A Beast the Color of Winter: The Mountain Goat Observed

by Douglas H. Chadwick

Book Overview

"In North America there is one large animal that belongs almost entirely to the realm of towering rock and unmelting snow. Pressing hard against the upper limit of life's possibilities, it exists higher and steeper throughout the year than any other big beast on the continent. It is possibly the best and most complete mountaineer that ever existed on any continent. Oreamnos americanus is its scientific name. Its common name is mountain goat."

Resourceful,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803264216
• ISBN13: 9780803264212
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Bison Books
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 2.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.4" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

This book transcends its genre and you want to read it.

In this book, an expert on mountain goats tells you all about mountain goats. With some old black-and-white pictures. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? Well, Douglas Chadwick has blown the genre apart. The book includes his personal story of becoming and being a mountain goat biologist, and the joys of wandering around Montana's high country in winter. He tells us about mountain goats and how they live in their challenging habitat. He teaches us about how to identify male and female goats of various ages, mostly in terms of how he figured it out himself. We get to observe goat sex but, again, we learn it through his eyes. (Chadwick also tells us why it matters - - it's really easy for hunters to disrupt goat reproduction.) Chadwick also sets the stage more fully, discussing the other animals that live in goat country and how their habitats and lifestyles differ from goats. He discusses goat evolution and how the steep cliffs of goat country shape their body shape, behavior, and evolution. He criticizes state game management agencies for assuming (wrongly) that mountain goats behave like other large, hoofed animals and can therefore be hunted at the same rates, in a similarly regulated system. Last, but certainly not least, he makes an impassioned case for preserving the species and the high country that he loves. It's highly readable, and if you're looking at this review, you should read it. Then give it to a friend.

Great Book

This book has everything you would want to know about Oreamnos americanus including how many times goats chew their cud depending on age. We view mountain goats a lot here and this book will greatly help improve this experience. I thought this book was well written and mixed informational data and story telling very well to keep things from getting to dry.

Best of the Best

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Douglas Chadwick is a brillaint and sensitive observer of all natural things and has a keen insight into human nature as well. Nothing you can read will ever teach you as much about Mountain Goats as this wonderful book. I have hunted Moutain Goats and will continue to do so. Regardless of Chadwick's feelings about hunting, I admire him greatly and highly recommend this book.

The Authoritative Foundation for Mountain Goat Studies

Chadwick presents here the most thorough and enjoyable encyclopedia of everything Oreamanos Americanus (Mountain Goat). It takes me back to my own days roaming the high country of the Bob Marshall on long weekends, seeing early spring heards back of Gibson Reserviour playing and every munching on sedge in the snow. A thoroughly enjoyable read for any high country affecianodo. tim