By Scott McMillion
ISBN: 1560446366
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Falcon Publishing
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Reviewed for Carbon County News by Gary Robson on 7/22/2002
If you're going to be hiking, camping, fishing, or hunting in grizzly bear country, read Mark of the Grizzly: True Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned before you go. Remember that "before you go" part. I found that reading about bears attacking campers in Banff National Park while sitting in a campground in Banff National Park is just a bit too close to home.
Mark of the Grizzly is not a collection of smug, pat advice. It also isn't a collection of scary campfire stories. It's a collection of true stories of 18 grizzly attacks in the last 25 years. McMillion doesn't say, "do this when you encounter a bear." Instead, he says, "here's what happened when somebody encountered a bear and did this."
The book is very well written and painstakingly researched. McMillion obviously interviewed most of the key players in these bear attacks, and he includes the post-attack hindsight of the survivors and others involved. Most of the stories are from Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, and western Canada. Some are depressing, some are uplifting, and one made me chuckle ("Grizzly Robocop").
You'll read about people who used and misused bear spray, guns, and other weapons and how they fared. You'll see the results of standing your ground, of running, of attacking, and of playing dead. One tidbit that stuck with me is that there's never been a person on horseback attacked by a grizzly in a North American national park. One of the stories features a man on a mule charging a grizzly to chase it away from his friend--not something I'd want to try.
As you go through the chapters, you'll develop a bit of understanding of how grizzlies think and why they attack. If it doesn't change the way you prepare for a hiking trip, either you're already an expert or you need to read it again.
It isn't all dry facts. McMillion isn't shy about sharing his philosophies about grizzly bears and their battle against extermination. His disdain for stupid people who bring bear attacks upon themselves shows through as well, and it's hard not to share it with him.
You won't find a concise "how-to" for traveling in bear country here. The book presents all the facts and lets you draw your own conclusions. Some people will finish the book and swear never again to enter bear country without a can (or two) of bear spray. Others will make sure there's a gun at their waist. Some may never hike in bear areas again, which certainly isn't what McMillion is after.
If you're heading out this summer, grab a copy of Mark of the Grizzly before you go. You won't regret it.
Nature/Outdoors→Animals→Bears
Nature/Outdoors→Camping/Hiking