The Tracks Disappeared as the bear walked out of the thin snow, as the new snow disappeared into open patches of sun. I thought of how the mild sun must feel on his thick coat ... I thought of the sweeping length of his claws. How can the world still have such a wondrous beast in it -- just on the edge of surviving, but still here? -- Rick Bass

Powerful, fierce, and magnificent, the Bear is the subject of myths and legends -- an animal that strikes in us a sense of fear, caution and curiosity. Portrayed in folklore and fiction as naive yet intelligent, forgiving yet vicious, the Bear transcends all that divides man and animal, suggesting how alike we are, yet how fascinatingly different.

If we are lucky, we see the Bear through its tell-tale signs -- a claw-scarred tree, the buried carcass of an elk or deer, or the chewed remains of a salmon left along a mountain stream. But we come to know the Bear through those who have encountered them, those who have met the Bear face-to-face and survived.

Mark of the Bear is a remarkable collection of ten original and previously published essays by leading American nature it is a tribute to the spirit of this American icon though Filled with spectacular full-color of the nation's best nature and Mark of the Bear provides a unique personal encounters with these living with these living legends.

Natural historian Paul Schullery is the author of many books and articles on nature, natural history, and Americana, including The Bears of Yellowstone, Glacier & Waterton: Land of Hanging Valleys, American Fly Fishing: A History, and the critically acclaimed Mountain Time. Schullery is an avid wilderness supporter who has observed bears for many years while living and working in Yellowstone National Park. Adjunct professor of history at Montana State University, past executive director, and now trustee emeritus of The American Museum of Fly Fishing, Schullery divides his backcountry time between Glacier and his home park of Yellowstone.