Bighorn Sheep: Mountain Monarchs

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.