When Hack’s cover artist Jonny M.’s brother Joe (upon whom the Ranger Joe character is based) read this book in galleys, he was outraged that Joe kills the bear of the title, saying that “wasn’t the Junior Ranger way.” To assuage him, Hack rewrote the book so that Joe only fights off the bear to protect the picnickers and then nurses it back to health. Surprisingly, Bro Joe had no problem with the scenes where the ranger has anal sex with the bear.