Rocky Deane Spencer 31 March 1952 – 8 September 2007

Remembering Rocky

By Bryan Murphie (Winter 2008 Newsletter)

For each of us that knew him, Rocky had a unique and positive impact upon our lives. His confident swagger and warm, friendly smile had a way of winning over volunteers and professionals alike, but it was really his ability to share his knowledge and experience with others that endeared him to us.

The WAFWP Board would like to recognize Rocky’s significant contribution to bear and cougar management in both Washington state as well as nationally, and his positive impact upon colleagues and the public. Rocky had a love for Karelian bear dogs and believed in their use as an effective alternative to lethal removal. He also believed that education and outreach would go a long way in minimizing conflicts and misconceptions about bear and cougars. Combining these two passions, the Board decided to donate $3500 on behalf of Rocky to the Wind River Bear Institute for the purpose of funding their public outreach and education program for one year. This seems a most appropriate recognition of a man who has had such a positive influence on so many.

Rocky’s unfortunate passing highlights the often over-looked hazards that many field biologists face on a daily basis. I sincerely wish you all the safest of journeys.

Rocky Spencer Memorial Scholarship

Click on the picture to link to the Rocky Spencer Memorial Scholarship Website

KOMO TV News Article

Molly Shen (photos from KOMO TV)

SEATTLE -- Rocky Spencer lived his life in the wild, specializing in the bears roaming neighborhoods.

Whether he was tracking a cougar or trapping and releasing bears in Western Washington, he always brought us into the wild with him.

"Everyone else in our family was pretty predictable," Rocky's brother Scott Spencer said with a laugh. "Rocky wasn't. He was just a good family guy."


Spencer joined the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1978 and came to be known as one of the state's best wildlife biologists.

He loved opportunities that allowed him to remind us that the animals were here first, like the day we tracked cougar kittens with him near Enumclaw.

Spencer, who grew up in Longview, Wash., was quick to smile when he was in the woods working with native animals.

"They've lost one of their greatest advocates," said Brian Kertson, who worked with Spencer for years. "Someone who truly cared deeply and passionately about the long term preservation and conservation."

That passion was infectious. Scott Spencer said he's been getting dozens of calls from people whose lives his brother touched.

"I had a lady call me from Montana last night who I didn't know who she was. Her comment to me was, 'If you're anything like your brother, I love you too.' "

With long time friend and colleague Bruce Richards, Spencer developed innovations in trapping the big animals.

Together, they captured and released countless bears and cougars. But Richards says that's never what it was about.

For Spencer, it was teaching the rest of us to respect, understand and live near wildlife.

"It's the people you touch and affecting change to the good," Richards said. "I think with Rocky, ultimately, down through the years it'll be the kids that came out and were affected and changed. That's what Rocky's legacy will be."

Spencer was killed Saturday in a helicopter accident in Eastern Washington. He was 55.

"Rocky had a love for wildlife," Richards said. "You could feel it just being around him."

Additional Notes On Rocky

If you are interested in donating to the Rocky Spencer Memorial Fund please follow this link to the Wind River Bear Institutes Rocky Memorial Fund page.

Please take time to look at the links related to Rocky on the side menu.  If you know of links related to him that are not listed please forward them to the WAFWP Webmaster to have them added to this site.

If you would like to share a memory or thoughts or pictures about Rocky please forward it to the WAFWP Webmaster and it will be added to this page.