Hiking With Grizzlies: Lessons Learned

by Tim Rubbert

Every hiker and camper who reads this book will be better prepared to hike in grizzly country and to actually encounter a grizzly bear. That’s because bear advocate Tim Rubbert shares the trail-tested techniques he has learned from hiking with grizzlies from Yellowstone to Alaska. Rubbert tells how to avoid bear encounters and how to react if you do encounter a bear. Important lessons cover making noise, remaining calm, staying together, retreating, and encountering surprised bears, habituated bears, bears with cubs, and bears on carcasses. The lessons are vividly illustrated with photographs of Rubbert’s bear encounters, and each encounter is critically analyzed to determine what happened and why. Readers will gain life-saving knowledge about how to use bear spray, including what happens when spray is used in real-world situations as Rubbert describes two backcountry encounters when he was forced to spray bears. These clearly explained hiking strategies, based on extensive personal experience, will help anyone travel in bear country with far greater safety and confidence.

Genres: Travel

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana which is not prime grizzly country. However, the rare sighting is not completely unknown and this slim book by an experienced hiker and bear observer was very informative and has given me a little more confidence should I ever have a bear encounter out on the trail.

I'll have to do some additional research, however, to develop a more complete encounter strategy because almost all the trail use I make is on horseback. It's obvious that I would need to expose my horse to the discharge of bear spray, whether it's recommended to deploy spray only from the ground or while still mounted. And depending on how fast an encounter develops it may have to be from the saddle!

In the mean time, the author's injunctions to stay observant of your surroundings while out on trail, know what to look for (fresh diggings to uproot edible plants, bear droppings, unusual mounds of dirt and vegetation, which could be a stashed carcass), travel in a group and keep up a conversational noise to alert bears so they're not surprised and become defensively aggressive, bolstered by the repeated admonition to remain calm, alert and observant of the bear's reactions if you meet one - are all practical and informative tips to make recreating in bear country safer and therefore more enjoyable!

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like anyone who lives in or intends on visiting bear country should read this book, or one very much like it. It not only gives examples of multiple encounters the author himself has experienced, it explains what he did and gives tips on which responses are likely best in the situation.

[Margaret Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed something light and interesting. He provides many short accounts of encounters with grizzlies, most in Glacier Park. I learned a lot and will be even more cautious when hiking in Montana in the future.

[James Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book on hiking in bear country. The author does a great job of sharing his personal experiences and teaches you how to coexist with these impressive animals.

[Leslie Patten · Rating 5 out of 5]

The absolute BEST book of grizzlies. Most grizzly books people read are just scary stories. Rubbert describes about 80 actual face to face encounters with grizzlies and what he did in each case. Rubbert had so many encounters because he went out looking for grizzlies to observe them in Glacier park. For instance, he'd hike to berry patches in season. So, most people don't do those kinds of things. But in all his encounters, he only used bear spray 4 or 5 times at most. I loved this book because its main message was to be smart, alert, sensitive, keep calm and that the odds are bear encounters will end with the bear leaving, not with the bear eating you.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hiking with Grizzlies is about hiking with grizzlies. This is one guy's experiences with bears in Glacier and Yellowstone NPs. He has covered 10,000 miles and seen about 800 bears. He discusses his techniques when encountering bears. If you are interested in bears or perhaps are going to hike in areas where there are bears, this book is a great read.

[Daphne Jost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy and an enjoyable read that you learn from. This book will keep you engaged with the authors experiences and give you good advice and strategies for hiking in bear country.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Glacier National Park. We got our hands on this book to help us prepare for bear country. Very informative.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone hiking in bear country