By Denny Geurink
- Published by Target Communications Outdoor Books, LLC
- Danger & Adventure Hunting Brown Bears in Russia’s Forbidding Siberia
IN THE LAND OF THE BEAR, by Denny Geurink, is an inside look at the excitement, mystery, danger and adventure of hunting huge, aggressive brown bears in Siberia and traveling in Russia from 1991 through 2011, a time of political turmoil when the Soviet Union was evolving into Russia.
In addition to hair-raising stories of lethal brown bear attacks on people and livestock, bears digging up coffins in cemeteries, bears invading camps, and brown and grizzly bear hunting in general, IN THE LAND OF THE BEAR contains historical perspective of what was happening politically at that time in Russia, detailing how the Siberian people lived, worked, survived … and how they viewed ordinary Americans — favorably. Siberia is a long way from Moscow and politics.)
Geurink was the first American guide/outfitter to take clients to Siberia, the brown bear capital of the world. Nearly 70 percent of the world’s brown bear population is in Russia, with much of that in Siberia. Russia is a game rich country; few residents are allowed to own firearms. There is little hunting and game animals get the chance to grow bigger and older…and bring in needed cash flow to local economies.
IN THE LAND OF THE BEAR is an outdoor adventure book. Fascinating stories all, in 23 engrossing chapters, 284 pages, 6” x 9”, paperback, available at www.targetcommbooks.com or on Amazon.
IN THE LAND OF THE BEAR — 23 CHAPTERS OF ADVENTURE
- Journey to the Evil Empire
- Hanging Out with the KGB
- Brown Bear Natural History
- Bear Attacks: Girl Calls to Say Goodbye as Bear Kills & Eats Her, Bear Drags Off Sleeping Bag and Man, Killer Bears
- The People
- The Food: Fish Bread, That’s Not Pasta, Moose Meat Surprise, Nothing Goes to Waste
- The Culture
- Surrounded by Bears
- A Lesson on Fear
- An Encounter with the WWF
- American Hunter Taken to Police Station
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (hunters)
- Tales from Grizzly Camp
- If It Weren’t for Bad Luck
- Russian Bear Stalks U.S. Astronaut
- Excitement in Camp: The Russian Way of Dealing with Poachers, Bear in Camp, Bear in the Creek, Baby Snatchers
- Big Stags on The Black Sea
- Lady and the Bull
- The Capercaillie Two-Step
- Encounter with Rut-Crazed Bull Moose
- Bear Charges Snowmobile
- More Tales of Bear Attacks
- They’re All Heart and Determination
AUTHOR’S BIO — DENNIS GEURINK: Michigan native Denny Geurink has been a teacher (now retired) and was for several years the Midwest Regional Editor of Field & Stream magazine. He wrote a newspaper weekly outdoor column for nearly 40 years. He guided/outfitted in Siberia from 1992 through 2011, when he sold his outfitting business, then bought it back just recently because he couldn’t stay away. He missed the adventure, the hunting, and the people he worked with in Siberia.
BACKGROUND INFO: In the early 1990s, the USSR wanted to boost its tourism industry and the revenue it would bring. Hunters and fishermen usually aren’t at the head of any list of tourist invitees, but in 1991 the Soviet Union, working with a U.S.-based travel agency, looked primarily at the spectacular hunting and fishing opportunities in Siberia and invited Denny Geurink, a Michigan-based outdoor writer, on a moose and brown bear hunt. He had excellent success, but even more, enjoyed learning about and adapting to an unfamiliar culture and existence that he felt more-closely resembled the U. S. Wild West 150 to 175 years ago.
Geurink liked the total experience so much he became a hunting outfitter for Siberian brown bear (the largest, most aggressive in the world), grizzly bear and moose hunts, plus incidental hunts for bighorn/snow sheep, wild Russian boar (the largest in the world), with now and then a grouse or wolf hunt added.
For nearly 25 years Geurink lived adventure with a capital A, enjoying every minute of the hunts, the people, the culture, the political discussions, the travel throughout Russia … and in the process developing strong attachments to the Siberian people and the land, sometimes staying for 90-day stretches to serve groups of hunting clients. He has traveled there more than 50 times and continues to hunt Siberia annually.