Bear Wrangler: Memoirs of an Alaska Pioneer Biologist

by Will Troyer

 Beginning in 1951, Will Troyer embarked on a thirty-year career with the U.S. Department of the Interior that included positions such as fish and game warden and manager of the Kodiak Island brown bear preserve. Troyer’s engaging prose affirms his passionate connection to the natural world, as he describes experiences such as being in the midst of a herd of 40,000 caribou. Bear Wrangler is an absorbing tale of one man’s experience as an authentic pioneer in the last vestiges of American wilderness.

 

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2008

About the author

Will Troyer was born into an Amish farm family in 1925 near Kokomo, Indiana. He received a BS degree in Wildlife Studies at Oregon State College in 1952, and an MS from Montana State University in 1962. During a 30-year career with the Department of the Interior, he served as refuge manager of the Kodiak and Kenai National Wildlife Refuges, conducting research studies on brown bear, moose, caribou, bald eagles and trumpeter swans. As a pilot, he flew wildlife surveys in many remote regions of Alaska. After retiring, Will and his wife, LuRue, lived in a wilderness log home they built themselves in Cooper Landing, Alaska.

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Troyer (my uncle) spent his entire career as a wildlife biologist in Alaska from the 1950s to 1981. Although he chose the title "Bear Wrangler," this book is about his entire career. (His previous book, Into Brown Bear Country, focuses on the bears, with many pictures and wildlife facts.)

As a seasonal fish counter for USF&W during his summer breaks as a student at Oregon State College (now OSU), Will fell in love with Alaska.

Starting as a game warden (the best job available when he graduated from college), he went on to be a wildlife refuge manager in Kodiak and Kenai, an advisor for which areas should be included in the National Wilderness Preservation System, and a biologist for the National Park Service. Along the way, he developed methods for capturing, examining, and tagging bears, visited remote areas and saw wildlife that most people will never see, and had too many close calls to count.

My original review was overly cautious. I didn't know if this book would have widespread appeal. Reading the book aloud to my sons (who unfortunately barely remember meeting their great uncle as preschoolers), I've developed a deeper appreciation of Will's storytelling abilities. His humor comes through, along with vivid descriptions of his experiences.

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about the start of wildlife studies in Alaska. It had great stories, interesting information and fascinating survival tales. I enjoyed thoroughly!!!