Grizzlies in the Mist

By Chuck Neal

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0943972752
• ISBN13: 9780943972756
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Homestead Pub
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.3" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Rare gem of a book: outstanding

Chuck Neal knows grizzlies, and he cares passionately about them. This was evident in the book's introduction, where Neal mentions that his friends who provided photos for the book took all their pictures from long distances because they didn't want to disturb bears; they didn't want the bears to know they were around. This shows great respect for grizzlies. Far too much bear research is intrusive--live trap a grizzly, drug it, attach a radio collar, and then track it by getting in an airplane and flying low over National Parks and wilderness areas. Neal simply went out alone, on foot, and did his best to observe grizzlies without having the bears know he was in their neighborhood. This is how Doug Peacock (The Grizzly Years) operates, and this is also the way biologist Adolph Murie did his research in Denali National Park years ago (The Grizzlies of Mt. McKinley). Many writers tell you the presence of grizzlies makes you more alive and more aware when you're walking in grizzly country; Neal's stories really show you what it's like to share the land with grizzlies. You feel like you're right there with him. Most of the time Neal slips in and out of grizzly country without any problems, but he does have a few dangerous encounters. Neal's descriptions of these encounters are priceless. You'll learn more about "bear attacks" from one of Neal's stories than you would from reading all the bear attack tales combined in books like Mark of the Grizzly, Alaska Bear Tales, and Bear Attacks:The Deadly Truth. Neal goes to great lengths to counter the inaccuracies found in that type of book. He gives far better safety advice than you'll find in most books. Neal is an ecologist, so Grizzlies in the Mist is loaded with detailed information on the diet of grizzly bears. There are only about a dozen books on bears worth reading; Grizzlies in the Mist is one of them.

A Truly Unique Portrait of Grizzlies

Chuck Neal combines science and years of personal observation to dispel common misconceptions and create a wonderfully three-dimensional portrait of the Yellowstone grizzly bear. Everyone, from the interested reader to the experienced field biologist, will find a wealth of information and insight in this book. Neal provides a thorough but succinct overview of grizzly bear research and biology. But his personal experiences really bring the grizzly into vivid focus, from the surprising characteristics of individual bears, to the grizzly's essential role in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, to their uncertain future. Few persons ever will have the opportunity or the patience to observe the grizzly in this manner. Thoroughly researched, this is an essential book for bear biologists and for everyone interested in bears and their conservation.