Recommended Books about Bears
long term scientific study of the Idaho black bear population. A bit dry and technical for popular tastes, but full of detailed and reliable high quality information on an important community of U.S. black bears. There is a great photo inside of rangers back-packing a tightly bundled up and confused looking black bear back to his den.)
Summers with the Bears: Six Years in the Minnesota Woods
Jack Becklund
(A Florida newspaperman decides to return to his roots in Northern Minnesota, in a cabin in a remote wooded area. At first, his misadventures with the local black bears are none too promising. Then his wife, Patti befriends a yearling girl cub she calls "Little Bit." Little Bit soon brings 4 more yearling bears, all boys, with her to see the Becklunds and they bring their friends. Soon, the Becklunds have 9 little bears playing in their yard. Over the years, the developing relationships the Becklunds have with all these bears and especially the deeply trusting and affectionate friendship they have with Little Bit form the basis of this book. They achieved a closeness and rapport with these wild black bears that to me seems both remarkable and unique. Some of the females would unhesitatingly let the Becklands play with their cubs who would leap into their arms and lick them all over with their soft pink tongues like a bunch of puppies. Their stories are supported by a collection of wonderful photos showing them with their favorite bears. This book was presented in the October 1998 edition of Reader's Digest as a condensed book and the article there includes photos not found in the main book. My recommendation is to obtain both!)
Please keep in mind that all the above books are readily available from www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com. It is worth checking both sites as frequently a book is cheaper on one than the other or can be obtained in a more reasonable amount of time. The prices are reasonable and the books usually arrive within a week. I hope the above inspires somebody to crack open a book and get in some good reading!
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