In Bear Country: Adventures among North America's Largest Predators

by Jake Macdonald

An intimate look at North Americaâ s largest predator. Award-winning writer Jake MacDonald examines the history and behavior of the three species of North American grizzlies, black bears, and polar bears. Perceptive and profound, In Bear Country draws on his personal experience and others', telling an absorbing story about the place bears occupy in our world and our place in theirs. Part memoir and part natural history, it is MacDonaldâ s compelling meditation on bears and the people who live alongside them.

Genres: Nature

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Jake grew up in River Heights in Winnipeg, one of seven talented siblings raised by Peggy, a homemaker and university student and Donald, who was Chief Commissioner of the City Of Winnipeg. Jake attended St. Paul's Catholic High School and studied literature at the University of Manitoba.

The celebrated Manitoba author took pleasure in the world's memorable landscapes - Canada's west coast, the Bahamian out islands, and the Pacific coast of Mexico, Northwestern Ontario rivers, lakes, granite, boreal forest, the muskies, bears, eagles, domesticated animals.

One of Jake's best stories, "Norris", was about a pig raised on an island like the one where Jake had his first houseboat in the Winnipeg River during the 1970s. "Becoming" was about a man morphing into a pickerel.

Jake's success was a genius for storytelling. "I like the idea of sitting on top of the water because it's like sitting on the subconscious and the fish below are stories and dreams. You go down there and try to bring them to the surface."

Jake will be lovingly remembered by his partner Petra Kaufmann and her children, Rory, Lily, Theo and Julia; his daughter Caitlin MacDonald and her husband Alex Nisbet. Also Wendy MacDonald, Dawne McCance, Sally & Bert Longstaffe, Danny & Deb MacDonald, Peter & Sherry MacDonald, Mary-Kate & John Harvie, and their children to whom he was very close.

Reviews

[Andy Pandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazily informative and written in Jake's inimitable, smoothly anecdotal style in which a group of souls may as well be sitting around a stone fireplace in a beautiful old lodge with ample amounts of everyone's favourite whisky or bourbon flowing freely, barely a care for tomorrow, as he recounts these tales and also scientific information about bears singular and plural. I feel he could have been an itinerant Irish story-teller in a past life. His writing just had this warmth to it in which you felt you were right there, front and centre. Some stories are gnarly as hell, too. Some are just stories, about bears, about humans. Both groups are capable of good and bad decisions, both groups capable of harm. Let's respect nature, folks. Just 'cause animals are not us doesn't make them need to get shot.
He was very under-rated. So sad he's gone.

[Allen Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good book about our fury friends of the north. Some can stand 12 feet high. There were many things I just hadn't realized. Once again, people are the big detrimental force affecting PB's. As a Native American myself i feel for the Eskimo (Eater of Meat) that the government should leave them alone, in an effort to feed their families. This was well written & took a variety of view points, not just from hunters, not just from conservationist, but also from the lay person and every day back-woods type. I would definitely read more from this author .

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the grizzly, black, and polar bears. Educational around behavior and define great stories.

[Jennifer Miera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Only a few attacks are mentioned and it's mostly about people's views about bears and bear behavior. Well-written and engaging.

[Dennis Maione · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having met Jake MacDonald, this book is completely him. I love the "voice" that he uses, very personal, laced with both interesting and personal anecdotes as well as science about bears.