Memoirs of a Backcountry Bio

This book tells the story of Vic Coggins, an Oregon State Wildlife Biologist for 45 years. The journal he kept every day of his career assures the accuracy of the writing. It includes serious incidents and humorous stories that occurred during horse wrecks, law enforcement patrols, backcountry ranch trips, wilderness horse trips, aircraft survey adventures, and in his early life, which led to his wildlife management career.A major part of the book covers management and restoration of...
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This book tells the story of Vic Coggins, an Oregon State Wildlife Biologist for 45 years. The journal he kept every day of his career assures the accuracy of the writing. It includes serious incidents and humorous stories that occurred during horse wrecks, law enforcement patrols, backcountry ranch trips, wilderness horse trips, aircraft survey adventures, and in his early life, which led to his wildlife management career.A major part of the book covers management and restoration of endangered or extirpated species of ungulates and carnivores. There is discussion of historical distributions, capture techniques, controversies involving species, population status, studies conducted, and reintroduction activities. Elk, mountain goats, deer, cougar, wolves, bears, moose, and bison are all included in the writing. Chapters on the restoration of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goats to northeast Oregon and Hells Canyon tell an important success story in his career. The extirpated species and potential recovery of grizzly bears, bison, and pronghorn antelope are also discussed.This book is illustrated with over 350 photos taken throughout his career or provided by other sources. Many are historic photos dating to the early 1900¿s; all complement the history of wildlife populations and management in Northeast Oregon.