Description
Over the past years I have published many bear stories in the Coast Mountain News; in our heavily-populated bear area these stories draw a lot of reader interest. Most of the stories indicate the complete helplessness of the individual involved - all of a sudden it isn't the scenario so often portrayed by the common belief "leave them alone, and they won't bother you" or "make lots of noise and they'll go away." Instead, the encounter often becomes a real life-and-death situation where your next decision could be your last.
Unfortunately, until now, there hasn't been much available information about actual bear behaviour. Mr. Shelton's book is timely. He not only addresses the problem, but takes the mystery out of bear aggressive behaviour and gives sound advice on what to do in different situations.
The author's no-nonsense style of writing is not only refreshing, it is based on a lifetime of experience with bears. In this book he includes many bear encounter and attack stories to demonstrate the difficulty of surviving a bear encounter that goes wrong.
During the last 20 years Mr. Shelton has worked on many bear conservation projects, both through our local Rod and Gun Club, and as chairman of the Central Coast Grizzly Management Committee. Currently he has a seat on the steering committee of the South Tweedsmuir Park Atnarko Grizzly Study, and he is also a member of the Bella Coola Valley Local Resource Planning Committee (L.R.U.P.).
Mr. Shelton has submitted a varying-rotation-age plan to the L.R.U.P. Committee for our Valley that identifies timber plantations, critical wildlife habitat, human settlement areas, and includes consideration for many other values. This plan provides adequate environmental protection without destroying our economic base, and has strategies for reducing human/bear conflict.
He has also spent the last six years developing a bear hazard safety training program which is probably the best in North America. Much of his training material contradicts the endless nonsense about nature that has pervaded our culture in the last 30 years.
This material is long overdue. It is not written by someone within the biological academic community; rather, it is written, as it should be, by someone on the outside - someone willing to fight the tide of unrealistic political trends - someone who puts human life above animal life.
This book provides a fascinating and definitive look at bear behaviour, presents sound advice, and also demonstrates what's wrong with our present beliefs about nature.
If you work or play in the great outdoors, or intend to visit a park in the near future, or just have an interest in bear behaviour, this book is a must.
By Angela Hall
Editor Coast Mountain News
Bella Coola, B.C., Canada