History of Ovis

OVIS? Ovis Canadensis Anadems (Rocky Mountain Bighorn), Ovis Canadensis Nelsoni (Desert Bighorn), Ovis Dalli Stonei (Stone Sheep), Ovis Dalli Dalli (Dall Sheep)... Yes, these sheep comprise the North American wild sheep. BUT, what about Ovis Ammon Ammon (Altay Argali), which is the largest wild sheep in the world, or Ovis Ammon Polii (Marco Polo), which probably is the most nostalgic world sheep?

Wild sheep are found worldwide, at least in the northern half of the globe. The wild sheep of North America have been given a tremendous amount of attention by the many outdoor magazines published on the North American continent. WILD SHEEP, SAFARI, and GRAND SLAM probably give more attention to the North American sheep than any others. However, the other wild sheep of the world have not been nearly so popularized by North America’s publications. Occasionally SAFARI will have an article about an Argali or a Urial, but for the most part talk of the other wild sheep of the world is confined to a minimum of attention. To the world wild sheep hunters, this phenomenon has been regrettable.

Enter OVIS to the marketplace! Granted, there is only a limited number of world wild sheep hunters, especially when compared to all hunters. Yet, with the void or lack of reading material as concerns wild mountain sheep of the world, there still is a niche to be filled. At conventions the booking agents’ booths are always crowded with hunters talking about their world sheep exploits, or those who plan to enter that realm. Ovis, Inc. became the organization to fill that need, and published the first issue of OVIS in the summer of 1997.

Dennis Campbell is the president of Ovis, Inc. and is also the Executive Director of the Grand Slam Club. He has been the person responsible for the GRAND SLAM publication since January 1990, and is now also the person responsible for the world sheep publication OVIS. He is the one who conceived the name for the publication, as it seemed to be such a natural name. The magazine is written predominantly in editorial style. This makes it very similar to the GRAND SLAM magazine. This format has been well-received by sheep hunters for many years. OVIS, however, carries several other features. There are always hunt reports, which give an idea of the best places around the world to hunt. Also, there are in-depth articles about individual hunts which are quite entertaining. Another feature that has become common in OVIS is informative articles dealing with special concerns of world sheep hunters. There have been articles about high altitude sickness prevention, packing for a sheep hunt, translation of hunting terms into various languages, and so on. One can look for informative articles such as these in every issue of OVIS.

Ovis, Inc. recognizes people who have accomplished the OVIS WORLD SLAM. To qualify for this special recognition one has to have taken at least 12 different species of the world’s wild mountain sheep. A very attractive recognition certificate, as well as an Ovis World Slam lapel pin, is issued to each person who has accomplished this goal. In each issue of OVIS the people who have completed their Ovis World Slams are recognized. There is an elaborate filing system for each individual. OVIS is published four times per year, bound on the reverse side of GRAND SLAM. Of course, it is published in English since it originates in the United States. Anyone is welcome to join Grand Slam Club/Ovis.

Ovis is on the World Wide Web at URL: http://www.wildsheep.org