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Bear in the Back Seat: Adventures of a Wildlife Ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Smokies Wildlife Ranger) Paperback – September 23, 2013

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,469 ratings

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#7 in the USA audio book in 2016#9 in the USA Wall Street Journal best seller in 2013Named A Top 50 Must Read for the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service.Named A Top 10 Must-Read Books That Could Save Our National Parks and the Environment along with John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, Lewis & Clark, Bill Bryson, and Ken Burns.
Bear in the Back Seat I is the first volume in a series of true stories from “[a]n extraordinary landscape populated with befuddled bears, hormonally-crazed elk, homicidal wild boars, hopelessly timid wolves, and nine million tourists, some of whom are clueless.”
In Kim DeLozier’s world, when sedated wild black bears wake up unexpectedly in the back seat of a helicopter in mid-flight, or in his car as he’s driving down the highway, or in his office while he’s talking on the phone, it’s just another day in the park.
You’ll love seeing Kim and a fellow ranger tested as they bravely take on the task of relocating 77 live skunks by sedating them with darts from homemade blowguns, especially when the pickup truck load of stinkers wakes up while still in transit.
An hilarious, heartwarming, and heartbreaking memoir by the chief wildlife ranger in the #1 most popular family vacation destination in the USA, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For over thirty years, Kim DeLozier acted as a referee in the wild, trying to protect millions of park visitors from one of the densest populations of wild black bears in America — and the bears from tourists who get too close.
It takes place in the same Smoky Mountain world as Jourdan’s other national bestsellers
Heart in the Right Place, Medicine Men, and Out on a Limb.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Jourdan's Other Books

  • #5 Wall Street Journal Best Seller and #1 Amazon Best seller, Medicine Men (October, 2014)
  • #9 Wall Street Journal Best Seller and #1 Amazon Best Seller, Bear in the Back Seat (December 2013)
  • #7 Wall Street Journal Best Seller and #1 Amazon Best Seller, Heart in the Right Place (September 2012)
  • "Heartwarming, funny and utterly appealing." Fannie Flagg -- Author of Fried Green Tomatoes
  • "This is wonderful book. I would have enjoyed it even if Carolyn wasn't a neighbor of mine in East Tennessee. She is a great writer" Dolly Parton -- Singer, Songwriter, and Actress


Kim Delozier, wildlife ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for 32 years and Park Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, has seen just about everything when it comes to bear antics!
Bear in the Back Seat is packed with amazing stories that the whole family will enjoy. And, you'll learn a ton of great pointers about how to safely view animals in the wild.
Jack Hanna, 
Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo, &
 Host, TV's Into the Wild

Kim is a modern day Daniel Boone whose experiences with wild bears, wild hogs, people, and other critters, demonstrate that untamed frontiers still exist in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
Stephen Herrero, Ph.D., author of Bear Attacks, Their Causes and Avoidance

About the Author

Kim DeLozier grew up living and working on his family's farm in eastern Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. He began his career with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1978 working as a wild hog hunter. Kim retired in 2010 after 32 rewarding years of service in wildlife management. During his career, Kim's involvement primarily focused on nuisance black bear management, wild hog control, white-tailed deer management, small animal management (skunks, raccoons, bats), and re-introduction efforts for elk, peregrine falcons, river otters, and red wolves. Kim married his high school sweetheart, Donna, over 36 years ago. They have two wonderful children, Carrie and Travis, and four precious grandsons, Baylor, Duke, Turner, and Fox. Kim and Donna currently live on the original DeLozier farm in the same farmhouse his Dad was raised in. They feel extremely blessed!
Carolyn Jourdan is the author of three 
Wall Street Journal best selling books and is also a #1 Amazon best selling author.  Carolyn is a former U.S. Senate Counsel to the Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Committee on Governmental Affairs (now Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs). Carolyn has degrees from the University of Tennessee in Biomedical Engineering and Law. She lives on the family farm in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, with many stray animals.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jourdain Michael; 1st edition (September 23, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 098856436X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0988564367
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.42 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,469 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,469 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read. They enjoy the humorous stories about wildlife encounters. The information provided is informative and educational, helping readers learn about bears and other animals. Readers appreciate the relatable content about national parks and rangers' experiences. Overall, customers find the book entertaining and heartwarming, with a serious message about dealing with bears.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

280 customers mention "Readability"269 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it well-written and engaging, providing an inside look at the life of a park ranger. The stories are short, making it easy to pick up and read for a few minutes. Readers mention it's a great read for anyone coming to GSMP or any other park.

"...And who was driving? I had to know all the details. It was so brilliantly written that I never even suspected that there was a point in time..." Read more

"...I loved this book. It was full of nature. The natural world is the best entertainment there is." Read more

"...listening to the audio book, narrated by Carey Jones in his wonderful authentic dialect...." Read more

"...Fun and an easy read. Enjoyable." Read more

177 customers mention "Story quality"170 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the stories in this book. They find the stories engaging and educational, with each chapter containing a different adventure. The stories relate to bears, wild pigs, raccoons, and many other wild animals. The stories are short and humorous, making them easy to read for a few minutes. Overall, readers find the book interesting and enjoyable.

"...This is also a very fascinating and practical book that painlessly taught me the importance of stepping up my game in Nature and Life...." Read more

"...It is filled with funny, heartwarming, scary and heartbreaking tales of a Ranger who dealt with wildlife management, especially with bears...." Read more

"As memoirs go, it's OK. There are the extraordinary stories, and the head-shaking ones too...." Read more

"...of campfire stories than well knitted book but the stories are often interesting and give a good account of what the life of an outside ranger can..." Read more

144 customers mention "Humor"144 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the stories amusing and heartwarming, with humorous things that happen in nature. Readers mention the book is for all ages and people of different types.

"This was the first book in the Bear in the Back Seat duo. It is filled with funny, heartwarming, scary and heartbreaking tales of a Ranger who dealt..." Read more

"Bought this to read on a few vacation days and it didn't disappoint. Fun and an easy read. Enjoyable." Read more

"Funny, sad, and some lessons to be learned from the short stories in this book...." Read more

"...And, it is entertaining." Read more

118 customers mention "Information quality"118 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and entertaining. They say it's a great way to learn about wildlife and encountering black bears. The book provides interesting insights into management strategies for black bears. Overall, readers feel the book has enough substance to make them feel like a veteran reader.

"...I'm now appreciably better educated, aware and versed (with more to learn) in the Do's and Don'ts of life with black bears and I'm grateful to this..." Read more

"...There are also safety tips, advice and stories of stupid human behavior. People who feed the bears cause more harm than they think...." Read more

"...But it's also filled with some very good advice for anyone heading into the backcountry...." Read more

"...The whole book has enough substance to make a veteran book reader feel like they are getting a lot for their money with this one too...." Read more

50 customers mention "Reading material"50 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy reading about national parks and the experiences of park rangers. They find the book engaging, providing a sense of the land and its beauty. The book gives readers an insight into coexistence with wild animals in the national parks. Readers appreciate the natural world as the best entertainment.

"...I loved this book. It was full of nature. The natural world is the best entertainment there is." Read more

"...makes for a good read for anyone who loves our remarkable and unique National Parks, who enjoys emphasis on bears and their antics in their habitat,..." Read more

"...next to the park and hike in the backcountry here and it is cool to relate to the areas that I have been to the stories in the book...." Read more

"...Bears are intelligent, curious animals with their own personalities...." Read more

28 customers mention "Heartwarming message"28 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's heartwarming message. They find it funny and poignant, with stories that make them laugh and cry. The book is an entertaining read that has a serious message about dealing with bears. Readers appreciate the author's respect and empathy for animals.

"...It is filled with funny, heartwarming, scary and heartbreaking tales of a Ranger who dealt with wildlife management, especially with bears...." Read more

"Funny, sad, and some lessons to be learned from the short stories in this book...." Read more

"...The author was one of those rangers and always had compassion for all of the animals...." Read more

"...The book was laugh out loud funny at times, the last chapter made me cry and I learned a few things about black bears...." Read more

24 customers mention "Writing quality"18 positive6 negative

Customers find the book provides a clear insight into the life of a park ranger. They appreciate the honest and realistic descriptions of what it's like to deal with concerns as a ranger. Readers also mention that the book gives an interesting point of view that most people will never get to experience.

"...Give an interesting point of view that most people will never get to experience. Now on to book 2!" Read more

"The style of writing in this book is simple and direct...." Read more

"...I would warn that it's written in the vernacular of the storyteller - complete with country dialect - something as an author I avoid, despite my own..." Read more

"...And think it gives a good, honest view of the real life of a ranger." Read more

22 customers mention "Bear protection"18 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's bear protection. They find it informative and helpful, providing a ranger's perspective on keeping both humans and wildlife safe in the wilds. The book provides safety tips, advice, and stories about stupid human behavior. Readers also mention that bears don't kill people, people kill bears.

"...There are also safety tips, advice and stories of stupid human behavior. People who feed the bears cause more harm than they think...." Read more

"...the author's need to educate and his dedication to the cause of protecting wildlife, and I "get it."..." Read more

"...Now I read more about those bears, and the great efforts to protect them...." Read more

"...you understand all that it takes to keep the visitors and animals in the Park safe...." Read more

A Visitor's Must Read
4 out of 5 stars
A Visitor's Must Read
An interesting look at the development of techniques used to protect bears, reduce introduced species and manage humans in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.An experienced ranger shares experiences encountered over a full career.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2013
    How could I not read a book entitled _Bear in the Back Seat: Adventures of a Wildlife Ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains_ ? And who was driving? I had to know all the details. It was so brilliantly written that I never even suspected that there was a point in time where a semi-tranq'ed black bear was the second row passenger in a helicopter. Now that I've read this book, I think, "Why not?"

    I loved and love this book. I'm so glad I tripped across it on Amazon kindle. I couldn't put it down from start to finish. Some parts were good enough to read several times. And I laughed so hard I woke my husband from hibernation last night.

    I learned in this treasure of a book so much I didn't know; so much I didn't even suspect I didn't know; and so much I am so very happy to now know about the world of Park Rangers, black bears, Park volunteers, support personnel, deer,, elk, skunk (fabulous story!), wild boar (not boring!), fish, birds, Park visitors and hikers in the Smoky Mountains. I now understand the symbiotic relationship between all. I have a much clearer understanding about the whats, whys and hows of conservation and what Park Rangers do to reintroduce missing species to their previously natural environment.

    This is also a very fascinating and practical book that painlessly taught me the importance of stepping up my game in Nature and Life. Reading this book comes with a giant bonus: I'll now go into Nature forewarned and responsible. Thanks to this author, I've awakened to the irrefutable fact that garbage means death to bears, other wildlife and to humans. I've come away with the common sense understanding that to stay alive and not jeopardize the lives of others in Nature and Life involves my going in educated, staying educated, believing the reality my eyes have been opened to; staying conscious, aware & appropriately responsive to situations I will encounter whether I'm on my feet, face or derriere.

    You'll blush, as I did, when you recognize your own ignorance and stupid errors in these entertaining accounts of life in the wild. I know now that It's through no effort on my own part but, rather, attributable to just plain luck that I have previously survived without the knowledge this great writer has afforded me. From now on I'll be safer because of what this author has taken the time to teach me. As important, now that I am more educated because of this Ranger

    I feel compassion over the needless deaths of bears - all deaths set into play by ignorant Park visitors - and for the Rangers that deal with our mistakes. I'm now appreciably better educated, aware and versed (with more to learn) in the Do's and Don'ts of life with black bears and I'm grateful to this author for this treasured up-close look into the days, weeks, months, decades, years and lives of The Great Smokey's Black Bears and the Rangers who protect them. It's not always just a day at the Park.

    I loved every moment of this book and look forward to many re-readings. Buy this book!
    9 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2023
    This book hit on two things for me.
    First my unfounded though deep seated fear of bears. I have never had an encounter. Reading this book, I think this fear has eased slightly.
    Secondly it involved a career I seriously believe I was meant to follow. Too many life decisions made before I discovered what I'd like to do career wise. I also lived in the wrong part of the country for the classes I needed to take. I would have had to leave my husband and young children in order to be where I needed to study. Reading this book I realized I wouldn't have been the kind of Mom I wanted to be if I held this job, so God knew what he was doing.
    I loved this book. It was full of nature. The natural world is the best entertainment there is.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2020
    This was the first book in the Bear in the Back Seat duo. It is filled with funny, heartwarming, scary and heartbreaking tales of a Ranger who dealt with wildlife management, especially with bears. There are also safety tips, advice and stories of stupid human behavior. People who feed the bears cause more harm than they think. I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audio book, narrated by Carey Jones in his wonderful authentic dialect. A wonderful, entertaining look into the life of a Wildlife Ranger. Be sure to pick up book 2 for more fun!
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
    Bought this to read on a few vacation days and it didn't disappoint. Fun and an easy read. Enjoyable.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2022
    As memoirs go, it's OK. There are the extraordinary stories, and the head-shaking ones too. But it's also filled with some very good advice for anyone heading into the backcountry. I would warn that it's written in the vernacular of the storyteller - complete with country dialect - something as an author I avoid, despite my own language being very much in the vernacular too. The narrator, evidently also a god-fearing individual, is, however, very clearly one of those people at peace with nature, and with himself, and for that, he has my respect.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2019
    This is an easy read. Ranger Kim DeLozier chronicles his days at the office in Great Smokey Mountain National Park as a critter response officer. He gets the calls when there is a problem bear or other wildlife situation that Park Officials need addressed. His office is outside and often involves overnight hikes with heavy / bulky gear in bad weather.

    The stories range from a page to several so the reader doesn't get bored. As a compendium this is more like a collection of campfire stories than well knitted book but the stories are often interesting and give a good account of what the life of an outside ranger can be like. It is more than bears, but the bear stories delight due to their size and the uncertainty of interacting with an animal often larger than oneself. I enjoyed it.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Susan Eberth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ranger adventures
    Reviewed in Canada on April 10, 2021
    Living along side the Smoky Mountains was always an adventure. Walking throughout the national park, the heavenly views never disappoint, the wildlife we were always taught to respect and the country folk had such genuine hospitality, we all felt like family. Black bears are a symbol in Tennessee, enjoy the stories from a career park ranger in this book and please if visiting, take your trash out with you and do not feed the bears .
  • Mrs L Grizzly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2014
    Wonderfully told and very funny in parts. This gives an insight into the life of a park ranger and the animal encounters he has. It's told in a way that makes it clear that he loves the animals and the land he cares for. Excellent read.
  • Robin Thorpe
    3.0 out of 5 stars Bear in the back seat
    Reviewed in Australia on May 16, 2014
    Was disappointed with the content of this book. Not what I expected from an adventure advertised book was more like a diary
  • Wilma J. Klassen
    5.0 out of 5 stars - what an interesting book. A husband who NEVER ...
    Reviewed in Canada on December 5, 2017
    - what an interesting book. A husband who NEVER reads - read it through in a few days. Marvellous!
  • Mrs Pamela Hazlehurst
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2015
    Really interesting read