Back in January, I broke this story on my Facebook (I think Outdoor Life was the only other entity paying attention). It was read by 1.5 million people in 24hrs.
The issue is now being covered by the mainstream media, months later. But better late than never.
“A sad day for the great Montana bison.
Interior Secretary Doug Bergum, at the request of Greg Gianforte and the Montana Senators and Representatives ( It pains me to say any of their names because, quite frankly, they’re beneath me, especially the unpopular little Greg Gianforte) has decided to end conservation grazing permits for bison on the great American Prairie, a huge section of restored bison land in central Montana.
Make no mistake, the decision by Bergum is an extension of the nepo-baby, grifting cronyism that currently plagues our federal government.
But this time, the victim is the great American bison. “
Hey friends, this is my viral guest essay on Grizzly Bear 399, her cubs, sprawl and greed. It appeared recently in the Chicago Tribune and I promised I’d post it here when I was able to. You can still read it at the Chicago Tribune’s site (and listen to it) at this link.
They called it paradise. The place to be. A mountain realm like no other.
A place where the spectacular Teton range rises six thousand feet above the valley floor, offering one of the most distinct and dramatic mountain fronts in the world.
Below the striking peaks, the mighty Snake River meanders through a sagebrush valley dotted with aspen and pine. And it is here that I once met a great grizzly bear.
She was known as Grizzly 399.
I’ve been filming in Grand Teton National Park and the Northern Rockies for twenty years. A few years ago, I had the honor of filming 399 when she had her quadruplets. It was the first trip I’d made to Grand Teton to specifically see the great bear.
And the last.
Why the last?
Because I saw what was happening. Could feel what was happening. I wanted to give the great bear space. I didn’t want to be chasing her around the park, waiting in my car with heated leather seats, hoping she’d cross the road, all the while hemming her in.
I knew what was happening. Full size commercials jets were flying overhead, landing at an international airport that should never even be there. Dropping off passengers to a growing town that wasn’t meant to be there. Driving to stores that should have never been built there.
For 28 years, Grizzly 399’s world shrunk all around her. Slowly, year by year she had to make adjustments to the sprawl and greed of Jackson Hole. To the sprawl and greed of the human race.
She did the best she could as we closed in. As we built more and more storage facilities and hotels and developed properties merely for vacation rentals, so we could stuff more cash in our pockets, ultimately sacrificing one of the most beautiful places the world has ever known in the process.
She raised her cubs in all this for decades. Navigated through it all, a steady ship in a stormy sea. Each wave just a little taller than the last.
And yet the people came. More full size commercial airliners roaring into an international airport that should never have been there. Dropping off people who wanted to “own a piece of the Tetons”.
But when you buy or develop a house next to a national park, you don’t capture a piece of that park.
You ruin it.
What had once been a wild valley slowly turned into the suburbs, and Grizzly 399 handled it all with aplomb. She didn’t have to. But she did.
More and more photographers swarmed to the Tetons to see her every year. More and more “investment properties” went up, causing more people to drive the roadways. More stores were built. More drones flew overhead. More airplanes roared in the sky.
Each year her world shrunk.
And this fall, it finally closed in on her.
That poor driver didn’t kill the great Grizzly 399.
We did.
You see, Grizzly 399 was not just a bear. She is a symbol of a truly wild animal trying to hang on in a changing world, a world that is all about “me me, I, I” and very little of “why?” or “what can I do to help?”.
This is a world where if the stores start to fade or look a little old, we build the *exact same* stores two miles down the road. And ten years later, we do it again. And again. Until that’s all there is.
It never stops. Our need to consume, to stuff our pockets. To turn prairie meadows into U-store it facilities. To pave over everything that is true and wild. To pave over what is real.
Grizzly 399 deserved better.
The single best way you and I can honor her amazing legacy is to look at what happened to Grand Teton. And not repeat it elsewhere. We can honor her legacy by protecting our national parks by not bringing sprawl to their doorsteps. We can honor her legacy by pulling back on our obsessive need to develop everything and finally showing some tact and humility , *the same way she did when dealing with us*.
You see, Grizzly 399 was so much more than a bear.
She is a lesson. And she is teaching us all, still. Always had been teaching us. Because that’s just what a great mother does.
It’s spring in Montana. And I’m walking around in a state of euphoria. I had such a magnificent few days in the mountains, encountering bison, bull snakes, osprey, elk, bears and incredible vistas.
And in downtown, I encountered many cool people, some from my past. Some from the now.
It’s as if I’m walking around in a dream.
But I think I know what’s happening. It’s the Bitterroot Mountains working their magic, like they always seem to do in spring. It’s just what they do.
I’ve been asked to run for political office here in Montana, something I’m mulling over. This is a direct result of my growing influence on social media. I’ve also been managing that (primarily Facebook) and I so enjoy talking with you all, and all your comments and messages and support over the years. You all rock.
I’m also excited to announce I’ve got a new story coming up in an anthology with Titan books in the UK, to be distributed worldwide, alongside talented writers like Jonathan Maberry. As I mentioned in a previous update, I’m all about getting back to my roots a bit. And getting involved with anthologies again is perfect for that.
In addition I’ve got a documentary in development about Montana, and a non-related screenplay that’s just about done.
There’s so much going on. It’s funny how time seems to slow beneath the mighty Bitterroot Mountains. As if cast in a spell. Not everything turns out how we planned it to. There are so many paths we must choose from, with so many end results.
But I’m learning that it was never about the destination. It’s about the journey. And I cherish every day I get.
Long time, no talk my friends. Life has been nuts. I’ve locked myself into a rustic hotel room in Idaho to force myself to finish a new novel and a new screenplay. The beauty is I can walk everywhere, too. No distractions, no driving, no nonsense.
Mostly.
I’ve been on the road a long time filming wildlife and adventure scenes for my social media, which now reaches between 10 and 30 million people a month. Honestly, this has been a gigantic distraction from my writing.
And my writing is #1. Period.
I can’t lie though, it’s been fun.
So, the first draft of the new screenplay is almost done. I can’t discuss the concept publically, but it is so cool.
I’m hoping to have some good news on my novel BITTERROOT soon (an experimental take on remote horror). Also, THE PULLER movie is still in development (based on my novel), for those of you who ask me about that all the time (and many of you do). I spoke with the producer last week…
In addition to that I had a short story optioned for a TV series (one episode based off it), and I plan to be involved in a few anthologies this year in an effort to get back to my roots a little bit.
The social media thing has caused some issues in public and in terms of freedom and I feel like I haven’t been as grounded as I should be. And my writing is absolutely what grounds me. Always has been.
I’m looking forward to pivoting back to that.
In addition, I wanted to thank all of you who’ve stuck by me since THE PULLER was published, since the early days of my Facebook page, and the early days of my photography. Know that I love you all.
Hey friends, long time no talk (at least for my official writing page and list). I’ve been primarily focused the last year on managing my Facebook page (which now reaches tens of millions of people a year) and writing a screenplay and original concept I REALLY like. As well as my adventure photography and the gym. In addition, you can find me at my Instagram. I also just started a new Youtube and Titktok and would love to see you all over there (all under @michaelhodgesauthor).
So, what’s been going on? I’ve got a couple new novels being shopped by my literary agent. And “The Gloaming” (my short story collection) received a new publisher and cover and the audio rights for “The Invasive” have been renewed for seven years by Tantor Audio, which is cool. They did an amazing job.
In addition to this, I’ve been writing non-fiction articles on my Facebook page to accompany an image or short film, which has been fun and well received by millions upon millions of people.
It was also an honor to recently be contacted by a sitting United States Senator and to be asked for my public endorsement, which I did across my platforms.
In all honesty things have been a bit nuts. Reaching this many people a year has caused some issues in public that I’m adapting to. But I’m not going to lie, I still love going out to bars, socializing, and being way back in the wilderness next to grizzly bears. I seem to gravitate to the core of life, towards the wild things. I don’t like the boring stuff. There’s not much sitting around over here. I’m always moving, always onto the next thrilling thing. Sometimes that can be dangerous, especially in the case of wild animals like moose and grizzlies.
And speaking of that, I just got back from a three week trip to SPECTACULAR Glacier National Park where I hiked and did adventure photography.
Hopefully my Montana fire lookout tower ghost story “Bitterroot” will be coming out soon.
