Answers to your questions

We've received many stimulating questions about caribou and caribou management over the years and, as a result, have posted answers to some of those questions here.

Most recent questions and answers are posted below. Past questions are archived chronologically by year and are listed at the bottom of this page. If you're looking for something specific, you might want to try using the search engine.

If you have a question for us, we'd love to hear it! Please send questions via our online form in the Contact us section.

2009

• Life cycle of reindeer/caribou
• Qamanirjuaq survey results?
• “Please forward to all that care about their children”

2008

• Edmontonian asks where to buy caribou meat
• Purchasing caribou meat for restaurant
• Buying velvet antlers
• Peary caribou
• Enquiring minds want to know . . .

Archives

• Answers to your questions, 2007
• Answers to your questions, 2006
• Answers to your questions, 2005
• Answers to your questions, 2004
• Answers to your questions, 2003
• Answers to your questions, 2002
• Answers to your questions, 2001
• Answers to your questions, 2000
• Answers to your questions, 1999
• Answers to your questions, 1998

Life cycle of reindeer/caribou

April 5, 2009

Q. My nine year old daughter has to do a project on wild reindeer/caribou. She needs to know what the normal life span is for a reindeer. How long does a wild reindeer live? She also needs to know how long it takes for an animal to become fully grown. She knows that the calves grow quickly so they can keep up with the herd, but at what age are they considered grown?

Also, do you have any idea what the wild reindeer population is globally? We know there are about a million in Alaska, but do you know the populations across the world? Most reference materials site mix in domestic populations.

Thank you,

L. G.

A. We can only speak to barren-ground herds of caribou. There are some small populations of reindeer in Canada (for example, in Inuvik, NWT) but they are few and far between. You’re right in that the terms “caribou” and “reindeer” are often used interchangeably, with “reindeer” the term commonly used in Europe and “caribou” the term used in North America. But the few populations of reindeer in Canada are treated as distinct populations.

Here’s what the book People and Caribou in the Northwest Territories (Ed Hall, Editor; Department of Renewable Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, 1989) says about reindeer:

“Reindeer and caribou belong to the same species, which is believed to have originated in Alaska or northeastern Asia. The species dispersed throughout the arctic regions of the world and developed minor differences. Animals in northern Europe and Asia became known as reindeer and have been domesticated for centuries. Reindeer were introduced by man to North America during the period 1891-1902 when 1,280 were brought from Siberia to Alaska.”

All barren-ground caribou are wild animals. They are not kept domestically like some populations of reindeer. Reindeer farms are more common in the Scandinavian countries of Europe.

Be sure to check out the FAQ section on our website if you questions other than the ones you posed in your e-mail.

Here’s an overview of caribou from the Canadian Wildlife Service.

In answer to your questions:

1. How long does a barren-ground caribou live? Females live as long as 16 years and males about 13 years.

2. How long does it take a calf to become fully grown? Depending on nutrition, between 11/2 and 2 years.

3. What is the global population of caribou/reindeer? We don't know. Herd populations are cycular. We recommend you check the website of CARMA, an international caribou/reindeer monitoring organization. They provide individual herd details.

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Qamanirjuaq survey results?

March 10, 2009

Q. I am wondering if you could please let me know the current estimated size of the Qamanirjuaq caribou herd, based on the most recent survey. I have seen the figures from 1994 estimating the herd size at roughly 500,000, but I understand from more recent news reports that the barren ground caribou herds have sharply declined in number. I'd appreciate a quick response, if possible. Thanks very much.

Best Regards,

L. A.
Minnesota

A. The results of the June 2008 calving ground population survey of the Qamanirjuaq herd haven't been released by the Government of Nunavut yet. However, the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB) has been advised that results will show that the herd is somewhat smaller than in 1994 when it was estimated at roughly 496,000, but that there are still lots of animals in the herd. Once the Qamanirjuaq survey results have been announced, we'll carry a story in our Caribou News in Brief newsletter. If you subscribe to our e-mail announcements, you'll automatically be notified when issues are posted online. You can sign up to receive e-mail announcements here.

Perhaps you are thinking of the Beverly herd, which is the other herd that the BQCMB helps to manage by providing governments with management advice.

That herd, which was estimated at about 276,000 in 1994, is in serious decline. Systematic reconnaissance surveys done in June 2007 and June 2008 by the Government of the Northwest Territories found that the numbers of adult female caribou (cows) seen on the Beverly calving ground had dropped from 5,737 in 1994 to 93 in 2008, and that very few calves were seen during the 2008 survey – only 15 calves for every 100 cows. The BQCMB issued a press release and backgrounder on this in late November 2008. You can download the press release and backgrounder here.

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“Please forward to all that care about their children”

February 4, 2009

Q. (The following message was submitted to the BQCMB for distribution.) Please have some common sense and stop this toxic (uranium) development before it ever starts...this planet needs clean renewable energy and the more you destroy all our environments with a toxic industry like this the more you kill our cultural heritage and its toxic impacts continue for tens of thousands of years.

Nuclear power must be stopped all over the planet and the mines are just one step to stopping it.

The Elders already have, in many communities across the north, given us the following declaration which at the very least acts as a guideline....I only hope the people of the north can encourage all of the importance of looking for other ways by setting a clean standard of quality life for generations....not the toxic give away $ to line multinational pockets and leave us with the wastes for generations to be sick.

“Water is a sacred gift, an essential element that sustains and connects all life. It is not a commodity to be bought or sold. All people share an obligation to cooperate to ensure that water in all of its forms is protected and conserved with regard to the needs of all living things today and for future generations tomorrow.”

- (Keepers of the Water Declaration, Sept. 7, 2006)

Uranium Mining: Nuclear power's dirty secret is a 4 page summary of the (uranium) poison killing the Saskatchewan people and their food sources, including Caribou. Please forward to all that care about their children.

Do not listen to the lies of industry...this is a dirty and destructive industry for all.

A. L.

A. Thanks for this message. I'll send it to all Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB) members as well, so that they're aware of the Pembina Institute publication you refer to. I'll also post it on the BQCMB website's Discussion Forum so that visitors to our website may view it.

There is extensive uranium exploration going on in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut--where all of the Qamanirjuaq calving ground is situated and most of the Beverly calving ground--and in NWT, where the remainder of the Beverly calving ground is located. (Uranium mining has gone on for decades in northern Saskatchewan, on the winter range of the Beverly herd, and the current uranium boom is evident there as well.) Take a look at the map of mineral tenures on the Beverly calving ground posted on our website. The majority of those companies are exploring for uranium on the Beverly calving ground. In Nunavut, you should send comments to Leslie Payette of the Nunavut Impact Review Board.

Leslie Payette
Mgr. Environmental Administration
E-mail: lpayette@nirb.ca
Web site: www.nirb.ca

You could send messages to Nunavut’s Minister of Environment, Dan Shewchuk, as well as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Baker Lake, Moses Aupaluktuq. You could also register your concerns with Premier Eva Aariak.

The Hon. Dan Shewchuk
Minister of Environment
Government of Nunavut

Constituency Office:
Arviat, NU X0C 0E0
Phone: (867) 857-4485
Fax: (867) 857-4486

Legislative Office:
P.O. Box 1200
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
Phone: (867) 975-5024
Fax: (867) 975-5095

Moses Aupaluktuq
MLA for Baker Lake
Government of Nunavut

Constituency Office:
Baker Lake, NU X0C 0A0
Phone: (867) 793-4949
Fax: (867) 793-4950

Legislative Office:
P.O. Box 1200
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
Phone: (867) 975-5030
Fax: (867) 975-5108

The Hon. Eva Aariak
Premier of Nunavut

Constituency Office:
P.O. Box 1150
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
Phone: (867) 979-0410
Fax: (867) 979-0415

Legislative Office:
P.O. Box 1200
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
Phone: (867) 975-5050
Fax: (867) 975-5051

Since most land in Nunavut is Crown land in right of the federal government, you may also want to send your comments to the federal Member of Parliament for Nunavut, Leona Aglukkaq, as well as Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Chuck Strahl.

The Hon. Leona Aglukkaq
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-2848
Fax: (613) 996-9764
E-mail: Aglukkaq.L@parl.gc.ca

The Hon. Chuck Strahl
Minister, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 992-2940
Fax: (613) 944-9376
E-mail: strahl.c@parl.gc.ca

With regards to uranium development on calving or post-calving grounds in the Northwest Territories, you could send your message to the Mackenzie Environmental Impact Review Board (MVEIRB), since part of the Beverly herd's range (including part of its calving ground) is in the Northwest Territories. Here is the web site address for MVEIRB: www.mveirb.nt.ca. Another suggestion was that you may wish to send your message to your local MLA. Thanks again for your strong support and interest.

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Edmontonian asks where to buy caribou meat

December 15, 2008

Q. Where can I by caribou /and or / moose meat in edmonton, Alberta?

E. J.

A. We don't have any information about where to buy moose meat but for caribou meat, have you contacted local butcher shops in Edmonton to see if they carry caribou meat? Being so close to the Territories, surely some of them would. If not, you could order caribou meat products from Kivalliq Arctic Foods Inc., Kitikmeot Foods, Iqaluit Enterprises and Nunavik Arctic Foods Inc. (see their contact information here).

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Purchasing caribou meat for restaurant

November 7, 2008

Q. I am looking to purchase some caribou meat for my restaurant could you provide some locations to do so thank you

W. N.

A. Kivalliq Arctic Foods Inc., Kitikmeot Foods, Iqaluit Enterprises and Nunavik Arctic Foods Inc. are commercial meat processing plants in northern Canada that sell caribou meat (see their contact information here). They should be able to help you.

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Buying velvet antlers

June 30, 2008

Q. I was wondering if there's a way I could purchase caribou or reindeer velvet antlers (horns from these animals)

I am actually helping my dad with his business and what he does is he deals whole-sale level elk antlers in Calgary, Alberta.

He was looking to expand his business to offer caribou and reindeer antlers and it would be greatly appreciated if you could provide any information regarding buying these products.

A. R.

A. For caribou antlers, you could contact one of the commercial meat processing plants in northern Canada to see if they would sell surplus antlers.

Kivalliq Arctic Foods Inc.
P.O. Box 329
Rankin Inlet, NU X0C 0G0
Tel: (867) 645-3137
Fax: (867) 645-3467
E-mail: tundra@qiniq.com
Web site: www.ndcorp.nu.ca/ndc/en/subs_meatandfish/kivalliq/

Kitikmeot Foods
P.O. Box 2268
Cambridge Bay, NU X0B 0C0
Tel: (867) 983-2881
Fax: (867) 983-2801
E-mail: kitikmeot@qiniq.com
Web site: www.ndcorp.nu.ca/ndc/en/subs_meatandfish/kitikmeot/

Iqaluit Enterprises
Building 158-A
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
Tel: (867) 979-4458
Fax: (867) 979-0214
E-mail: jcurrie@nunanet.com

Nunavik Arctic Foods Inc.
Web site: www.makivik.org/eng/subsidiary-companies/wo_nunavik.asp

The population of reindeer is very limited in Canada. One of the few reindeer herders is:

Lloyd Binder
Kunnek Resource Development Corporation
Inuvik, Northwest Territories
E-mail: kunnek@permafrost.com

You could try contacting Lloyd.

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Peary caribou

May 22, 2008

Q. My son is doing a project on the peary caribou for grade 10 science. I see that there is some information on the adaptations they have made. He is being asked to list the structural, behavioral, and psychological adaptations that they have made. Do you have more information on these three adaptations, particularly the psychological? We have found a definition of psychological adaptation, but no direct examples in any literature. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and he will credit the site in his project. Thanks again for your consideration,

J. S.

A. The Peary caribou is not one of the herds that our Board helps to manage, but I can point you towards some information and possible contacts.

1. An excellent book called People and Caribou in the Northwest Territories, published by the Government of the Northwest Territories in 1989, has a chapter on Peary caribou and two pages of references for further reading about the Peary caribou. The problem, though, is that the information is dated.

2. Contacts: The experts on the Peary caribou are biologists Frank Miller, formerly with the Canadian Wildlife Service, and Anne Gunn, formerly with the GWNT. They've both now retired. Mike Ferguson was the biologist in Nunavut who did work on the Peary caribou after NWT split into two territories in 1999 and the Peary caribou found themselves in the new jurisdiction of Nunavut.

3. You may be able to research an online database of scientific journals through your city's public library system.

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Enquiring minds want to know . . .

May 20, 2008

Q. Q. I’m doing a research project and was really hoping you could help me by answering a few questions about caribou.

1. Why do females have antlers? Do the antlers help them in anyway?
2. How are calves able to stand shortly after birth?
3. How do caribou sleep? (Close to each other, far away, how long, where, etc.)
4.What is the MAIN reason the caribou population is declining?
5. Do all caribou migrate?
6. Is it hard for caribou to live in snow?
7. Do caribou really get irritated by flies and other bugs?

J.J.

A. Here are some answers to your questions. For more information, read our FAQ section . You’ll also find lots of good information at the Hinterland Who’s Who site, courtesy of the Canadian Wildlife Service.

1. Why do females have antlers? Do the antlers help them in anyway?

The following information comes from the book, People and Caribou in the Northwest Territories, published by the Department of Renewable Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, 1989, Yellowknife. Pages 68-69.

“Antler development is three to six months out of phase between the sexes. For example, in barren-ground caribou the male’s antlers begin developing in March, grow rapidly from May to July, and are completely hardened and out of velvet by mid-September. Following the rut, antlers are shed in early November by older males but may be kept until April by some of the younger ones. Female antlers develop from June to September and are out of velvet by late September. The antlers are retained throughout the winter, and are used to defend feeding craters in the snow from the larger but antlerless males. This provides a survival advantage not only for the female but also for her calf who shares such craters. Pregnant females drop their antlers within days of calving. Barren cows shed their antlers before the spring.”

2. How are calves able to stand shortly after birth?

Caribou are well developed at birth and are able to travel within a few hours.

3. How do caribou sleep? (Close to each other, far away, how long, where, etc.)

Caribou often rest during the middle of the day. While caribou may feed among the trees in forested parts of their ranges, they still move out into open spaces, like onto frozen lakes, rivers, meadows or bare ridges, to rest. Moving into the open is a strategy against wolves. The caribou’s only defence is to run away so they want to be able to see the predator coming in order to escape. They lie in compact groups, facing in all directions.

4. What is the MAIN reason the caribou population is declining?

If you’re referring to the Beverly herd, the answer is unknown. The reason is likely the combined effects of a number of factors: climate change; forest fires burning down tracts of land and limiting the amount of food (like lichens) available to caribou on their range; the increasing level of human activities on the caribou ranges, such as mining and other industrial development. At the same time, the populations of northern communities are growing, which adds to increased hunting pressures.

5. Do all caribou migrate?

Yes. However, the size of their ranges varies, from small to enormous.

6. Is it hard for caribou to live in snow?

Source: People and Caribou in the Northwest Territories. Published by the Department of Renewable Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, 1989, Yellowknife. Page 68.

“Caribou have typically slender “deer-type” legs with a special arrangement of veins and arteries that reduces the amount of heat lost by blood travelling to the extremities. The feet however are not deer-like, but much broader and more flexible to facilitate walking on snow and ice. In particular, the middle toes bend up so the outside toes or “dew claws” can also carry weight on the snow. The hooves, as well, are large and crescent-shaped surrounding fleshy pads that shrink during winter and become covered with tufts of hair growing out between the toes. Thus in winter caribou walk on an insulative cushion of hair while gripping ice and hard snow with the protruding rims of their hooves. As for feeding in deep snow, such broad concave feet are ideal both for breaking through the crust and digging down to vegetation.”

Source: People and Caribou in the Northwest Territories. Published by the Department of Renewable Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, 1989, Yellowknife. Page 75.

“In winter caribou must use their strong sense of smell to locate forage hidden beneath the snow. They can do this through snow depths of 15-18 cm and even deeper where shrubs protruding from the snowpack have formed air vents. To reach the vegetation underneath, caribou push soft and shallow snow with their noses, and dig craters with their sharp hooves as the depth and hardness increase. This is called ‘cratering.’”

7. Do caribou really get irritated by flies and other bugs?

Source: People and Caribou in the Northwest Territories. Published by the Department of Renewable Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, 1989, Yellowknife. Page 70.

“Mosquitoes, blackflies and bulldog flies plague the mainland herds in summer, reducing their feeding time by forcing them either to keep on the move or to seek refuge on snow patches. Extreme fly harassment may cause caribou to dash wildly back and forth across the tundra with such recklessness that sometimes animals are badly injured and occasionally die.

Other flies, like the warble and nostril flies, parasitize caribou throughout the winter. During summer, warble flies lay eggs in caribou hair and the larvae which hatch in about a week penetrate the hide and migrate to the animal’s back. There they cut breathing holes through the skin and continue developing all winter in fibrous sacs beneath the hide. In spring they exit through the breathing hole and drop to the ground where they pupate and a month later emerge as flies. Small oval scars on the hide show where the exit holes have healed over.

Nostril flies deposit larvae in the nostrils of caribou and these maggots crawl through the nasal passage until they reach the entrance to the throat where they remain all winter. In May, the fully grown larvae are coughed onto the ground where they spend two weeks to a month as pupae before emerging as flies. As many as 156 nostril fly larvae have been found in one caribou. In such concentrations they make breathing difficult for the caribou, especially when it has to run hard.”

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