Grizzly Years written by Doug Peacock and subtitled In Search of the American Wilderness
After witnessing the horrors as a medic in Vietnam, Grizzly Years includes flashbacks woven into Peacock's narrative of the grizzly world of Montana and Wyoming. For many years, Peacock spent spring to fall in the grizzly's neighborhood observing them from a distance of a few hundred yards. As he watches and observes, he is able to identify individuals, see their interactions, the hierarchies, and their daily and seasonal habits.
Peacock does an excellent job of relating the history of the grizzly in the US to those times when the only "good grizzly was a dead grizzly." With his book, Peacock attempts to correct those ill conceived beliefs.
I thoroughly enjoyed Peacock's very descriptive language as he bush whacks and travels through the wilderness in search of grizzly. That outdoor experience with no "civilization" penetrating that wilderness appeals to me. Unfortunately, now with settled existence I rarely get a chance to get to a wild place.
For me, there were a few too many narratives describing another summer of observations of the grizzly. That didn't detract from the book's appeal. I just skimmed what seemed to be a variation on a previous year's experience.
It is still a five star read.
Doug Peacock was the model for Edward Abbey's Hayduke in The Monkey Wrench Gang
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