Description
“Wild animals do not give up their secrets easily and McCorquodale shows just how much work—and danger—is involved in our quest to conserve wild things and the landscapes they rely on. This is a collection of well-written and exciting stories to chronicle one man’s efforts to chase down these secrets and make meaningful contributions that will benefit future generations.”
—Jim Heffelfinger, Wildlife Science Coordinator, Arizona Game & Fish Department
Professional wildlife biologist Scott McCorquodale observed the natural world from a unique and intimate perspective. His compelling, dramatic, and detailed accounts describe forty years of research on Pacific Northwest bears, deer, elk, and moose. He and his colleagues spent hours tracking animals in miserable conditions, setting countless traps, and hanging out of helicopters with a dart gun. Some animals left a lasting impression—including “Granny,” the first elk he ever darted, a Cle Elum elk who considered herself human, and a variety of personality-filled bears.
The work was transformative. His thirteen years with a Yakama Nation wildlife program left a deep personal impact. Research on elk in eastern Washington’s treeless shrub-steppe essentially redefined much of what scientists now know about this species. Living year-round in an environment that they were not supposed to be able to occupy, they defied expectations and humbled experts. Close work with wild bears in Montana and Washington—capturing them for radio-collaring, entering their winter dens, dealing with the consequences of their innate ability to problem-solve and innovate in their search for food—earned them the author’s deep respect.
While exciting and demanding, frequent helicopter and small airplanes flights also meant dangerous duty that—despite expert pilots and skilled passengers—sometimes led to tragedy. Finally, McCorquodale highlights the major efforts he led, the evolution of wildlife research, and how different the work is today.
Recognition
“Wild animals do not give up their secrets easily and McCorquodale shows just how much work—and danger—is involved in our quest to conserve wild things and the landscapes they rely on. This is a collection of well-written and exciting stories to chronicle one man’s efforts to chase down these secrets and make meaningful contributions that will benefit
future generations.”
—Jim Heffelfinger, Wildlife Science Coordinator, Arizona Game & Fish Department
“As a longtime local hook-and-bullet magazine editor, I thought I knew a lot about Washington wildlife research and what all goes into it, but in his new book, Scott McCorquodale really opened my eyes to the thrills and chills as well as the drudgery that the scientific monitoring elk, deer, bears and more entails. Mixing in laugh-out-loud moments with deep insights, Scott chronicles his 40-year career from grad student to regional wildlife manager, studying Hanford’s inexplicable wapiti herd to dealing with Buttons The Elk That Thought She Was A Human, a period of time that also saw vast technological improvements he also traces. Indeed, it’s not just a book about Scott darting, collaring and tracking critters—of which he did plenty—but the folks who trusted him to do the science or assisted him in the field—his tribal and state bosses, fellow “muggers” and especially, the gifted and daring pilots like Jess Hagerman who helped make it all possible. While Scott has written plenty of scientific papers, here his words flow across the pages like elk running through Washington’s woods and glades in highly readable prose that is also educational. Through Scott’s book, I have a higher appreciation for those who make studying wildlife their career so that hunters can harvest a few, the public can enjoy viewing them, and the critters can continue to be critters.”
—Andy Walgamott, Northwest Sportsman magazine editor
“Early in my days as the Outdoor Columnist for the Yakima Herald-Republic, Scott McCorquodale invited me to spend a day with him as he checked on denned black bears on the Yakama Nation Reservation. It was incredibly exciting and educational. That day popped into my mind many times as I read Scott’s new book, Chasing Wildlife Secrets. The author shares dozens and dozens of stories about his many years in the field as a big game biologist, told with great admiration and respect for the animals he is studying, and the people with whom he worked. Even after spending time with Scott, never could I have imagined all the exciting, interesting, and sometimes harrowing experiences he has lived. Chasing Wildlife Secrets was a great read and one I recommend highly!”
—Rob Phillips, outdoor writer and author of the Luke McCain Mystery Series.
