Customer Reviews

Bear Aware, 2nd

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book right after I finished "Mark of the Grizzly" because quite frankly, after reading that book, one does not desire to spend too much time in bear country. Where I go hiking/camping, there are black bears and grizzly bears. How you react to each one could be the difference between a good story and a gruesome mauling. However, it is nearly impossible to find comprehensive advice for dealing with black bears. This author does just that. He discusses both types of bears. He covers behavioral differences and offers advice on how to react in a slew of situations. He also provides "catch-all" advice in the event that you can't accurately identify the type of bear you have encountered (which has happened to us - I credit the author for my ability to keep a clear head when we encountered the bear). This book is quick to read, and I do so every year as a refresher.

This little book reminds me of the old saying "If I'd had more time, I'd have written a shorter book." It's a quick read. It's back-pocket size, and it's about as much as anyone can tell you about staying as safe as possible in bear country. No one should frequent bear country without having read this book.... at least twice.

This book is short and sweet. My family read this aloud in preparation for our first backpacking trip into bear country, Yellowstone National Park. It didn't take long to get through the book as it is small and easy to read. I felt sufficiently educated about how to safely camp in bear country by spending a little time in the book. I'm sure that there are other books that have additional information that would be interesting that you won't find here, but I believe that this book will give you the basic information to feel confident undertaking a camping trip in bear country. I served our purpose well.

This is an excellent book for the individual who knows little to nothing about bears or bear safety and wants a quick, read-it-in-the-car type of book to educate themselves. It dispells myths and answers commonly asked questions. It covers ways that anyone, the hiker, backcountry camper, mountain biker, horseback rider, hunter, or angler can prevent and protect themselves from bear encounters. It gives basic biology, ranges, and methods of determining which bear is which.

On the other hand, this book is not the best choice for individuals who want to learn about bear biology and psychology or for those individuals who are trying to improve or implement some form of bear management. My personal recommendation on these topics is Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidances by Stephen Herrero. It is longer, but goes into far more depth than any field reference (like this one) could.

A good read for those who are not into long, factual books.

In this tiny book is as much advice as anyone can give a person who is headed for Grizzly Brown Bear country. Read it before heading into the woods but keep it in your backpack while camping for review.