Kevin Grange works as a firefighter/paramedic with Jackson Hole EMS. His two days on, two days off schedule allows him lots of time to explore his other passions like exploring outdoors and writing.
“I kind of look at this book at a love letter to bear 399, because she was the one that sort of initiated my journey,” Grange said.
Grange's new book 'Grizzly Confidential’ tries to answer the question, "Can bears and humans coexist?", which came to the forefront of his mind in 2021, when the famous bear 399 and her four cubs were seen walking the paved streets of Jackson Hole.
“I thought I liked grizzly bears on the landscape, but then I realized I was kind of conflicted with them because, I was was very fearful of them," Grange said.
Inspired to learn all he could, Grange explored grizzlies through a variety of lenses.
“We hear from biologists, we hear from guides, we hear from photographers. I even went on a Kodiak bear hunt to learn about hunting and how hunting can be a means for conservation,” Grange said.
Grange says grizzlies modern conservation success makes for an exciting but also challenging time, with more human-bear interactions.
He says his time spent learning about bears has changed his own perspective.
“They’re not this ferocious man-killer myth that we always hear about, they're primarily vegetarian,” Grange said.
Grange says he had many close encounters with bears, but has become less fearful overall since his first encounter. He feels confident that best practices like hiking in a group, carrying bear spray, and making noise really work.
You can learn more about Grange's new book, Grizzly Confidential, here: https://www.kevingrange.com/grizzly-confidential-by-kevin-grange
