One of the most recognizable and stoic patrol partners I often worked with never had much to say.
Ranger Bridger would just sit there in the front seat of the patrol car wearing his Smokey Bear hat and stare straight ahead.
Bridger worked a lot of night shifts with me. He wasn’t much of a coffee drinker. When I stopped to get a hot cup of coffee at the Hamilton Store, he stayed in the car.
I always felt a little safer making car stops with Bridger because of his large silhouette and his eyes glued on the driver and occupants.
From time to time, curiosity got the best of a driver.
“Who’s the big guy sitting back there in your car?”
“His name’s Bridger. He’s a ride-along tonight. Driver’s license and registration please.”
During the daylight hours, I often parked on one of the Grand Loop dirt pullouts just south of Fishing Bridge Junction and placed Bridger in front of the light bar watching traffic.
For some visitors, it was the first bear they spotted while driving through Yellowstone. Brake lights would go on and kids could be seen looking through the rear window smiling and waving.
Even without a gift for gab, Bridger became a well-known celebrity in Yellowstone. He was a natural as a teddy bear and had a talent for breaking the ice.
A Ranger's Journal 