Reindeer hunting in Greenland

A hunting campsite in Godthåb's fjord.

Reindeer hunting in Greenland is of great importance to the Kalaallit (Greenland Inuit) and sporting hunters, both residents and tourists. Reindeer (Caribou) are an important source of meat, and harvesting them has always played an important role in the history, culture, and traditions of the Greenland Inuit. Controlled hunting is important for the welfare of reindeer, the quality of life for Inuit, and the preservation of tundra grazing areas. Therefore scientific research is regularly performed to determine the quotas needed to maintain a proper ecological balance. Reindeer hunting is a multifaceted and challenging experience involving potential risks as well as personal rewards.

Background

Large male Reindeer.

Reindeer hunting by humans has a very long history and caribou/wild reindeer "may well be the species of single greatest importance in the entire anthropological literature on hunting."

In Greenland, wild reindeer have been hunted as a source of food, clothing, shelter, and tools by the Inuit - the indigenous peoples that populate the Arctic and colder regions. Methods that they have employed include crossbow, bow and arrow, snares, driving, trapping pits, driving them into lakes and spearing them from kayaks, and now using hunting firearms. The entire reindeer, including fur, skin, antlers, and bones have been used. Their meat, viscera, and even stomach contents, have all been utilized as food, both raw, dried, smoked, and cooked. Today reindeer are primarily hunted by residents and tourists for their meat, but mature animals with large antlers may also be the objects of trophy hunting.

In Greenland more reindeer are harvested than any other big game land mammal species. Reindeer meat is an important staple in most households, and the populace waits with great anticipation for the autumn hunting season to begin. It is an opportunity to stock up the kitchen pantry and freezer with meat for the coming season and to enjoy the adventure of the hunt.

Game harvesting conditions in Greenland can be extreme, and the unpredictable forces of nature can be hazardous to hunters. Greenland is large and long with differing hunting customs and regulations, as well as weather patterns, depending on the region and season. The Greenland wilderness is sensitive and hunters are expected to respect it and "leave nothing but footprints."

Inuit identity: hunting and reindeer

Cultural status of the hunting experience

Hunting has always been an important aspect of the Greenland Inuit culture:

"The Inuit culture is the most pure hunting culture in existence. Having adapted to the extreme living conditions in the High Arctic of the North American continent for at least four thousand years, Inuit are not even hunter-gatherers. Inuit are hunters, pure and simple." (Henriette Rasmussen, Minister in Greenland Home Rule Government)

Even today hunting is important as stated by the Greenland Home Rule Government:

"Hunting is the heart and soul of Greenlandic culture.... Hunting is also very important from a cultural perspective. In a society such as Greenland, which for centuries was based on subsistence hunting (until about fifty years ago), hunting is still of great cultural importance. Irrespective of the fact that most live like wage-earners in a modern industrial society, many Greenlanders identity is still deeply rooted in the hunting."

Reindeer hunting has a special status in the hearts of the populace. Shooting a muskox provides four times as much meat as a reindeer, but "Greenlanders would much rather have caribou or reindeer meat than musk ox meat," says Josefine Nymand. "But the experience is just as important [as the meat]," points out Peter Nielsen, Head of Office at the Ministry of Environment and Nature. "It is simply the most wonderful part of the year. The trips in for the caribou hunt in the beautiful autumn weather have a great social and physical meaning for people's wellbeing. It has many functions."

Inuit welfare and hunting culture

An Inuit family (1917)

The long history of mutual dependence between humans and reindeer necessitates continuing efforts to safeguard their relationship and the welfare of both parties. Reindeer hunting – which is also commonplace in many other parts of the world – is considered so vital to the cultural heritage of certain groups that there is an attempt being made to get it placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The identity of the Inuit is closely tied to their geography, history and their attitudes toward hunting – "For Inuit, ecology, hunting and culture are synonymous." – and their identity as hunters is under attack. Those attacks are "... viewed in the Arctic as a direct assault on culture, identity as well as sustainable use," and Inuit are reacting:

"... for the Inuit, animal rights campaigns are just the latest in a long litany of religious, industry, and government policies imposed by outsiders – policies which ignore Inuit values and realities, and threaten the survival of one of the world's last remaining aboriginal hunting cultures."

Therefore the circumpolar peoples and their organizations are actively engaged in attempts to protect their welfare, identity, interests, and culture, including their hunting culture. The "Kuujjuaq Declaration" addressed perceived attacks on their autonomy and rights, and recommended that the Inuit Circumpolar Conference "undertake a comprehensive study on how best to address global forces, such as the 'animal rights' and other destructive movements that aim to destroy Inuit sustainable use of living resources, and to report back to the next General Assembly on its findings." The International Arctic Science Committee shares these viewpoints and therefore one of its objectives is to study the "sustainable use of living resources of high value to Arctic residents."

Reindeer welfare, sustainability, and quotas

Running Reindeer

Biologists and research scientists are aware of these objectives and they constantly monitor the welfare, living conditions, and health of reindeer, as well as the ecological health of their habitat, and they make recommendations and set quotas designed to ensure that game resources and natural biodiversity are protected, managed, and maintained. Many factors, some of them difficult to measure or predict, are analyzed including natural cycles, parasites, disease, short-term weather conditions (relative harshness of winter or summer), long-term climate changes, and condition of food sources. Hunting is far from the only factor affecting reindeer welfare, but it is one area that can be managed to some degree.

Since reindeer in southwestern Greenland have no naturally occurring non-human predators, harvesting quotas are established to help regulate the number of reindeer in an area and prevent overgrazing and death from starvation. The effort of pawing down (known as "cratering") through the snow to their favorite food (a lichen known as reindeer moss) during the winter can cost them too many calories in expended energy to find enough food to survive, causing them to lose strength and die. Without human intervention, mass starvation of reindeer would be a recurring problem.

Harvesting recommendations are also based on other prognostic factors, among them estimates of reindeer population density and total population in various regions, and availability of adequate food sources. Since these estimates are difficult to make and can vary over time for each region, the recommendations and quotas are constantly adapted to the local needs, sometimes quite radically. Greenland's reindeer population has historically fluctuated widely. For example, it numbered around 100,000 in the early 1970s and then (was believed to have) dropped to 9,000 in 1993. Regulations reflected these mistaken (and hotly debated) estimates and harvesting was suspended from the summer of 1993 until the autumn of 1995, whereupon hunting was once again allowed.

The suspension of hunting in 1993-1995 was hotly debated and "created much public anger." Hunter's local knowledge contradicted the estimates and a survey in 2000-2001 confirmed their claims. Quotas were then radically increased and the hunting season was lengthened: "In an effort to reduce caribou number and density, open harvests were continued in 2003, 2004 and 2005."

In 2005, improved counting methods revealed that the previous estimates had indeed been misleading and that the population density was far too high, with 3-4 caribou per sq km, rather than the preferred 1.2 per sq km. In 2006 the numbers were estimated to be more than 100,000, which was still too many animals. It is feared that the overpopulation can lead to increased mortality of calves, damage to feeding grounds, and to a population crash:

"Independent of climate and genetics, caribou calf mortality increases with high population density and grazing pressure.... [O]ver-abundance of caribou on the range may be a current problem, which may soon become an acute problem. Unfortunately, it is unknown how much longer the present range can continue to support the current caribou numbers. If the herds are allowed to continue status quo or increase further there is a clear risk of lasting damage to ranges. If the ranges are destroyed, caribou stocks can be expected to crash.

Clearly scientists and hunters must continue to work together for the best good of all concerned parties: the reindeer, the hunters, the general populace of Greenland, and the very sensitive and vulnerable range grounds, since Greenland's tundra is more sensitive than elsewhere in the Arctic due to the ever present Greenland ice sheet.

Reindeer

Characteristics

Reindeer (or Caribou) (also called tuttu by the Greenlandic Inuit and rensdyr or rener by Danes) are the only deer species in which both sexes have antlers. Greenland animals can vary considerably in size, with females weighing up to 90 kg (198 lb) and the males 150 kg (331 lb). Other species of reindeer can be larger or smaller. In Greenland both sexes may be hunted. Although they have antlers, they do not normally use them against humans, even when backed into a corner. Their only defense against humans is to pull away or flee, often uphill. Males use their antlers when sparring against each other, and reindeer may use them as a last resort to defend themselves against predators such as wolves (although wolves present no threat in southwestern Greenland).

Tame reindeer are notoriously curious, but even wild reindeer can be curious in some situations. The wild reindeer is a shy animal and it reacts very quickly to sudden sounds or movements as well as the smell of strangers. In spite of this, inexperienced animals may even approach quite closely to a hunter and curiously observe while the hunter is field dressing a downed animal. They have good hearing and a good sense of smell, but have poor eyesight. They may react to a hunter's movements, but not necessarily to his form if he doesn't move. Under the right conditions, a stealthy hunter may be able to approach surprisingly close to a reindeer, even when he is in full sight of the animal. Many animals are shot at relatively close range (10-50 meters).

Three subspecies in Greenland

Three subspecies of reindeer live in western Greenland:

The most common variety of reindeer in Greenland is the native wild Barren-ground Caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus), which is a medium sized race of reindeer and is also found in Canada.

The second type are the feral semi-domestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), brought from Norway in 1952. They are larger and were first introduced at a game reserve in the Kapisillit region of Godthåb's fjord. They were herded by Sami herders, with controlled harvesting and meat preparation in a now-abandoned slaughterhouse at Itinnera. "Later animals from Kapisillit were released at several more locations to establish feral populations, which might support a hunting harvest. There is evidence for genetic mixing of native caribou and feral reindeer at some of the locations where reindeer were released."

A third type of reindeer that may possibly belong to the Peary Caribou subspecies (Rangifer tarandus pearyi), are smaller and fewer in number, and live in northwestern Greenland.

Reindeer hunting

Practical details

Bolt action rifle with scope

Hollow point bullet

Two main types of hunters are involved in harvesting reindeer: licensed commercial hunters and private resident sporting hunters, with tourists, trophy hunters, and research scientists harvesting a few more animals.

Transportation to and from hunting areas is nearly always done by boat. The rest of the transportation is by foot. If the hunting area is far inland, it may involve carrying equipment to a lake, and then transporting it across the lake to a campsite using a smaller type of boat, such as a rowboat, canoe (including collapsible models), or a rubber inflatable boat. Some lakes have boats permanently left (or hidden in the bushes) near the shores, and they are sometimes used by hunters (not necessarily the owners) who frequent the area.

In 2007 the only hunting weapons allowed for reindeer harvesting were bolt action, non-automatic rifles, using .222 Remington caliber cartridges or larger. A good, large rifle scope is important, as shots at longer distances may be necessary, and visibility may be poor because of snowfall, fog, or limited lighting levels. Folding or fixed-blade hunting knives are necessary for many purposes. Binoculars with large objective diameter are used to spot prey at great distances, sometimes in waning light.

Rifles (both bolt action and semi-automatic) of other calibers, shotguns, and other types of weapons may be used for other game such as ptarmigan, Arctic Hares, and arctic foxes.

Regulations and hunting licenses

Fresh reindeer meat

Harvesting is governed by regulations and requires a hunting license indicating the number of animals to be harvested, as well as post-hunting reporting of results (a jawbone with teeth). Such licenses can be obtained by those who have established two years of residency. (Special arrangements are made for tourists and trophy hunters.) Information should be sought and licenses obtained (by application and payment) from the local municipality.

Airplanes, helicopters, and other motorized vehicles (such as snowmobiles), are not allowed to be used for hunting or transport (on land) of animals or hunters. Boats are allowed for transport to and from hunting areas. A lead identification tag must be attached to the carcass until it is sold or used. The meat is owned by the hunter and no extra fees are charged for it.

In 2006 the open season extended from August 10 - September 15. In exceptional cases the dates can be changed, for example periods of bad weather and too much ice, resulting in a lengthening of the season. Winter hunting is an option for those specially licensed as commercial hunters (normally reserved for Inuit residents).

Game preparation and transport

Hunter dragging reindeer

Once downed, a reindeer should be quickly field dressed by removing the viscera. The skin, head, and viscera are often discarded and left for consumption by foxes, ravens, and other birds. The meat should then be kept cool to minimize decomposition and should also be protected from flies by the use of mesh game bags, and any fly eggs (very visible) and maggots should be removed immediately. The cool climate means that the meat can be kept out in the open longer than in warmer climates, therefore a hunting expedition can last several days without a serious loss of meat quality. Once home again, the meat can be hung and aged for a few days before further processing.

Hunter carrying reindeer meat.

Carrying a reindeer over a long distance in rugged mountainous terrain can be difficult and very strenuous. (More than five kilometers each way is not uncommon.) If it is very large, it may only be possible to transport one half at a time. In Greenland reindeer meat is commonly carried over the shoulders, possibly tied to a backpack frame or carried on the back with support from a headband (the method preferred by Inuit). Unskinned game may also be dragged on snow, or allowed to slide down steep, snow-covered hillsides, thus saving a lot of work and freeing the hands for support while climbing downwards.

Hunting methods

There are several methods that can be used (often in combination) for harvesting reindeer:

• Asking is seeking the advice of an experienced reindeer hunter.
• Scouting is a variety of tasks and techniques for finding reindeer to hunt.
  • Glassing is the use of optical instruments (such as binoculars) to locate animals more easily.
• Blind or Stand hunting is waiting where reindeer are likely to travel.
• Camouflage hunting is concealing oneself visually to blend in with the environment, for example using a white anorak in snowy weather.
• Still hunting is the practice of walking stealthily in search of animals.
• Stalking is the practice of walking stealthily in pursuit of identified animals.
• Tracking is interpreting and following physical evidence in the pursuit of animals.
• Drive hunting is flushing reindeer toward other hunters.

Note: Loose dogs and dog driving are not allowed.

Equipment

See: Camping and Firearms for more information.

Large internal-frame backpack

Modern folding knives

Basic camping equipment checklist: ^(*)

• Foundations: boots, rubber boots, snowshoes, cross-country skis, snow sled for transporting gear
• Walls and containers: tent, backpacks (small and large), packframe from an external frame backpack (used to carry meat)
• Bedroom: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, hand warmers
• Kitchen: high calorie food, water, coffee, hot chocolate, mess kit, portable stove, fuel, matches, lighter, knives, stainless steel Thermos vacuum flask, water containers, plastic bags (large and small), mesh game bags
• Clothes closet: layered clothing, raincoat and pants, warm jacket, white anorak in winter, sweater, neck scarf, Helly Hansen one-piece suit, rugged pants, pull-over pants, thermal pants, wool socks, warm shirts, underwear, wide-brimmed hat, small mosquito net (for head)
• Toilet: toilet paper, wet wipes, little trowel
• Furniture, appliances, tools: polished steel mirror, multitool, bungee cords, rope, string
• Housekeeping: soap, insect repellent, lip balm
• Information center: maps (nautical & topographical), small pen-sized flares, Very high frequency (VHF) radio, Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational sender, mobile phone, whistle
• Vision: flashlight, headlamp on headband, sunglasses, ski goggles
• Hospital: medicine, first aid kit, space blankets
• Hunting & fishing gear: big game rifle, shotgun, .22 caliber rifle, cartridges, cleaning set, fishing tackle
• Luxury: candy bars, a good book, Digital audio player

^(*) Note: List should be adapted to personal needs, as well as the type and length of hunt.

(List format inspired by Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker".)

Hunting conditions in Greenland

Main article: Survival skills

File:Greenland waterfall.jpg

Typical terrain

Greenland is quite unusual in many ways, and a reindeer hunt can not only engage a hunter's most primitive hunter/provider instincts, it can also press the hunter's limits in many ways related to survival. A reindeer hunt can be a short afternoon outing without much equipment, or a week-long affair with all the equipment that such an endeavor requires. New hunters may experience a form of "culture shock" the first time they enter the wilderness, and may require mental "acclimatization" when returning to civilization. It may feel like a fleeting period of mental confusion, similar to the sea legs experienced by boaters.

Reindeer harvesting can be done in groups or alone, but being alone can be a risky affair, so safety precautions should be taken. If any members of the hunting party hunt alone, the other members should know approximately where the others are located, and emergency signals (using gunshots, whistles, flares, radios, etc.) to each other should be agreed upon in advance. All should be back in camp before a certain time in the evening, unless specific arrangements have been made.

While reindeer harvesting is usually a pleasant experience and the following problems may never be encountered, it can also be exhausting and hunters should seek to avoid hazards and injuries. Good hygiene and adequate hydration can limit infections, diarrhea, and gastroenteritis. A small first aid kit should be carried when away from the campsite or boat, and preparation should be made for various hazards of outdoor activities. The terrain can be hilly, mountainous, uneven, stony, with hidden crevices or holes. It may also be marshy, muddy, and wet. It may be necessary to cross streams and rivers, and slippery rocks present a hazard. If there is snow and ice, there can be cornices, crevasses, and avalanches, although snow can make it easier to spot and track reindeer.

Blizzard conditions

The weather during the beginning of the autumn hunting season is often pleasant, relatively warm, and mild, but it can change very quickly. Hunters should be prepared for fog, rain, wind, and winter conditions. Occasionally the situation can quickly approach a worst-case scenario, so hunters should also be prepared for things like katabatic winds, storms, snow, hail, sleet, freezing rain, blizzards, and polar cyclones, even in the late summer. Lack of preparation can have fatal consequences. It is important for hunters to remain oriented at all times. They should use a compass and landmarks, but not depend exclusively on landmarks, as they will disappear in bad weather and darkness.

Using a compass in Greenland involves accounting for a very radical magnetic declination. Failure to calculate correctly can send a hunter in the wrong direction, leading to complete loss of bearings. Getting lost in bad weather can waste precious time, forcing the hunter to overnight in very wet, cold, and unpleasant conditions. Hypothermia can further complicate matters and decrease their ability to think clearly, causing them to lose their bearings even more. A fight for survival may then ensue. Deaths are relatively rare, but they do happen.

Even under the best of circumstances, a hunter should not bite off more than they can chew or take any chances, especially if alone. Distances can be very deceiving in the clean Greenlandic air. They must also get back to their campsite with their prey, so they should gauge the distance, the terrain, their own condition, and the weight of the prey with care. What seemed like a short distance when they were fresh and unencumbered in the morning, may turn into an exhausting and protracted nightmare situation on the way back. To avoid knee problems, they should walk downhill by traversing in a zigzag fashion, rather than going directly downhill. Fortunately they can often use existing human or reindeer trails when moving around in the hills. Many potential problems can be avoided or mitigated by using common sense, exercising caution, and using the "buddy system" rather than hunting alone.

The hunting experience

A reindeer hunt in Greenland is a multifaceted experience involving far more than just "reindeer", "hunting", and "Greenland". Knud Rasmussen, Greenlandic polar explorer and anthropologist, has written:

... there is no country in the world where a traveller meets with such a luxuriant variety of experiences as in Greenland.

Aurora Borealis

Greenland is one of the least spoiled and polluted regions of the world. The air and water are fresh, clean, and clear, the wilderness has an immense quality of stillness and peace, and the scenery is often breathtakingly beautiful. At night hunters may enjoy the spectacular Northern lights dancing over the sky.

They can expect to experience many interesting things on a hunt, not the least of which is seeing various types of animals; collecting and eating berries; the physical, mental, and emotional health benefits gained from interacting with nature; exercising acutely sharpened senses while stalking; and the social fellowship among hunting companions.

Typical landscape

The mental attitudes and act of hunting involve the very field craft skills needed for exploiting the many excellent possibilities for wildlife photography, and the small size of many digital cameras makes it easy to combine hunting and photography. Other interests that can be combined with a reindeer hunt are nature photography, hiking, fishing, birdwatching, rockhounding, rock climbing, paragliding, skiing, archaeology, and fossil collecting. Opportunities for hunting Ptarmigan, Arctic hare, Arctic fox, and water fowl may well occur.

They may also encounter a number of mammals and birds such as muskoxen, ravens, Snow Buntings, majestic White-tailed Sea Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Gyrfalcons, Snowy Owls, and Great Cormorants. Several varieties of fresh and saltwater fish may be caught, among them trout, Arctic char, salmon, cod, Rose fish, Seawolf, Sculpin, Greenland halibut, and Halibut. It is very common to use the boating trip to also catch fish.

Various fruits and plants may be eaten or collected, among them crowberries, delicious bilberries (a type of blueberry), mountain cranberries, Alpine Bearberries, angelica, and Juniper berry. Beautiful fields of yellow dandelions and other wildflowers are common, with white cottongrass growing in many moist places, and damp moss often creating large, soft, hummock formations.

Summary

A reindeer hunt in Greenland combines nature, physical exercise, companionship, adventure, survival skills, and instinct into an experience that provides a glimpse into (and starting point for understanding) what is very basic in the Inuit soul and identity – the hunt. Hunting reindeer in Greenland brings this all together, showing that the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

Gallery: What hunters may encounter

• 
  Sermitsiaq, near Nuuk
• 
  View from Ravnefjeldet
• 
  Muskox
• 
  Arctic fox
• 
  Ptarmigans
• 
  Raven
• 
  White-tailed Sea Eagle
• 
  Gyrfalcon
• 
  Arctic Hare
• 
  Bilberries
• 
  Cowberries
• 
  Crowberries
• 
  Common Cottongrass
• 
  Dandelions
• 
  Garden Angelica
• 
  Reindeer moss

See also

• Arctic Council
• Culture of Greenland
• Deer hunting
• International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation
• Inuit Circumpolar Conference
• Nujalik - The goddess of hunting on land.
• Polar Bear hunting
• Tekkeitsertok - The master of caribou.
• Trophy hunting

Notes and references

• Muus, B., F. Salomonsen and C. Vibe, 1990. Grønlands fauna (Fisk, Fugle, Pattedyr). Gyldendalske Boghandel, Nordisk Forlag A/S København, 464 p. (in Danish).
• Dr. Christine Cuyler - Research scientist, reindeer expert, extensive list of publications
• Peoples of the Reindeer. - Michel Bouchard, University of the Arctic

External links

• Hunting, Herding, Fishing, and Gathering: Indigenous Peoples and Renewable Resource Use in the Arctic - Mark Nuttall, et al
• Human Role in Reindeer Systems - Rangifer.net (U. of Alaska, Fairbanks)
• Monitoring program: Rangifer as an indicator of change in the circumpolar arctic - Rangifer.net (U. of Alaska, Fairbanks)
• English articles on reindeer - Greenland Tourism and Business Council website search
• Large, detailed map of Greenland
• Greenland: The Last Great Place - Rudy Brueggemann's Guide To Kalaallit Nunaat
• Dr. Christine Cuyler describes how she equips a reindeer while driving a snowmobile.
• Project Caribou: An educator's guide - Yukon Department of Environment

Images

• Reindeer images - Wikimedia Commons
• Reindeer images - Nature Picture Library
• Reindeer images - Google
• Reindeer hunting images - Google
• Images from a hunt