Pictures of Scotland.org Canadian Amazon Store

This is another scare tactic aimed at preserving hunting.

If you feel you must read it, get it from a library.

I gave this one star as there is no option for zero.


Good Information, Hidden Agenda   December 24, 2003
 0 out of 3 found this review helpful

There are some good points and bad points to James Shelton's "Bear Attacks". There is some excellent information presented on attacks themselves and on what to do if you find yourself in that situation. There are a few problems I have with this book. First, Shelton is just as biased as the so called "preservationist" groups he demeans. It is clear he was raised in the thought that everything in the world belongs to mankind and that we should be able to take something if it benefits us. His attitude towards bears, while showing respect, paints them as some sort of lesser being that we need to control. Second, some of his ideas on why attacks are happening seem to be skewed by this. While I do not agree that all attacks are all people's fault, Shelton makes it seem like we should blame bears for the way they live and naturally are. He insists that attacks are not people's fault but then presents information about how the bear was food conditioned by people, even if they are not the ones who were attacked. If you are looking for a definitive book on bear attacks, look for one by an actual biologist who does not have a hidden agenda.


Your Life, Your Choice!! Finally THE TRUTH!!!   March 24, 2003
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

If you spend time in or around bear habitat, and you value your life or your well-being, this book is absolutely, positively a MUST read! I have spent years in bear country, have witnessed two bear attacks and have talked with dozens of guides, rangers, game wardens, fishermen and hunters. I've also read virtually every credible book on bears and bear attacks and I can say with absolute certainty that with the possible exception of the author's bear "survival" guide, this book is the only book that gets to the heart of the matter of bear aggression in a straight-forward, "no-holds-barred" way.

Some people will not appreciate all that Mr. Shelton writes. In particular, the notion that bears are our cute and furry friends is rather efficiently debunked. Not that Shelton demonizes bears. On the contrary. He writes with as much respect and compassion about bears as anybody. But realistically speaking bears are wild and potentially dangerous animals and must be regarded as such.

Also, don't worry that this book is a tedious, dry biological documentary on bear physiology, hibernation metabolism, migration patterns, breeding cycles and other matters of strictly zoological interest. It is lively, interesting, absorbing and easy to read. It is also heart breaking, terrifying and at times infuriating.

Although suitable for all ages, this book is not for the faint-of-heart or anybody unwilling or incapable of facing realilty. But then, neither are real-life bear encounters and the life-or-death struggles that sometimes follow.


Good Read!   January 24, 2003
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I found this book to me an excellent read, and full of good information. Mr. Shelton has really done his homework. The information in this book balances a love of wildlife with the truth about our relationship to these awsome animals. I would recommend it for anyone that dares venture into bear habitat.


Sensationalistic Exploitation of Fear About Bears?   September 6, 2001
 0 out of 4 found this review helpful

Is Shelton's book really accurate? Most of of the 14 reviews of this book I've read on the Amazon webpage say so.

But what is accuracy? Half-truth or whole?

Sheldon innundates readers with stories of attacks. And maybe his reports are accurate. If so, great. But again: half-truth or whole?

Imagine going back in time several decades to innundate Henry Ford and his colleagues with accurate accounts and graphic photos of future automobile accidents killing more people than most wars. Would the prospect of inventing devices that would kill or maul millions of people have kept old Henry and the other money barons too horrified to pursue development of the automobile? If that were the only "half" of the truth you knew about cars, would you voluntarily ride in one? Half-truths can make you paranoid; whole-truths might make you wise. Which would you choose?
The first auto accident I was in (as a passanger) scared me so badly that a year passed before I would ride in any car I wasn't driving. Yet, even then I didn't quit driving; and I eventually came to trust other people at the wheel--as nearly everyone does. Which of us has let the risk of an accident scare us into staying off the road? Now note that Herrero's recent statistical findings confirm that people in bear country are at more risk from autos than from bears. Furthermore, most attacks, even by grizzlies, are "defensive" (Herrero's paper presented at the 2001 International Bear Conference).
Some of Sheldon's ideas have merit; but he exaggerates not only the danger from bears, but also the value of guns for keeping you safe. The average "grizzly" bear hunter on Alaska's Kodiak Island, shooting from a bench rest with a large-bore high-powered rifle, while the bear is still at least a hundred feet away, is likely to need at least 4 shots to kill the bear. A non-expert marksman, using a smaller calibre weapon, shooting in surprise at close range, has little chance of killing a bear, or even seriously disabling it, before the bear can attack. Shooting can turn what would have been a minor mauling into a lethal attack.
Although there are situations where aggression towards a bear reduces risk, there are even more situations where it increases risk.

Personally, I've never been attacked despite spending much of my adult life living in bear country (just this past summer, I discovered a grizzly looking in my window a few times). I've also spent thousands of hours at close range with both black and grizzly bears studying their communication and aggression. My own experience is that a key to minimizing risk is undertanding a bear's motivation, mood and intentions, in part through reading its body language and controlling your own body language properly -- a subject which I address at length in a forthcoming book.
Like a few other people who have been willing to invest enough time and effort, I have won the trust of numerous bears sufficiently to minimize danger. For example, some grizzly sows trust me so much that they nurse their cubs close to me or leave their cubs nearby when they wander off feeding. You too could do this -- with proper training and in the right situations. But DON'T TRY IT ON YOUR OWN.

If you want to see the truth firsthand, join me in the field. Contact me through katmaibears.com or 1/800-532-8338 or (eventually) through our new website: gobearviewing.com.
Stephen F. Stringham, Director

* Bear Communication & Aggression Research Program
* International Bear Viewing Association