly bear population, two avid naturalists take us inside one of the grizzlies' most inspiring strongholds. Fortress of the Grizzlies delivers a unique perspective based on Dan and Wendy's years of respectful interaction with a community of grizzlies, challenging our ideas about this powerful, but also vulnerable creature.

Fortress of the Grizzlies highlights:
-The story of one family of bears, based on observations recorded over a ten-year period.
-New insights into how to predict and understand grizzly behaviour.
-Descriptions of individual grizzlies in the sanctuary.
-Stunning full-colour photography throughout. ... Read more

Book Description

The Lost Grizzlies chronicles the ongoing search for proof that a small number of grizzly bears still lives in the isolated mountain wilds of southern Colorado. Rick Bass turns his considerable talents to an evocation of wilderness beauty and the history of human encroachment that may, or may not, have wiped out the last of these massive, solitary bears from their southern range. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A Superb Read!!
Lost Grizzlies is a superb read! Rick Bass is fast becoming (may already be) our premier writer of the american wilderness. Bass' descriptions of the books characters and the wilds of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado are vivid. I enjoyed Bass' descriptions of Doug Peacock's brilliance and brutishness. I enjoyed reading ABOUT Peacock almost as much as I enjoyed reading Peacock's book (Grizzly Years).

Beautiful writing. Highly recommended.
As Rick Bass and Doug Peacock go high and deep into Colorado's San Juan Mountains, on the chance there might still be grizzlies somehow surviving there, we are treated to glimpses of unspeakable beauty and wonder. It's as though Bass were able to blend his own Ninemile Wolves with Peacock's Grizzly Years. Their journey is both exhilerating and meditative. Reading this book was a pleasure.

Defining
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of the trail, but as science it dosen't bother to include any. Only the fact that standard conservation biology principles are ridiculed. Unfortunately this population of Ursus arctos horribilus is all but gone. They are at California Condor levels if present at all. They see one bear, but what of the DNA analysis? Bass does not tell us here. Bass's bear is more a vision than a reality.

The crowd of Earth First!ers from Tuscon and points north represented by the volatile-tempered Doug Peacock, that has allowed Rick Bass to join is a select band of outlaw literary types, that worship the wild and lament its demise. I share this sadness and want to prevent it myself, but my twelve years working as a fish and wildlife biologist did little to encourage me that this is possible. By aligning himself only with outlaw radicals whose personal behavior screams "left-wing enviro-nut" these noble ideas will be hard to sell by these messengers. Only with mainstream acceptance will change occur.

In Bass's home territory of Yaak, Montana this will be a hard sell. Libby is a devastated lumber town where I once worked for the U.S. Forest Service. I was so discouraged that I quit early and left town never to return. Bass runs with a select clique who live in Livingston, Montana a sort of "Hollywood North" of rich and famous actors and artists the likes of Peter Fonda, Tom McGuane, Dennis Quaid, the brothers Bridges, an endless list. But it's the outlaws like Dave Forman the founder of Earth First!that run the underground sects of the environmental movement, and they have a terrorist thesis; "Monkeywrenchers" as Ed Abby envisioned. Peacock is the model although he does not actually commit vandalism acts himself. They don't accept newcomers into their ranks easily; particularly impoverished writers from the "sticks."

I wrote Mr. Bass once of my efforts chronicled in my first book "Against A Strong Current," on these conservation matters and received no reply. Acceptance by this group is not my goal but credit is difficult to get, even if one has extensive credentials and a government work record that takes place on scene as part of the in house system working for the same change. It is easy to be upstaged by amateurs. Bass seeks to sell romance sans the "Guzzi" consumerish trappings. This work is a success at that, but it is not in any sense, biology.

I Believe It Was a Grizzly
This book is a unique combination of comedy, real-life adventure and a luminous testimony to one of America's most endangered and mythical beasts. Bass is at his best here, capturing the hearts of his readers through an alternately hilarious and spine tingling account of his journey into the Colorado mountains in search of grizzly bears.

The problem facing Bass and his two friends is that the grizzly bear is believed to be extinct in Colorado. However, several undocumented sightings and signs have convinced them that the bears exist in the remotest regions of the mountain range. Thus they are out to do all they can to locate bears and document their findings.

In the resulting adventures we find the three companions trapsing through woods, sliding down canyon walls, confronting bureaucrats and tracking down bear sign. Things are complicated, and given a distinctly uneasy quality, by the behavior of Doug Peacock. Peacock, himself a well-known author and champion of the grizzly bear, is plagued by frequent and dramatic mood swings. His alarmingly volatile temper, moments of intense introspection and frequent outbursts of graphic profanity have the reader feeling like he/she is walking on eggshells. Because Bass has done such a good job of describing his friend, and how he came to be the way he is, it's easy to forgive Peacock his peculiar behavior. However, it is not easy or pleasant to read.

As the story unfolds, and the three men get closer to their goal, the tension becomes almost unbearable. When Bass finally sees a bear, after months of exhausting effort and disappointment, the scene unfolds in classic Bass technicolor with heart racing clarity and insight. "When I am ten yards from that fallen tree - which I am all but ignoring, focusing on the deer - a creature leaps up from behind it, seemingly right in my face, a brown creature with great hunched shoulders. It's a bear with a big head, and for the smallest fraction of time our eyes meet. The bear's round brown eyes are wild in alarm, and mine the same or larger, I'm sure. The bear's rich chocolate color, like a moose and nearly as big, an animal of such immense size that indeed my first thought, the one right before fear, is: That bear's as big as a moose!"

I won't ruin the suspense by telling you what happens next. It should be enough to know that Bass neither disappoints nor fails to find deeper currents of truth running beneath his experience. This is another book that shouldn't be missed. Just don't expect it to reveal its gifts easily.

Guys looking for grizzlies
I agree with another reviewer's comment that this book is largely focused on the guys out looking for grizzlies in Colorado rather than on bears. This made for excellent reading. Bass is a remarkably skilled writer. He puts you right there at the campfire sipping whisky and feasting on wild mushrooms with Peacock and company.

The attitudes of Bass, Peacock and the rest can appear surprisingly negative at times. For example, they seem to have something of a "holier-than-thou" attitude towards other wilderness enthusiasts, in the sense that wilderness advocates wearing suits are laughed at, persons hiking in the woods with colorful gear are "wanna-bes", and young persons also looking for grizzly in the woods are characterized as lackluster. University researchers ("academics") are also cast as ignorant and removed from the wilderness they study. I found this sort of gruff cynicism reminiscent of the Monkey Wrench Gang and hence it had some entertainment value. However, knee-jerk judgements seemingly based on what people wear, and lofty dismissals of others' work didn't help my images of these guys. Just some passing remarks, this book is fantastic.

All in all a great book that makes for a gripping read. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The grizzly bear has always inspired awe in man, but the animal's true nature and character has long been shrouded in myth. Few people know grizzlies as Andy Russell does, and in Grizzly Country he shares stories from a lifetime of experience observing them, first as hunter, then as cameraman. In wonderfully engaging prose, he reveals the life cycle of this remarkable creature.

Like Farley Mowat's Never Cry Wolf, Grizzly Country opened a new way of thinking about an oft-misunderstood predator. It is a book for anyone interested in wild America. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A grand old classic by man with a lifetime of experience
Andy Russell grew up in grizzly country, married a young woman who had also grown up in grizzly, and raised a family in grizzly country. The stories are the real thing, with all the wonder and humor that comes from lifetimes of experience with wildlife. This book, with Frank Duqesne's NO ROOM FOR BEARS, and Enos Mills' THE GRIZZLY, is a classic that belongs on the shelf of everyone interested in the grizzly and its future in North America.

Andy Russell's Grizzly Country blends a rich history of concern for this bear with some gentle and telling words to the wise. He even got ahead of the scientists in some cases. For instance, biologists used to insist that the bears living on the coast of Alaska were not the same species as the bears living inland. Russell wryly wrote how strange it was to see a bear moving up one side of a mountain, and become another species just by crossing the ridge and moving inland, down the other side of the mountain.

Russell saw grizzlies as a child, and raised his kids around the bears. He has great stories to tell, stories of humor, and depth. This is a very fine book, cover to cover. ... Read more

Book Description

Princess Royal Island, an uninhabited spot of land off the coast of British Columbia, is the home of the rare Kermode bear, a variety of grizzly bear. Also called the white, ghost, or spirit bear, it has long been the subject of myth, curiosity, and fascination to humans. Until recently, these animals had never been exposed to civilization.

Now reissued with a new introduction by the author, Spirit Bear is the story of Charles Russell's quest to forge a unique relationship of mutual trust with the rare spirit bear of Princess Royal Island. Russell was on the island to help Jeff and Sue Turner with their film, Island of the Ghost Bear. During the course of the shoot, he became intrigued with, and eventually befriended the shy young Spirit Bear who was the subject of the film.

Russell has spent many years studying bears in their natural habitat. In this book he describes his early encounters, shared with his father, well-known writer Andy Russell, with bears in the Rockies and Alaska, and his encounters with grizzlies in British Columbia's Khutzeymateen Valley.

This wonderful book, which is illustrated with 100 breathtaking color photographs, is part of an ongoing effort by conservationists to save Princess Royal Island as a sanctuary for the Kermode bear. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wow! Great for any bear lover
This is a fascinating story of rare and beautiful animals and the crew of research photographers who became intimately associated with them. It offers some startling revelations into the life and behavior of bears. The Spirit Bear, or Kermode Bear, is a white genetic variety of black bear, found only on Princess Royal Island off British Columbia. The region is also home to black bears and grizzly bears which are included in the book as well. What is most remarkable here is how the bears on the island, which had very little prior human contact, accepted the crew with an open gentleness allowing many close encounters to be documented. The book is written in an engaging first person style and beautifully photographed with close ups of bears in various activities. It will surely be a favorite addition to the library of any nature lover.

great content, credible author, fascinating photos
Spirit Bear is the best combination of a well-conceived book design, telling photography, and an exceptional storyline. The author's credibility is supported by a three-generation family history in grizzly bear country. His true experience, though, is reflected in his down-to-earth sincerity and simplicity of reporting. Reverence, balanced with pragmatic humor, sets a very ageeable tone for this fascinating book. With only one very moderately bloody-nosed bear photo, you could quite readily share this book with children. I grew up in bear country and now live in the heart of tree-hugging country and I found this book to be true to the core of both. And a darn fine read.

Fantastic!!!
This book will give you the chills! A mystical yet true story on the nature of "wild animals" and the mystical and spiritual link between "us" and "them".Gorgeous full color photography. The book ends with the impending destruction of the Spirit Bears habitat by logging and a plea to save this unique island ecosystem.

Studying the white bears of Princess Royal Island
Eyeing you from the dust jacket of Spirit Bear is a very relaxed, improbable looking white bear with a benign, even friendly, air. It is the embodiment of the main subject of the book.

The author begins by summarizing his own and his family's long history and experience with black and grizzly bears. In so doing he establishes his credibility before describing his encounters with' the Kermode bear, a rare white variant of the black bear that inhabits some of the largely undisturbed west coast islands. Russell was wise to open in this manner as the story that follows truly stretches the reader's credulity.

After recounting how he came to be on Princess Royal Island to film the white bears with Sue and Jeff Turner, we learn how they got to know the Spirit Bear, and how they developed an extraordinary relationship with him. The Spirit Bear not only "enjoyed" human company, but he fished with people, slept beside them, and allowed the author to scratch and even tickle him between his toes! Perhaps most incredible is the incident when men and bear play tug-of-war, with the bear attempting to initiate a wrestling match without harming his human friends.

After these amazing adventures, the last chapter is somewhat disappointing. We read about how the author and the Turners, after several months' absence from Princess Royal Island during the winter, returned and spent their last summer finishing their film. However, only one brief paragraph is devoted to their meeting with the Spirit Bear and the renewal of their extraordinary friendship.

Despite this disappointment, the book is well worth the price. Although not always technically perfect, the amazing photographs are generally very good and document some of the incredible events described in the narrative. The text not only provides fascinating insights into bear behaviour, but give? plenty of reasons to change preconceived notions about bear aggression. Underlying the story is a message about the importance of keeping an open mind when dealing ! with animals. But don't expect the next bear you meet to treat you as a long lost friend. THERESA ANISKOWICZ ... Read more

Book Description

Here are eyewitnesses, investigators, and survivors tell their stories of face-to-face encounters with bears in the wild.

What causes bear attacks? Can attacks be prevented? If you are attacked, are there defensive measures that can save your life?

For answers to these and many other questions, Mike Cramond conducted full investigations on many of the over 250 documented attacks in his files. These include attacks by grizzlies, black bears, and polar bears. On this project, he traveled 40,000 miles to visit attack sites and interview surviving victims, witnesses, biologists, and official investigators.

The resulting stories dramatically re-create these attacks and then examine their causes. From the evidence, Cramond often offers fascinating challenges to popular beliefs on bear behavior.

Learn what to do if confronted by a bear, what kinds of terrain are most conducive to attacks, whether to fight or play dead, when a charging bear is merely bluffing, and much much more, all in the fascinating context of real-life stories told by the attack survivors themselves. Many of the stories also touch on the attack aftermaths: hospital ordeals, physical disabilities, and heartbreaking battles for compensation.

Killer Bears is essential reading for anyone who would step into bear country, and serves as a principal reference for all who would study and report on the bear-man issues in North America. Meticulously researched and chock-full of expert knowledge, Killer Bears stands as a vital and important part of our literature on nature and survival. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Real-life stories of survivors of bear attacks
What causes killer bear attacks, can they be prevented, and how have humans survived? Killer Bears gathers real-life stories of survivors of bear attacks, supplementing their first-person face-to-face encounters with keys to understanding the behaviors of wild bears. An intriguing, absorbing title which can be pursued as a leisure/adventure read and a natural history of bears. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Tugs at the heart strings
Jack and Patti, what a wonderful story. I learned much from the book and I also can relate as my friend and I had a realtionship with a wonderful black baby bear this past fall. It was absolutely magical. Your story certainly tugged at my heart strings, as I laughed and cried while reading your story. You bring to the public that humans and animals can communicate and perhaps these so-called wild animals are more human than some people are willing to admit. I can understand why you ended where you did. Thank you for a wonderful book.

ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL & BEARY HEARTWARMING!!
I just loved this book. Hated to come to the end. A marvelous and touching story about animals, love and trust and nature. Almost too amazing to be true but with wonderful photos to prove it! I will lie awake at night and dream of Jack and Patti and their bears. Thank you, Becklunds!

A New Understanding of Bears
I never understood black bears until reading Jack Becklund's book. I laughed and cried, feeling as if I was right there with Jack and his wife Patti. Afterward, I wanted to visit that area, see the house, see the yard where Little Bit and the other bears played. I now want to find out more about helping these wonderful creatures survive. I have never been more moved by a book. I would love to communicate with Jack and Patti some time and get a picture of "Conversation with a Bear". They are incredible people and so fortunate to have had such a gift in their lives as becoming intimately involved with God's beautiful wildlife.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book. I am reading it again now for the second time. It is hard to put down. Thank you Jack and Patti for sharing this beautiful experience with us.
Joanne Setlock
Wallace Ave.
Buffalo, New York 14216

Magical!
If you love animals, nature, the great outdoors, and reading about people who love all those things too, please get this book, sit down with a box of tissues, and enjoy! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shake your head in wonderment. The author Jack Becklund and his wife Patti, move deep into the Minnesota forests. Their property is home to deer gamboling on the lawn, chipmunks and hand-fed squirrels munching seeds on the porch,wild mallard ducks swimming and splashing in the creek below, and a colorful array of native birds. But the real heart of the story is Little Bit, the black bear cub who toddles onto the back deck one day, and stays for the next six summers as a welcome, loving, and deeply loved guest of the couple. She is a magical spirit, a living, breathing gift from God, sent to bring great joy to their lives. We are honored to meet Little Bit's cubs, her mates, and numerous other black bears who live in the area, and come to trust the Becklunds. The story itself is incredible, but between the lines, we watch the couple come to love and appreciate the power of this sacred trust they've been given...the joy of the relationship they share with these magnificent animals.This is a book for all time...a classic in every sense of the word. The photos are magnificent, and bring the personalities of the animals into beautiful focus.

Best book I ever read!!!!
Summer with the bears is by far the best book I've ever read. If you don't have it or haven't read it do so now. It will change your life in some way I'm sure. I first read about it in the Reader's Digest and put my copy on order for the moment it came out. Little bit and all of the other bears touched my heart so much it's hard ot describe. I felt like I was there with them as events were happening. Jack and Patti you are so lucky to have had this special time in your lives and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sharing it with us. Just goes to show that all animals are not as we always imagine them to be, yet we know at the same time they are not all created equal. There are those that possess a special trait and willingness to be different, that was little bit. Your book was written from your heart, and the pictures helped us to be there too. I laughed and I cried along with you. so few of us will experience what you did interacting with the bears on the level that you did. I attribute your book to helping me find a hidden talent I did not know existed in me. I started sketching, and yes mostly bears. I did one of you and Patti with little bit, if you'd ever like them all you need to do is ask and they are yours. You touched my life in such a special way that in turn I'd like to touch your lives too. Hope there will be more books and I wish you all the best in your lives. Thank You for sharing your special lives with the world. ... Read more

Book Description

First published in 1943 but long out of print, "Meet Mr. Grizzly" was rated by J. Frank Dobie in "Guide to Life and Literature of the Southwest as "...the most mature yet published by a ranchman." Now this singular reminiscence by a remarkable man is drawing a whole new generation of readers.

Montague Stevens was much more than a one-armed British remittance man with a passion for bear hunting. Educated at Cambridge, he was one of the most literate chroniclers of New Mexico's rural history. That he lived in a time when grizzlies still roamed the wilds of southwest New Mexico makes Steven's observations of great interest to today's bear enthusiasts. His well reasoned comments on natural history, dog training, and the life of an early day cattleman are an invaluable reference. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Meet Mr Grizzly
An outstanding and well written book. This book is an absolute must for those who love the great bear. Even though it relates to hunting of the grizzly, it offers terrific insight into the personality and intelligence of this great animal that once roamed so much of the American west.

Western Americana Classic
Meet Mr. Grizzly is a great classic of Western Americana. It is also the best book on training dogs and horses that I have ever read. Montague Stevens was an Englishman who took up ranching in New Mexico in the late 1800's. Among the problems he faced in learning the business of cattle and sheep ranching were Apaches, rustlers, and stock-killing grizzlies. While this book provides a colorful and highly literate description of ranch life on the western frontier, it focuses primarily on the methods he developed for hunting marauding bears. These, in turn, depended largely on his genius in training dogs and horses. For me, the most fascinating aspect of this book is the gentle creativity and the shrewd experimental approach he applied in working with his animals. His experiences are described with clarity, modesty, and humor.

Grizzly Bears, Hounds and an iconoclastic Englishman
Montague Stevens (the author) lightly mentions losing an arm in an accident and then never returns to the subject or the difficulties it must have caused as he chronicles his joyous escapades of hunting Grizzly bears near his ranch in New Mexico. This combined with his quote "Any good horse would be insulted by spurs" typifies his iconoclastic personality.

This book (non fiction) is about a man (Stevens) who lived in the late 1800's and early 1900's on a ranch in New Mexico near the Arizona border. The author spent a good portion of his life hunting Grizzly's by what he terms the "hit and miss method" before learning to catch grizzly's with "reasonable certainty". Written with the feel of a "fireside chat", "Meet Mr. Grizzly" discusses Stevens' many adventures of hunting bears, training hounds, ranch life and interesting people he met along the way. His opportunities to hunt with Teddy Roosevelt and several prominent Military men of his day are intriguing.

Stevens' unorthodox methods of training hounds to trail bears is both thought provoking and entertaining. Stevens understood dogs better than most dog trainers. He was able to train "liason dogs" to trail the hunting pack once the hunting pack were out of hearing. Stevens was an animal lover with a personality and demeanor similar to James Herriot. His analytical approach to problem solving allowed him to kindly train and own what was probably the worlds most successful pack of hunting dogs. His simple explanations of training methods make the reader feel as though anyone can expertly train dogs to do anything desired.

This book is of wonderful value even if only for its historical content regarding a species (Ursus Horribilis - Grizzly Bear)that is now extirpated both in New Mexico and Arizona. An absolutely wonderful read for any hunter, biologist, historian or nature enthusiast. ... Read more

Book Description

The first-ever collection of the best bear tales from all across Wyoming. A fatal mauling by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. A black bear in a farmhouse bedroom. A massive cattle-killing grizzly in the new millennium. Dozens of stories; some old, some new, many never before published. This book reveals a history of the conflict and cooperation between mankind and bears in wild Wyoming. Well written by a talented Wyoming author. ... Read more

Book Description

On the outskirts of a Montana town, a female grizzly and her cubs catch the scent of a bag of dog food left out on a porch. It has been a poor autumn for berries in the backcountry, and the temptation to snatch an easy meal from human territory is strong. If the bears succeed often enough, they will be more likely to go into their winter den with the fat reserves needed for survival. But with each such raid, the bears' chances of getting caught or killed increase dramatically.

In True Grizz, author Douglas Chadwick joins a crew of dedicated wildlife managers working to educate grizzlies about where they should and shouldn't go in the populated areas of northwestern Montana. With "schooling" methods that range from shooting the bears with rubber bullets to charging at them with teams of specially trained Karelian dogs, these people are doing everything they can to save a threatened species. This challenge grows increasingly difficult as human development encroaches upon the bears' habitat, leaving grizz little choice but to share landscapes with us.

Breaking with the tradition of tales that depict bears as either ferocious monsters or icons of pure wilderness, Chadwick gives us a refreshingly clear-eyed view of individual grizzlies and their complex personalities. As he chronicles the lives of Fernie, Stahr, Easy, Dakota, and other "problem" bears--and shares his personal insights about free-roaming grizzlies gained through close observation for more than three decades--Chadwick offers a realistic yet poignant picture of grizz as big, strong, bright, adaptable omnivores trying to get by in the modern world any way they can. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Book, Not Must Have
We seem to be increasing our volumes of "bear journalism" at a rapid pace but I'm not sure we ever needed to go beyond Peacock's "Grizzly Years." I find the author and his cohorts well-intentioned, but do we really need to know everything there is to know about the grizzly? Do we need to radio-collar them and track them and tag them and pursue them and give them cutesy, anthropomorphic names? Why can't we just accept their mystical and awesome presence and perhaps spend a bit less time and energy destroying their habitat?

true grizz
Overall, a good book. Chronicles the day-to-day happenings of a team of biologists that scare/chase bears away from the homes of individuals residing near the Whitefish Mountain Range in Montana. A little bit too much on the politics though!

Fantastic!!
Chadwick has penned a fascinating look at an animal whose reputation has long been based more on fear than fact. This marvelous natural history writer has found a way to bring readers close enough to touch a Grizzly bear, while maintaining a safe distance of respectful awe. His up-close-and personal stories of bears and bear managers are emminently readable and give one pause for thought about how misrepresented these incredible bears -- named Ursus arctos horribilis -- have become. Chadwick writes with trained scientific insight as well as the kindness of a human being who doesn't feel that man's place on this planet is that of "The Terminator" for all species who might stand in the way of real estate development. A definite "must-read" for all people living in or near Grizz habitat, and for all admirers of the magnificent megafauna known as the Grizzly bear. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The polar bear is a cunning predator, hunting seals, walruses, and beluga whales. The females are also conscientious mothers, playing with, teaching, and disciplining their cubs for the two and a half years before they are weaned. This slender volume is packed with information about these beautiful and powerful animals. Written by noted researcher Nikita Ovsyanikov (who set up the famous polar-bear-viewing camp in Manitoba, Canada), the text is learned yet accessible, and bear lovers of all ages will appreciate the dozens of gorgeous photographs. --C.B. Delaney ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Keren Su has been photographing the panda for over 10 years and it is no exaggeration to say that he has the best collection of panda photos. He has captured the rarely seen lively and playful nature of the panda and the strong bond between the mother panda and the cub. Some of the photos have never been published before. This is a photo book that any panda lover would enjoy, no matter children or adults. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After a century of declared war, Colorado's last grizzly was officially eradicated in 1952. But in 1979, while out bowhunting elk in the San Juan mountains, a guide named Ed Wiseman fought a big old sow with nothing more than a broken arrow--and won. Was this truly the "last" grizzly? David Petersen, for one, would like to know. He tracks the ghost grizzlies of the southern Rockies with a gusto that borders on mania, interviewing wildlife officials, hikers, hunters, taxidermists, and anyone else with a connection to the great bear--hoping to find evidence that a few still range Colorado's rugged backcountry. He spearheads campaigns into the wilderness and studies suspicious signs left behind. Ghost Grizzlies, his memoir of this search, is many books at once: it's a lesson in natural (and not-so-natural) history; an elegy for America's lost wildness; a very personal rumination on what it means to chase an elusive spirit; and a terrific true-mystery story that will appeal to outdoors enthusiasts, wildlife fanciers, and anyone else who enjoys a good Western yarn. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Complete and Intelligent Study
Buy this book. Buy it new, buy it used, buy it for your friends, buy it for your enemies. Petersen has written a thoughtful and thorough examination of recent grizzly bear management policies (or lack thereof) in the San Juans of Colorado. The book is a pleasure to read.

As someone who occasionally sees grizzers on his property, I can't conceive of living in an environment that doesn't have a population of apex predators to keep things interesting. Petersen masterfully chronicles how government funded assassins with the support of short-sighted local ranching communities and clumsy land managers, managed to kill virtually every grizzly in Colorado. He also accurately details how Western ranchers have come to view public lands with more than a sense of ownership but rather with a sense of absolute entitlement. This has led them to run their stock on federal land at ridiculously cheap rates, ignore even the most commonsense principles of husbandry, and push bears and wolves into the zoos and picture books while trying to keep everyone else out. Also to blame are the Baby Huey-like semi-rich, who hack 20 acre ranchettes out of the diminishing habitat and in the process are strangling the thing they profess to love most.

Petersen manages to stay somewhat balanced, using an essay by the outspoken and bearlike Doug Peacock to say what is probably really on his mind regarding sheep ranchers and development dingbats. In the course of researching the book, Peterson also forges unlikely friendships with former (but not reformed) professional and amateur bearslayers , including Ed Wiseman, who killed the last known Colorado grizz in hand to hand combat in 1979.

There is the general belief in the book that the great bear still lives in the San Juans but has become more nocturnal and reclusive as it adapts to its shrinking habitat. There are certainly drainages wild enough to support a grizz but I personally don't believe there are any left. My heart tells me that any state with a wildlife management policy as pathetic and dumbheaded as Colorado's can't have allowed for even a single surviving great bear. Also, I am reminded of a story in Scott Weidensaul's recent (and excellent) book on vanishing species entitled "The Ghost With Trembling Wings." Weidensaul tells the story of an animal who escapes from a European zoo and whose likeness is posted on the news. Consequently, hundreds of eyewitness calls come flooding in from all over the country, each caller claiming to have personally seen the critter. It turns out that the koala had actually been run over by a train several hundred yards from the zoo immediately after escaping. Weidensaul's point is that people WANT to believe something so badly, they convince themselves of its existence. And I'm afraid that is what we are doing with the Colorado grizzly.

Great book - read four times.
My copy of this book is dog-eared and worn-out after all my readings of it and loaning it to others! David Peterson is one interesting writer. I had visited the San Juan Mountains prior to reading this book and explored the area where the Wiseman grizzly was killed. At the time I thought the Wiseman griz was the last in Colorado. This book inspired me to return and do a little searching of my own. Found some bear sign but was really amazed by how spectacular the high San Juans are in July. I think this book needs another postscript wherein "the search for survivors" is updated!

Wilderness and Grizzlies: This has it all!
This book is one of the best books I've ever read. David Petersen does a fantastic job of educating the reader while involving them in some exciting adventures. While searching for grizzlies in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, David fills you in on grizzly natural history, the history of the San Juans, and the need for preserving wilderness in North America. This is a must have book for all who are interested in grizzly bears, the Rockies, wilderness, and the outdoors in general.

Wilderness and Grizzlies: This book has it all!
David Petersen captured my attention early in the book and kept me glued to the pages the rest of the way through. He presents the reader with a wealth of information about the grizzly bear and its natural history. Along the way, he gets you involved in some great adventures and some thought provoking searches. This is a must have book for the library of anyone interested in grizzly bears, wilderness, the Rocky Mountains, and the general outdoors. The best book I've read in a long time. Thanks David. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1959, John and Frank Craighead, along with a dedicated team of students and professional colleagues, began their pioneering and controversial study of the grizzly bear in the Yellowstone ecosystem. The Grizzly Bears of Yellowstone is the culmination of that research. It captures both the history and the science of how the Yellowstone study evolved into a lifelong battle to protect and perpetuate the grizzly bear.

John J. Craighead and his longtime research colleagues, Jay S. Sumner and John A. Mitchell, have brought together years of data detailing the natural history, reproductive biology, social behavior, population dynamics, and habitat use patterns of the grizzly bear population in the Yellowstone ecosystem from 1959 through 1992, as well as the results of complementary studies conducted by John Craighead in wilderness areas of Montana and Alaska. Their interpretations of the data have far-reaching management implications, not only for the grizzly but for the holistic management of large regional ecosystems. This study is an example of long-term ecological research that is unparalleled in its com-bination of foresight, continuity of effort, innovation of field techniques, and monumental scholarship. ... Read more

Book Description

The art of depicting North American bears is explored in this collection of photographs, drawings, and reference materials. A gallery of bear art created in a variety of media, including carving, illustration, intarsia, painting, photography, and scroll sawing, helps artists gain a sense of their bear-making possibilities. Close-up photography of black, grizzly, and polar bears taken at different angles, in different seasons, and at different ages provides guidance for accurate representations of these particular bear varieties. More than 100 detailed drawings help artists add texture to their artwork. Detailed reference notes offer a complete understanding of bears and their environments. ... Read more