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Mark of the Grizzly: Revised and Updated with More Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned

Scott McMillion

4.33 · Rating details · 178 ratings · 20 reviews

A must-read about these magnificent but sometimes deadly creatures—thoroughly revised, expanded, and updatedEvery year, millions of people travel to grizzly country, hoping for a glimpse of the Great Bear. And every year, somebody is attacked. The power of the grizzly is almost mythical and has become the stuff of legend. Mark of the Grizzly relies on neither myth nor lege A must-read about these magnificent but sometimes deadly creatures—thoroughly revised, expanded, and updatedEvery year, millions of people travel to grizzly country, hoping for a glimpse of the Great Bear. And every year, somebody is attacked. The power of the grizzly is almost mythical and has become the stuff of legend. Mark of the Grizzly relies on neither myth nor legend. Rather, it relies on the true accounts of dozens of attacks, from Yellowstone National Park to Alaska, from 1977 to 2010. Author Scott McMillion examines each attack and its aftermath, interviewing victims, their survivors and investigators. Hikers, photographers, hunters, scientists and others tell their stories here, offering what they have learned and the lessons that others should know. Neither mysteries nor tales of horror, these stories create a world of wonder, respect and fear that make for a book you’ll find hard to put down. In the thirteen years since Mark of the Grizzly first appeared. DNA science has revolutionalized how people study bears and how they investigate attacks. Growing populations of grizzlies and people have led to more bear/human encounters—some fatal—and grizzlies now wander parts of the West where they hadn’t been seen for decades. This new edition includes a thorough update of existing material and new or expanded chapters that cover: · The recent attacks around Yellowstone National Park and Anchorage, Alaska, which have generated national headlines.· The increased popularity of mountain biking and trail running in grizzly country. Are such sports advisable there?· Expanding bear populations into the prairies of Montana and Wyoming, far from the expected mountain locales.· “Bear Men.” People who get too close to bears, and sometimes die in their jaws. The book includes a profile of Timothy Treadwell, subject of the movie Grizzly Man.· The continuing phenomenon of “dinner bell” grizzlies. ...more

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ebook, 304 pages

Published November 8th 2011 by Lyons Press

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Dec 16, 2011 Max rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

By now, Scott McMillion’s Mark of the Grizzly is recognized as a classic. Published almost 14 years ago, it has been reprinted more that 14 times. And the kind of success this book enjoys is the most pleasing of all because sales certainly weren’t driven by a lavish marketing campaign or big publicity splash (though in... fairness, bears helped here and there). This book succeeds for the best of all reasons: everyone who reads it is blown away, and they are immediately compelled to express their ...more

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Feb 06, 2019 Lolypa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a great book that I breezed through quickly because of the intrigue I have with these beautiful, majestic animals and the reminder of the terror they can bring if you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time or are just plain careless. I throughly appreciate the stories told by the survivors that have been mauled, almost to death and I feel I have learned a lot by reading this book.

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Jan 28, 2018 Patrick rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: backpacking, non-fiction

An examination of grizzly bears, their behaviors, challenges, and their interactions with people. Each chapter is set around a story of a mauling, and McMillion uses the mauling to explore a theme.

At times gripping, always interesting, and occasionally useful. If all you care about is advice for bear country, go with Herrero’s Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance instead. ...more

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Jul 13, 2020 Sanford Smith added it

This is a great book. Very well written by a seasoned newspaper man and writer. The insights and depth of thought about Grizzlys and people make each story a stand alone piece. I learned a lot about bears and people by reading this book. I highly recommend this to all outdoor folk and animal lovers too, even if you've never even visited Grizzly country. I plan to read McMillion's other work too. ...more

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Sep 05, 2018 Benjamin Hannum rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What a great book by Scott McMillion! The stories are fantastic. McMillion tries to paint a fair and honest picture of the relationship between grizzlies and humans. After reading this book, I was convinced a grizzly was going to tear me to shreds in my backyard...and I live in Indiana!!!

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May 14, 2020 Phil Bayly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Different perspective about a fascinating animal. Thoroughly researched and well written. A haunting reminder that wild animals may be loved from afar but must be respected at any distance. They're not called Wildlife for nothing. ...more

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Dec 01, 2017 Susan Franzen rated it really liked it

Well done!

Fascinating stories that left me with a greater appreciation for survivors and the bears. A good resource for anyone in bear country.

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Oct 18, 2016 Marc added it · review of another edition

Great!

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Sep 08, 2013 D rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: want-to-buy, bears

I'm an avid hiker in BC and I try to do this dance where I to the responsible thing and get educated about bears, but then spend a few years of exposure therapy before I'm comfortable being out there alone. In the last 5 years, I've read Bear Attacks by Stephen Herrero, the classic. I've read Shelton's Bear Encounter Survival Guide, which I'd reccommend for a different viewpoint than McMillion and Herrero. I've also read Grizzly Heart by Charlie Russell (living among Grizzlies in Russia).

I went I'm an avid hiker in BC and I try to do this dance where I to the responsible thing and get educated about bears, but then spend a few years of exposure therapy before I'm comfortable being out there alone. In the last 5 years, I've read Bear Attacks by Stephen Herrero, the classic. I've read Shelton's Bear Encounter Survival Guide, which I'd reccommend for a different viewpoint than McMillion and Herrero. I've also read Grizzly Heart by Charlie Russell (living among Grizzlies in Russia).

I went into this book for a refresher, looking for a few specifics, but I've actually got as many questions now as when I started. Things are less black and white than I remember. Certainly there is a best practices, but there are few guarantees.

As for this book, I liked it. Good writing, good number of pages spent on each story, good variety of contexts, though lots about Alaska and Montana/Wyoming in particular. I'm glad I read the revised edition, to hear some of the updates and new findings. As for the downsides, I do agree with others that have said that there could've been fewer stories. There is certainly some redundancy. I would've preferred maybe a story for each lesson learned, and more time spent on a conclusion, reiterating in detail the best practices for any given encounter type.

For those reading this that haven't read a book about bear attacks before, be warned that it is very graphic. I could only read a max of two stories per day before I'd feel sick.

Also keep in mind this book is about Grizzlies only, and doesn't compare grizzly attacks to black bear attacks, which are different in some key ways.

Overall, it was a great book and well worth the read, though certainly there's room for improvement if there was ever a third edition.

I'm still left with a few questions and would love if anyone had any input:

1. Why do grizzlies favor the alpine and force the black bears into the valley bottoms? Herrero's book speculates about the biology and the evolution, but I'm still left unable to answer this question entirely.

2. Should people always be submissive in a defensive attack/surprise encounter by a Grizzly?

3. Should you ALWAYS use bear spray when being charged? Is this not the kind of thing that conveys the sort of aggression/dominance that you typically want to avoid?

4. At what point should you stop spraying the bear and start playing dead? When contact has been made?

5. At what point do you give up on playing dead and start to fight back? When you are clearly being eaten or dragged away? ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 Paul added it · review of another edition

Paul Nieves
Mark of the grizzly
By, Scott McMillon

One of my favorite books Mark of the Grizzly. The problem the author promises to solve is to tell about the attacks of the Grizzly bears and solve them this is all accomplished by telling and explain the encounter with the bears. The author is qualified to write about this subject because he was told or was actually a part of the attack. This book’s tone is thrilling because when the authors talking about the attacks, they are always leading up t ...more

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Dec 07, 2015 Matthew Ciarvella rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

This might well be the definitive book for any outdoors enthusiast on the subject of bears. It's a remarkably balanced book: the stories of bear attacks are spared none of their grim, gruesome details (I had to resist the urge to go with grisly), which should be suitably discouraging to the tourist subset that treats all wildlife as cuddly and tame.

On the other hand, the bears are not demonized or made into monsters. There is no call for their eradication. And this is how it should be for those ...more

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Aug 02, 2013 Cynthia Skinner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I finished this in one sitting the other night here in Montana. The more I read the more I had to read even though I felt like I was going to throw up. Terrifying. Finished about 3 in the morning. I think I was relating too much with the stories because I had worked for the Forest Service for a few years in late 70s early 80s in northern California, and though of course we don't have grizzlies anymore, this book reminded me of when I felt like I was being watched out there when on occasion I had ...more

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Sep 22, 2014 Joe rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It is clear from this book that the best way to survive a bear attack is to not get attacked by a bear.

Bears will kill you. Quickly and without any trouble at all. They can run faster than you, they can climb trees better than you, and they are exponentially stronger. There are survivors in some of these stories, but it seems that whether you survive or not is largely due to luck.

This book is well-written, and the stories will make you think the next time you're out hiking or camping. Seriously, ...more

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May 31, 2013 Katelyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the second time I have read this book but it is a newer edition and possibly better than the first. I recommend to anyone who loves bears or anyone who may be traveling in an area where grizzlies live.

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Jun 20, 2016 Terryfyre Carriere rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This has all the contents of the previous edition (1998) with 8 new updates. I was hoping that he would add some updates on previous survivors, but he has included a section covering Timothy Treadwell. It is a suspense filled and sometimes terrifying read. I loved it!

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