Customer Reviews

Mark of the Grizzly: True Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is a great read. It is well written, though the style is sometimes a bit too "breathless" for my tastes. McMillion doesn't shy away from the blood and gore of the injuries, which some people will like and some people will not.

His stories concern a nice mix of people. Grizzlies attack some smart people who ended up in a bad situation, and some dumb people who brought on the attacks by making poor choices. Even the smart people would probably do a few things differently in hindsight, but the stories are told very sympathetically.

McMillion's treatment of these attacks is balanced, and he doesn't really side with humans or grizzlies. He also dispassionately reports park management decisions to kill or not kill the bear, and provides enough information for readers to make up their own minds. He generally seems supportive of rangers' decisions, though. He is most critical of Banff NP, rightfully so based on the facts that he provides.

One Amazon reviewer claims that this book is anti-people and anti-gun. This claim isn't reasonable. McMillion tells us of some people who saved their lives with guns, and he clearly values human life. He also values the grizzlies. He doesn't think that either guns or pepper spray will solve all your problems in grizzly country.

I have not only read this book I am one of the people whose story is contained within its pages. Scott has written an informative and honest and accurate book. My story has been published many times and this version is the one I like the best. He keeps true to the facts and at the same time gives a whole pespective of each person. It is an entertaining and informative read. I was riveted by all the other stories in the book as well as my own. I find Stephen Herrero's book Bear Attacks to be better for technical information however I prefer Scott's book for it's readability and giving a fuller picture of each attack.

This is one of those books that when people see it lying around, they can't help but pick it up and start browsing. The format is perfect for this, in that it is separated into different stories, so you can either read one chapter or the entire book. Some stories were better than others, but all were well-told and unique.

I thought the author did an excellent job of making each story interesting, providing details of what happened - what COULD'VE happened - and why it might have happened. No one can ever say for sure why a bear attacks when others in the same situation would not... but he offers sensible theories, usually from the attack victim and/or park officials. He also manages to weave in advice for readers, should they ever find themselves in similar situations.

I wouldn't consider myself an environmentalist (I'm more pro-human than pro-bear), but I do love animals and bears in particular have always fascinated me. I never got the sense from this author that he is a fanatic, or that he's trying to keep people from carrying guns. Rather, he explains that guns aren't as effective as people might think. By the time people even realize a bear's charging, there simply isn't time to pull out a gun, take aim, and shoot. The author discusses this so people can understand how to better fend off an attack, not merely to prevent bears from being shot. A lot of the victims he wrote about had been carrying guns... in some cases, it saved them. In most cases, it did not.

This book both entertained and educated me... and that's all I ask of any book.

I purchased this book on a recent trip to Wyoming. I heard about it in a local newspaper. It was spell binding from the first page. I had a hard time putting the book down after I started reading it. The book is very well written. This man has a talent of putting thoughts into words that put you in the very place he is describing along with the individuals involved. It is very descriptive. Every view point is touched upon. Not only do you feel the pain of the people who were involved in the attacks but you also feel the bears state of mind. I have GREAT respect, more so now then ever since I read this book, for both Grizzly and Black Bears. I know I am entering their world and must change my way of thinking upon doing so. This book also teaches you how to avoid being attacked and what to do/not do in the face of an attack...very informative. I haven't been able to keep this book to myself since I purchase it....everyone else wants to read it... I Hope this author writes another soon. I will be camping in Glacier Park Montana for two weeks in September 99.........

Scott McMillion's "Mark of the Grizzly" is a very good bear book. As a man who has been interested in bears for many years, a man who has observed many bears in the wild for many years, and as a man who hunts black bears with primitive, single shot, muzzleloading rifles, I came to this book with many opinions of my own. McMillion anticipated my ever comment, my every question and my every objection. He responded to each of them and then he went on to teach me things I didn't know about bears.

This is an important book because it is a great study of the relationship between brown bears and man. But it is also an important book because as the human population grows and we edge out wildlife, and especially potentially dangerous wildlife, it may become one of the only reliable books on the kind of man/bear encounters described within its pages. Such encounters have been a big part of human history.

I had my local library buy this book for me. I read the book and now I am going to buy a copy for my home. If you have an interest in bears, this is a book you should read and own.

Incidentally Scott, If you're out there and you come across this post: A) Congratulations. B) Bears DO respond to a "dinner bell". C) Drop me a line sometime and I'll tell you a local bear story I heard recently.

Mark of the Grizzly is an excellent choice for anyone that loves the outdoors.... whether it is hiking/fishing in the backcountry, visiting national parks, or just an interest in bears, this will be one of the best books you ever read on the subject. Once I started reading, i couldn't put it back down. Not only is the book entertaining, it is also educational. McMillion reveals numerous ways of decreasing the chance of being mauled by a bear while in the backcountry and what you should do in case you're one of the unlucky ones. I have read nearly all of the books on bear attacks released within the past 20 years, and I'd have to say this one ranks right at the top.

This book is a real page turner, facinating the reader with each horrifying story. If you travel on foot in grizzly country, this book will keep you alert and on your toes the next time that you venture out. Not a stupid "When Animals Attack" piece of sensationalized garbage, this book educates on the possible causes of bear attacks. Written from a conservationist, but by no means tree-hugging or bleeding heart, point of view, the book inspires a deep respect and admiration - and a health dose of fear - for these powerful animals.

This book is a real page turner and I found myself staying up late into the night several nights in a row. Scott McMillion's research is thourough and for that reason I can highly recommend this book to anyone curious about Grissly Bears and human/bear interaction. I have read other Bear books but Scotts is by far the best one I have read so far. It is adrenaline pumping stories with a mission to teach common sense and compassion. I love to hike and camp all over the west and I feel much better prepared to do all that with more awareness and enjoyment and much less fear. This can only work for the good of the bears and the humans who wish to enjoy the same territories.

After reading Stephan Hererro's book "Bear Attacks," this was like a follow up. Despite the gravity of each attack I felt the author never blamed the bear; neither did the victims for that matter. I have been to many of the places described in the book so it had a special significance for me and my family. In each attack there was a lesson that the victims shared through their interviews or hidden in their stories. For me that is why I read this type of book; to learn and possibly prevent making the same mistakes. I would highly recommend this book for anyone hiking or camping in grizzly territory.

This may not be the best book to take with you to read in bear country. Better: Read it at home before you leave and give it time to sink in. The real value of this book comes not in the gripping narrative of bear attacks all over the West and Alaska, although the graphic stories hold your attention like a vise, but in the respect it generates for perhaps the most respectable wild animal of our time. McMillion presents a point of view without clobbering the reader with it, so the considered reader can come away from the book not with a fear of grizzlies but with a healthy respect for them.