Bear With Me, My Deer

Tails of a Virginia Wildlife Biologist

What exactly does a wildlife biologist for a state agency do? Contrary to many of his relative’s perceptions, David Kocka is not a park ranger, a forest ranger, or even a game warden. Bear With Me, My Deer: Tails of a Virginia Wildlife Biologist is a glimpse into one man’s adventures while working for an agency, which is responsible for managing the wildlife resources within its boundaries. The sometimes-humorous accounts have taken David to the top of a parking garage while chasing a black bear and to the middle of a college campus to extract a hormone-driven deer from a building. Although he has avoided news agencies as much as possible, one of his adventures was summarized in People Magazine. Most biologists have similar stories to share, but David in Bear With Me, My Deer: Tails of a Virginia Wildlife Biologist gives an account of his adventures in the field, documenting how they can occur any time, day or night. Humor is an important tool, which he yields almost as often as he uses his dart pistol. Through his thirty years as a wildlife biologist, David has met many interesting people too—and some have become lifelong friends. Set in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, these true stories enable the reader to enjoy each wildlife encounter and hopefully allow them to connect with the outdoors like never before.