Bighorn Sheep: Mountain Monarchs (Northword Wildlife Series) [Paperback]

Bert Gildart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999 | Age Level: 10 and up | Series: Northword Wildlife Series

The book includes life cycle data and natural history, as well as personal observations and stories from the authors field research. Readers will learn about the status of the species, including Rocky Mountain bighorn and Desert bighorn, Dall and Stone sheep, in their various habitat regions and get an outlook for their future in those places. Dramatic and detailed photography is used throughout.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Northword Press (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155971641X
• ISBN-13: 978-1559716413
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,726,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction to Bighorn Sheep - Beautiful Photography, October 6, 2003

By 

Michael Wischmeyer (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bighorn Sheep: Mountain Monarchs (Northword Wildlife Series) (Paperback)

We were doing some late spring climbing in Death Canyon. Bighorn sheep were rare enough in the Tetons in the late 1960s that park rangers asked us to report back if we encountered them. We saw no evidence of sheep. Thirty five years later my son observes bighorn sheep above him in in a narrow couloir in upper Targhee Canyon, slightly below the pass with Death Canyon. Casually mentioning this sighting to a Teton ranger, he learns that bighorn sheep are now frequently observed.

Bighorn sheep are returning to their native North American habitats. The all-time low of 9,000 bighorn sheep in 1960 has been replaced today by an impressive number of 70,000 sheep. Excessive hunting was partly responsible for their decline, but the primary cause had been disease from domestic sheep. Hunting today is well managed; disease can still completely eliminate a small herd.

Mountain Monarchs: Bighorn Sheep is an attractive, soft cover, glossy publication by NorthWord Wildlife Series. Beautiful photography is found on nearly every page.

The author, Bert Gildart, targets a general audience that shares his enthusiasm for native wildlife. At some points I found his explanations, like the food pyramid, to be too basic. Overall his style remains interesting, especially his personal observations of sheep behavior. He is careful to attribute his facts to specific wildlife biologists and naturalists.

Mountain Monarchs: Bighorn Sheep is a good introduction to a remarkable animal. I particularly liked the section on the adaptation of the bighorn sheep to its harsh environment and the descriptions of the incredible battles between males for dominance. I now understand more about interpreting the shape and detailed appearance of the magnificently curved horns of the bighorn sheep. The appendix contains an updated population census for the varieties of wild sheep by state and province.