Bo Knows Books…..?

So much of what I talk about on tour is plucked out of my head from a book I am recently reading or one that I read long ago and have held onto a nugget or two. Being a wildlife naturist guide by design requires you to read a tremendous amount of literature. This often includes scientific research articles with up to date information about the new happenings in the wildlife research field but also old classics. So I thought I would list a few books here that I have found helpful, informative, and maybe a good gift as well!

I’ve also included a link that supports me and my work if you decide to purchase the book through my custom link. I’d be very thankful if you decide to.

Yellowstone Place Names

This might be the best book to read to get to know Yellowstone. Names obviously shape how we understand the world, and knowing the thoroughly researched histories of all of the named features in all of Yellowstone National Park will totally change your understanding of the park. There are so many stories that I have never been able to find that are in this book. Whittlesey does an amazing job at finding so many different stories about the early days of the park. This could be another Coffee Table Book in the hardback version as well. I take this book with me on every single overnight trip that I do with guests into Yellowstone-seriously an arsenal of information in here. (Buy here)

A field guide to mammal tracking in western America

This was the first tracking book that I ever looked at as a youngster, and it still sits on my shelf at home. I often use its guides to help me identify tracks while on tour or on my own time out in the woods. As visual animals we are so dependent on our eyes, and i’ll admit it can be disappointing to not see the animals that we so hope to spend time with. That said, being able to see the tracks left from animals on the landscape tells a story in itself. This is a super helpful guide! (Buy Here)

Peterson Guide to Mammals of North America

The illustrations in this book are super, super helpful when it comes to trying to quickly identify different animals that you might see on a trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. This book is also helpful for comparing those short videos of animal crossing the road so you can be sure you are telling everyone back home you saw a black bear vs. a grizzly bear. (Buy here)

Identifying and finding the mammals of Jackson Hole

This guide is more specific to the animals that live in and around Jackson Hole and a great gift for those who are on an animal specific trip to Western Wyoming. (Buy here)

Place Names of Grand Teton National Park

This is a similar style book to the Yellowstone Place Names books linked above, but it is focused on Grand Teton National Park and surrounding areas. Since the Tetons have a shorter history I usually keep this one in my pack while out on the trails in case i'm curious about something while I'm out. (Buy here)

Grand Teton Trivia

Let's call a spade a spade on this one. I keep a copy of this in the bathroom at home. I will let you fill in the blank on why.......(Buy here)

Hey Bear Kids Book

Hey Bear is a bear awareness company based in Montana that promotes safety protocols for living near or visiting grizzly bear habitat. A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book are donated to another amazing organization called the Vital Ground Foundation which helps protect grizzly bears while also defending their shrinking habitat. This is a great book for kiddos who love bears or nature. (Buy Here)