Mark of the Grizzly
Mark of the Grizzly: True Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned
by Scott McMillion
Globe Pequot Press
ISBN-13: 9781560446361
“Mark of the Grizzly” immediately became a regional bestseller upon its release in 1998 and was described by reviewers as “an instant classic.” That description made me a little nervous at the time, but I’m proud to say the book is now in its 13th printing.
“Mark of the Grizzly” outlines what can happen when people run into grizzlies on the bear’s turf, which can happen in lots of places scattered from Yellowstone National Park to Alaska. But the book also examines why encounters happen and the aftermath for the survivors, plus it outlines how to behave in grizzly country to keep both humans and the great bears alive.
When I set out to write the book, I wanted to avoid demonizing grizzlies, creatures that have been eliminated from most of their native turf. I admire and respect bears, mostly because traveling among them forces us to open our eyes, our ears and our minds. In a world where our cars tell us when to turn and our cell phones remember all our numbers for us, few things can make you pay close attention like the prospect of a grizzly bear just over the rise. And if you’re paying attention, you’re learning something, even if you never see a bear.
But I admire and respect people, too, and I firmly believe that both man and bear can inhabit the same places, but only if people learn a few simple tools and perhaps alter a few old habits. We’ve taken so much from the bear. Now it’s time to give something back.
I think it’s worth it.
Scott McMillion
Here are a few reviewers’ comments about “Mark of the Grizzly.”
“Written with the knowing precision of a good Robin Cook mystery.”
The Denver Post
“Planning a vacation trip to Yellowstone or to wilderness sites in Canada or Alaska? Better read this first.”
The Los Angeles Times
“A set of well-written, fast-moving stories that engage and inform.”
The Saint Louis Post Dispatch
“The only thing more frightening than stumbling upon a hungry 100-pound mountain lion may be staring down an ornery 350-pound grizzly bear. If you have any doubt, read Scott McMillion’s ‘Mark of the Grizzly.’”
Men’s Journal
“Anybody who’s planning on going to Yellowstone this summer should definitely have this along.”
Talk of the Nation, National Public Radio
“Mark of the Grizzly is at its heart a gripping adventure.”
The High Country News
“When I stopped reading, my son and my buddy’s son begged me to continue. The dangers of dealing with the bears had them hooked. Actually, Scott McMillion had them hooked with his book “Mark of the Grizzly’”
Casper (Wyoming) Star-Tribune
“It’s a book I read until I was finished. I couldn’t put it down. You probably won’t, either.”
Wyoming Wildlife
“Stories told in riveting detail.”
ForeWord Magazine
“’Mark of the Grizzly is a superb treatment. I was especially impressed with the gentle but insistent theme of grizzly conservation.”
Richard McCabe
Secretary, Wildlife Management Institute
“A riveting book that could very well save your life someday. Most highly recommended.”
Wildlife Activist Magazine
“Aside from being a nail-biter of a horror story, the book offers some priceless insight on what to do – and not do – in the event of a bear encounter, not through a neat list of tips, but through the memorable stories of victims of bear attacks.”
Boulder Daily Camera
“The book is not simply ‘here are the details, aren’t they morbid?’ This is a thoughtful investigation of what might have caused the bear to attack and what might have made it turn out differently. The book makes the point that human-grizzly encounters often mean the end for the bear and the loss of a grizzly bear is a loss for us all.”
Great Falls (Montana) Tribune
“They are, by design, stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.”
The Missoulian
“It’s the raw power of the stories – -the interplay of the wildness of bears and the humanness of the victims – that drives this book.”
Helena, Montana, Independent-Record
“If it were fiction, McMillion’s book would be a ripping good read, but what makes it so riveting is the fact that these are true stories from real people.”
Twin Falls (Idaho) Times News
“When you put it all together, McMillion has crafted a classic book about bears.”
The Billings (Montana) Gazette
AVAILABLE AT: Red Lodge Books (MT) | Glacier Association | The Globe Pequot Press | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble