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Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance
Discusses the characteristics, behavior, and habits of bears and recommends techniques for guarding against the attacks of bears
287 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1988
124 people are currently reading
856 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Herrero
4 books10 followersFrom Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, "Stephen Herrero is Professor of Environmental Science and Biology at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is recognized throughout the world as a leading authority on bear ecology, behavior and attacks."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
February 24, 2009
Herrero knows his stuff. After moving to Kalispell,MT (just outside Glacier National Park) I decided that I'd better learn more about grizzlies as I knew I'd occasionally run in to them while fishing or hiking in the area. I read several books on grizzlies and this was THE MOST HELPFUL of them all. After giving advice on how to act when running in to a mother bear with cubs, or a bear eating carrion, or a number of other various situations Herrero ultimately states that bears are still wild animals and are, therefore, unpredictable. Even if you follow all of the grizzly "etiquette" rules, some may still attack. On the flip side, they may not attack even if you break ALL the rules. Again, they are unpredictable. If you go in to the forests with a personal respect for bears, understanding that we are guests in their territory, you will fare much better. They are beautiful animals. So please enjoy them, but from a safe distance!!
February 7, 2026
First of all, this is not a gory account of bear attacks, with bloody or scary stories about people being eaten by bears. It is a study of why attacks happen (mostly due to human misbehavior). There are statistics, and details, and instructions on how to be safe around bears, and it was very interesting to know some of these things, because you just never know when you might be face-to-face with a bear.
On the other hand, these instructions are just a tad ambiguous. Apparently, if faced with a black bear one should run. Or else play dead. If it's a grizzly, one should play dead. Or else run. Black bears mostly run away, but some will charge. Grizzlies will mostly charge but some will run away. Behaviors differ according to species, but sometimes not. Some mama bears will go berserk if a human is within a mile of their cubs, some mama bears will not. Your response to any of these situations will be subject to change on the spot, sometimes with bare (see what I did there?) seconds to decide what kind of bear it is, what sex it is, how it's feeling at the moment, and what it's going to do.
Basically, if you go out in the woods, take someone slower than you.
On the other hand, these instructions are just a tad ambiguous. Apparently, if faced with a black bear one should run. Or else play dead. If it's a grizzly, one should play dead. Or else run. Black bears mostly run away, but some will charge. Grizzlies will mostly charge but some will run away. Behaviors differ according to species, but sometimes not. Some mama bears will go berserk if a human is within a mile of their cubs, some mama bears will not. Your response to any of these situations will be subject to change on the spot, sometimes with bare (see what I did there?) seconds to decide what kind of bear it is, what sex it is, how it's feeling at the moment, and what it's going to do.
Basically, if you go out in the woods, take someone slower than you.
June 18, 2007
What I mainly learned from this book was that you shouldn't let your wife read books like this if you ever hope to take them backpacking. Good gory descriptions of maulings.
November 4, 2017
I have not been attacked by a bear since finishing this book.
March 20, 2014
I have never been attacked by a bear, so I don't know how useful is the author's advice. BUT I can tell you it almost scared me out of my wits. The lengthy descriptions of mauling and dismembering will stay in my mind forever. They were worse than anything Stephen King could dream up.
The author provides scrupulous detail on every documented attack. But with every statistical probability, every suggested course of action, he then qualifies by saying: "Remember, bears are unpredictable and there are always exceptions." So . . . I would not know whether to fight, play dead or climb a tree. Bottom line: I will try to avoid any possibility of EVER encountering a bear. Perhaps that was the author's intention.
The author provides scrupulous detail on every documented attack. But with every statistical probability, every suggested course of action, he then qualifies by saying: "Remember, bears are unpredictable and there are always exceptions." So . . . I would not know whether to fight, play dead or climb a tree. Bottom line: I will try to avoid any possibility of EVER encountering a bear. Perhaps that was the author's intention.
July 17, 2010
YES! This book contains a quote from the 19th century which is quite possibly the best thing I've ever read:
"Hence the peculiar charm of a fight with a grizzly! If you kill your bear, it is a triumph worth enjoying; if you get killed yourself, some of the newspapers will give you a friendly notice; if you get crippled for life, you carry about you a patent of courage which may be useful in case you go into politics. Besides, it has its effect upon the ladies. A "chawed" man is very much admired all over the world."
However, a better summary of the book comes directly from the author:
"If you see a grizzly you instantly become one of the few who have shared moments with the species that cannot adapt to the domestication of North America, the species that defines one of the few types of wilderness we have left. Feelings of fear, inspiration, and awe may generate images of pristine North America when it was complete with bison and wolves and when humans were still pioneers treading on the edge of something big and rich beyond definition. But images of mauled and mutilated people may also enter the mind, for this too is part of the grizzly."
"Hence the peculiar charm of a fight with a grizzly! If you kill your bear, it is a triumph worth enjoying; if you get killed yourself, some of the newspapers will give you a friendly notice; if you get crippled for life, you carry about you a patent of courage which may be useful in case you go into politics. Besides, it has its effect upon the ladies. A "chawed" man is very much admired all over the world."
However, a better summary of the book comes directly from the author:
"If you see a grizzly you instantly become one of the few who have shared moments with the species that cannot adapt to the domestication of North America, the species that defines one of the few types of wilderness we have left. Feelings of fear, inspiration, and awe may generate images of pristine North America when it was complete with bison and wolves and when humans were still pioneers treading on the edge of something big and rich beyond definition. But images of mauled and mutilated people may also enter the mind, for this too is part of the grizzly."
June 15, 2021
TAKEAWAY: BEAR ATTACKS ARE A MYTH
THERE HAVE BEEN NO DOCUMENTED BEAR ATTACKS IN OVER 100 YEARS. YOU ARE STATISTICALLY MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY A MUSKRAT THAN A BEAR.
THE FOREST IS VERY SAFE. COME AND SEE.
RATINGS:
TASTE - 3/5
TEXTURE - 5/5
MOUTHFEEL - 3/5
BOOK - 2/5
MALICIOUS LIES - 0/5
FINAL SCORE - 1/5
THERE HAVE BEEN NO DOCUMENTED BEAR ATTACKS IN OVER 100 YEARS. YOU ARE STATISTICALLY MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY A MUSKRAT THAN A BEAR.
THE FOREST IS VERY SAFE. COME AND SEE.
RATINGS:
TASTE - 3/5
TEXTURE - 5/5
MOUTHFEEL - 3/5
BOOK - 2/5
MALICIOUS LIES - 0/5
FINAL SCORE - 1/5
Want to read
August 7, 2007I'm dying to read this as Bill Bryson becomes obssessed with the book as he readies himself to walk the AT.
July 29, 2019
Best book about bears I’ve ever read.
May 22, 2021
There is no fail-proof way to avoid or survive a bear attack -- but reading this book has me feeling much more confident on what to do in this worst-case scenario.
May 27, 2025
I liked this book as it showed why grizzly attacks tend to happen. Vast majority are caused by food conditioned bears or surprising a grizzly. Good to realize when we’re the problem. Too much about the nasty brutality of some of the attacks.
May 17, 2012
I read the 1985 version of this book which I stumbled across in a used book store last month. I'm interested in reading a more current version to see what new discoveries have been made in the 27 years that have passed since then, but I believe even this older copy of the book provides a great deal of useful information for anyone who expects to encounter bears or wants to learn more about them.
The author spent a great deal of time studying bears, both black and grizzly, prior to writing this book, and his interest and admiration are as evident as his respect and caution for these species. Filled with both documented facts and a retelling of encounters by the author, experts and the general public, this book offers a nice mix of textbook and storybook. I found it rather easy to read because dryer material was interspersed with anecdotes and observations. There is an emphasis on bear attacks, obviously, but stories shared also relate encounters where people were not attacked, allowing the reader to see many sides of bears and not to flee from this book, and our National Parks, in terror. Overall, as a hiker I find this to be a useful reference and a strong reminder of the dangers to be found in the wild, as well as the beauty it presents.
The author spent a great deal of time studying bears, both black and grizzly, prior to writing this book, and his interest and admiration are as evident as his respect and caution for these species. Filled with both documented facts and a retelling of encounters by the author, experts and the general public, this book offers a nice mix of textbook and storybook. I found it rather easy to read because dryer material was interspersed with anecdotes and observations. There is an emphasis on bear attacks, obviously, but stories shared also relate encounters where people were not attacked, allowing the reader to see many sides of bears and not to flee from this book, and our National Parks, in terror. Overall, as a hiker I find this to be a useful reference and a strong reminder of the dangers to be found in the wild, as well as the beauty it presents.
May 15, 2011
I've been told this book is THE book about bears.
The most other books about bears refer to this one.
It contains a lot of gruesome encounters between human beings and bears. All is based on true events.
It's not just gruesome, but also very lugubrious and really horrific stories.
The bear itself is not depict as bad, because all these are accidents and could be prevent.
Therefore this book describes the nature of bears (black bears, grizzlys etc). Their nature and what to do when you see one in the wild.
What you have to do, differs per bear. Some stalk you, by some you must play dead, while in another situation you have to scare it away..
That's why the book is called;
Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance.
Gruesome stories, but also you know the nature of the most common bears.
The most other books about bears refer to this one.
It contains a lot of gruesome encounters between human beings and bears. All is based on true events.
It's not just gruesome, but also very lugubrious and really horrific stories.
The bear itself is not depict as bad, because all these are accidents and could be prevent.
Therefore this book describes the nature of bears (black bears, grizzlys etc). Their nature and what to do when you see one in the wild.
What you have to do, differs per bear. Some stalk you, by some you must play dead, while in another situation you have to scare it away..
That's why the book is called;
Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance.
Gruesome stories, but also you know the nature of the most common bears.
April 3, 2024
This was incredible!
The studies and true stories definitly made me more scared of bears, and more alert to the unpredictability of them, but I also feel more prepared for what to do and what not to do, even though, especially if it’s a garbage eating bear, you’re screwed! Love this.
The studies and true stories definitly made me more scared of bears, and more alert to the unpredictability of them, but I also feel more prepared for what to do and what not to do, even though, especially if it’s a garbage eating bear, you’re screwed! Love this.
June 9, 2024
It look like a dry subject, but it is very well written and engaging. Very informative.
November 25, 2024
Don’t read before a season in grizzly county.
July 9, 2022
3.5 Lots of good information and accounts but I could have done with clearer advice. Contradicting recommendations are given for extremely similar situations. Generally sound though.
February 27, 2009
Grizzly bears terrify me. It doesn't matter that I've never been, afaik, near a Grizzly in the wild, or that I live in a place where the great bear is now extinct. I had a nightmare when I was a kid that shook me up so bad I still remember it.
In the dream, my family was trapped on a ship that had a sort of carnival on board. One of the carnival animals, who all were roaming about the ship scaring everybody half to death, was a giant Grizzly. The bear caught up with my family and ripped my little brother apart, with agonizing dream-sluggishness, while we stood around unable to do a thing to stop it. It seemed so real that when I saw my brother the next morning I threw up.
Ever since then, I've had this Grizzly thing and I still have dreams from time to time. I had one in early January 2009, about bears attacking people along a river and me unable to help and just terrified.
A few days after I had that dream, I was walking around the Calaveras library and this book with a black spine and the title in bold white letters, "BEAR ATTACK," grabbed my attention. I of course had to pull it out, and it turned out to be what I discovered later is one of if not the classic, comprehensive work on aggressive bear behavior and attacks by an animal behaviorist, Stephen Herrero.
Well, I thought to myself, maybe this is just what I need, some actual *facts* to dispel mystery and fear, and so home it came with me.
I, shall we say, devoured the book in two days, my heart pounding and stomach turning flip flops pretty much the whole time.
This is not a sensationalist book, although it includes all the frightening details you could possibly want to scare yourself half silly. The author sets out to illustrate categories of bear behavior in various situations, with the goal of greater understanding to help both bears and people be safe in bear country. Discussions of the differences between typical black bear and Grizzly temperament are carefully covered. His research encompassed decades of documentation from all over North America plus his own extensive field observations, and struck me as intensively thought out and balanced. He reports the details of attacks using the best information available, including personal accounts as often as possible. He includes accounts of attacks that resulted in human injury and death, as well as attacks that did not.
I learned a lot. I don't think reading Herrero's book has not magically cured me of Grizzly Night Terrors. However, I did gain a much greater understanding of what might prompt an actual attack, and what strategies might keep me alive should it ever happen to me, and also how rare attacks are. Even more so for me personally, since I'll probably never even see a Grizzly in the wild.
Probably most helpful to me was the sense of sadness I got from learning about how bears have been impacted by humans. Herrero illustrates how bear behavior is dramatically altered by the presence of our garbage dumps in and near wilderness areas, and by humans treating wild bears like curious pets, feeding them and pestering them, trying to get close to them and take pictures, making stinky messes in campgrounds that attracts bears. I was sad to learn that the result of this human idiocy is often that a bear learns to associate humans with food, which leads to trouble, which then leads to the bear being destroyed. This on top of what I learned in further reading about humans wiping out most of the bears in North America just because they feared and hated them. The California Grizzly, for example, was driven to extinction in just a few years after the invention of the repeating rifle.
So now I am still terrified of Grizzly bears, but my fear is tempered by a sadness for what humans have done to the bear, rather than the other way around.
The next time I feel afraid of an imaginary Grizzly coming at me or someone else, I'll try to keep that in mind.
Caution: Although Herrero has not set out to sensationalize, he does included very scary details in order to help support his thesis. I do NOT recommend that any sensitive persons read this book if you are not already having nightmares. The accounts of injury and death are detailed and gruesome, in several cases being first hand accounts of being chased, chewed on, crunched, tossed about, or watching it happen to somebody else. So do be aware of that before reading.
In the dream, my family was trapped on a ship that had a sort of carnival on board. One of the carnival animals, who all were roaming about the ship scaring everybody half to death, was a giant Grizzly. The bear caught up with my family and ripped my little brother apart, with agonizing dream-sluggishness, while we stood around unable to do a thing to stop it. It seemed so real that when I saw my brother the next morning I threw up.
Ever since then, I've had this Grizzly thing and I still have dreams from time to time. I had one in early January 2009, about bears attacking people along a river and me unable to help and just terrified.
A few days after I had that dream, I was walking around the Calaveras library and this book with a black spine and the title in bold white letters, "BEAR ATTACK," grabbed my attention. I of course had to pull it out, and it turned out to be what I discovered later is one of if not the classic, comprehensive work on aggressive bear behavior and attacks by an animal behaviorist, Stephen Herrero.
Well, I thought to myself, maybe this is just what I need, some actual *facts* to dispel mystery and fear, and so home it came with me.
I, shall we say, devoured the book in two days, my heart pounding and stomach turning flip flops pretty much the whole time.
This is not a sensationalist book, although it includes all the frightening details you could possibly want to scare yourself half silly. The author sets out to illustrate categories of bear behavior in various situations, with the goal of greater understanding to help both bears and people be safe in bear country. Discussions of the differences between typical black bear and Grizzly temperament are carefully covered. His research encompassed decades of documentation from all over North America plus his own extensive field observations, and struck me as intensively thought out and balanced. He reports the details of attacks using the best information available, including personal accounts as often as possible. He includes accounts of attacks that resulted in human injury and death, as well as attacks that did not.
I learned a lot. I don't think reading Herrero's book has not magically cured me of Grizzly Night Terrors. However, I did gain a much greater understanding of what might prompt an actual attack, and what strategies might keep me alive should it ever happen to me, and also how rare attacks are. Even more so for me personally, since I'll probably never even see a Grizzly in the wild.
Probably most helpful to me was the sense of sadness I got from learning about how bears have been impacted by humans. Herrero illustrates how bear behavior is dramatically altered by the presence of our garbage dumps in and near wilderness areas, and by humans treating wild bears like curious pets, feeding them and pestering them, trying to get close to them and take pictures, making stinky messes in campgrounds that attracts bears. I was sad to learn that the result of this human idiocy is often that a bear learns to associate humans with food, which leads to trouble, which then leads to the bear being destroyed. This on top of what I learned in further reading about humans wiping out most of the bears in North America just because they feared and hated them. The California Grizzly, for example, was driven to extinction in just a few years after the invention of the repeating rifle.
So now I am still terrified of Grizzly bears, but my fear is tempered by a sadness for what humans have done to the bear, rather than the other way around.
The next time I feel afraid of an imaginary Grizzly coming at me or someone else, I'll try to keep that in mind.
Caution: Although Herrero has not set out to sensationalize, he does included very scary details in order to help support his thesis. I do NOT recommend that any sensitive persons read this book if you are not already having nightmares. The accounts of injury and death are detailed and gruesome, in several cases being first hand accounts of being chased, chewed on, crunched, tossed about, or watching it happen to somebody else. So do be aware of that before reading.
November 27, 2015
Want to know about bears? Read this book!
It's broken down by type (Grizzly and then Black Bear) and then general bear behavior/management. It is also chock full of original research, beautiful citations, and references! It's fascinating, really, because so much of these attacks probably would have been prevented if people had respected the bears and their habitat enough to not bring in their yummy garbage. (This goes for all humans, not just the victims. Most of the victims were not violators of this rule but true victims of previous humans thoughtless actions). True, some bears are just downright mean and aggressive but it's really not a bear's fault if it's been conditioned to eat from humans.
Bottom line: when you go camping/hiking, go to the center (say you are in a park) and find out what animals are in the area. If there are bears, ask about them. Ask about their feeding habits, what kind of bears are in the area, what to do if one comes upon you. Be informed!! Chances are, you won't get attacked.
It's broken down by type (Grizzly and then Black Bear) and then general bear behavior/management. It is also chock full of original research, beautiful citations, and references! It's fascinating, really, because so much of these attacks probably would have been prevented if people had respected the bears and their habitat enough to not bring in their yummy garbage. (This goes for all humans, not just the victims. Most of the victims were not violators of this rule but true victims of previous humans thoughtless actions). True, some bears are just downright mean and aggressive but it's really not a bear's fault if it's been conditioned to eat from humans.
Bottom line: when you go camping/hiking, go to the center (say you are in a park) and find out what animals are in the area. If there are bears, ask about them. Ask about their feeding habits, what kind of bears are in the area, what to do if one comes upon you. Be informed!! Chances are, you won't get attacked.
July 8, 2010
This is a no-nonsense book from perhaps the most knowledgeable person alive regarding North American Bears. This book is not for the faint-of-heart as it describes in gruesome detail bear attacks (both fatal and non-fatal).
Mr. Herrero has been called in more often than not to help assess the causes of attacks caused by bears in both Canada and the US. He offers crucial advice for dealing with deadly situations, however even more important, he offers advice that can help people in the wild avoid personal encounters with bears in the first place and educates the reader to be safe while boldly exploring wild areas.
The book is based on research, so at times it may be a bit dry. I would not recommend this as a nightstand book, though. But if you are planning to trek out into the wilderness, this book could save your life and/or the life of a companion.
Mr. Herrero has been called in more often than not to help assess the causes of attacks caused by bears in both Canada and the US. He offers crucial advice for dealing with deadly situations, however even more important, he offers advice that can help people in the wild avoid personal encounters with bears in the first place and educates the reader to be safe while boldly exploring wild areas.
The book is based on research, so at times it may be a bit dry. I would not recommend this as a nightstand book, though. But if you are planning to trek out into the wilderness, this book could save your life and/or the life of a companion.
July 29, 2010
Though I am terrified of coming home and finding a grizzly bear in my apartment, the odds of me ever encountering and being mauled by a bear are about zero percent. Though I consider Herrero's research and tips essential survival knowledge (it can't be impossible that a formidable bear will enter my urban area, scale my apartment complex wall, break through the patio door and wait for me to get home from work), I read Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance mainly for mauling anecdotes. Most people with a one hundred percent chance of being mauled think, "Man, I can't believe I'm being eaten to death."
February 3, 2020
The first part of the book is one harrowing tale after another of bear maulings - by grizzly and black bears alike. I stayed up late several nights in a row reading the detailed accounts.
The second part is about bear behavior and agency management recommendations, which seem to be just as relevant now as they were in 1983 when Yellowstone implemented the bear management policy that is still followed today.
So, how do you avoid a bear encounter? Don't go outside.
The second part is about bear behavior and agency management recommendations, which seem to be just as relevant now as they were in 1983 when Yellowstone implemented the bear management policy that is still followed today.
So, how do you avoid a bear encounter? Don't go outside.
August 11, 2009
Does anyone else think it strange/morbid/disturbing that I stayed up all night reading accounts of people getting attacked by bears? Everyone wants to learn more about bear attacks whilst camping at Glacier National Park (where more than half of all recorded bear attacks have taken place), right? Right? The bad news is I completely freaked myself out and drove my fellow campers crazy with bear attack trivia. The good news? I know EXACTLY what to do the next time I run into a bear! :)
February 22, 2008
If you don't want to get killed by a grizzly or a black bear, you should read this.
September 26, 2016
I read this book even more attentively this time, as I'll be going into black bear territory in a week. Clearly Herrero has a deep respect and affection for bears, as we all should.
August 6, 2008
play dead.
July 28, 2025
An excellent book for the grizzly bear conservationist. Though a bit dated, most of the author's advice is still as valid today as when it was written. And it is good advice. The summary is a bit repetitive, but the notes are important. An easy-to-read, well-researched book.
That said, if your main interest lies in hearing about bear attacks, this may not be the book for you. While there are a few detailed accounts (and some quite... uhh... grizzly), the synopsis is more about trying to avoid such confrontations.
Personally, I usually seek out books of this vein for the adventure. The story. The drama. So, I was ever so slightly disappointed in that regard. However, I do believe this book has great value. Particularly for folks planning to visit, camp, hike in grizzly country. Preparedness (knowledge) and precaution can go a long way in helping to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
Because the book is not high adventure, it loses two stars for me. However, because it's so well-researched and written, and because I know it can be a valuable asset for folks, it gets one of those stars back. So, my rating is 4 stars.
That said, if your main interest lies in hearing about bear attacks, this may not be the book for you. While there are a few detailed accounts (and some quite... uhh... grizzly), the synopsis is more about trying to avoid such confrontations.
Personally, I usually seek out books of this vein for the adventure. The story. The drama. So, I was ever so slightly disappointed in that regard. However, I do believe this book has great value. Particularly for folks planning to visit, camp, hike in grizzly country. Preparedness (knowledge) and precaution can go a long way in helping to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
Because the book is not high adventure, it loses two stars for me. However, because it's so well-researched and written, and because I know it can be a valuable asset for folks, it gets one of those stars back. So, my rating is 4 stars.
February 3, 2023
Writing: 5/5
Knowledge Gained: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
The author writes well, with around a 100 years of bear attacking humans data. I was finally aware of so many kinds of bears, differences between black bears and grizzlies, and that grizzlies and polar bears are the biggest in size, their power, and olfactory senses.
I learnt that with all bears, you need to make loud noises so that they aren't surprised by you, especially when you are downwind. With black bears, you need to shout and stand your ground so they will run away and won't treat you as prey, whereas with grizzly bears you need to play dead or climb trees. Vice versa, dead meat. A grizzly mother with cubs will gore humans who stand ground and black bears are great tree climbers and will treat humans playing dead as prey.
There's only one catch though, even for experts, it's hard to differentiate between a grizzly and a black bear, and just as hard to spot the genitalia to spot males and females.
Great book if you are hiking in bear country, a must read with fully packed info!
Knowledge Gained: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
The author writes well, with around a 100 years of bear attacking humans data. I was finally aware of so many kinds of bears, differences between black bears and grizzlies, and that grizzlies and polar bears are the biggest in size, their power, and olfactory senses.
I learnt that with all bears, you need to make loud noises so that they aren't surprised by you, especially when you are downwind. With black bears, you need to shout and stand your ground so they will run away and won't treat you as prey, whereas with grizzly bears you need to play dead or climb trees. Vice versa, dead meat. A grizzly mother with cubs will gore humans who stand ground and black bears are great tree climbers and will treat humans playing dead as prey.
There's only one catch though, even for experts, it's hard to differentiate between a grizzly and a black bear, and just as hard to spot the genitalia to spot males and females.
Great book if you are hiking in bear country, a must read with fully packed info!
June 28, 2020
This contains research based, statistical information on bear attacks going back 100 years, and it's interesting. The book isn't quite as useful for avoiding an actual attack. Herrero gives conflicting information- sometimes black bears are more likely to attack than grizzlies, except when grizzlies are more likely to. Sometimes bears with their cubs will run, except when they charge. Sometimes bears run from gunshot, but not always. Climbing a tree can be useful, but be sure to get up high enough, and a black bear may follow you up. Herrero suggests a tent is some protection, then a few pages later and in subsequent chapters gives harrowing accounts of campers being dragged from their tents, mauled and eaten. His sometimes very specific information on what to do during an actual attack would be difficult to remember in the heat of the moment. Herrero admits bears are unpredictable and his respect & affection for them is obvious.
September 14, 2022
A revelation on every other page. It’s impeccably researched, and Herrero himself is one of the foremost experts in the field. I particularly enjoyed his thoughts on the diverging evolutionary paths of grizzlies vs black bears, as well as his thoughts on how humans are — whether we admit it or not — indeed artificially selecting for certain character traits among grizzly populations whenever we destroy a grizzly that displays aggression. If you don’t have a policy in place, you will naturally default toward a “no policy” policy that results in ‘selecting’ for bears that display unnatural docility to humans. I’d never thought about it that way before, and I’ve been through a fair amount of thought leadership on the subject. It’s rare to get a book that combines (1) the personal stories from a ‘boots on the ground’ type of guy with (2) the best scholarly research on the subject (some of it from himself) with (3) visionary and thoughtful perspective. One of a kind.
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