Caribou Hunts

For thousands of years, humans relied on Caribou hunts as an important source of meat and hides. It’s one of the game species with the greatest importance in history of the humankind. Humans have been the main predators for the Caribou (or wild reindeer) since the Mesolithic period. Many northern peoples have preserved the traditions of hunting these animals from the ice age. Many techniques and methods were invented to kill the Caribou: making trapping pits, catching in snares and deadfalls, stalking with the bow, building guiding fences and bow rests, massive hunts from canoes and kayaks when the Caribou crossed a river.

Today, Caribou hunts have lost their importance in many places, though some tribes in Greenland, Siberia, and North America still rely on the Caribou. For them, these animals are a source of food, clothing, tools, and shelter. Northern tribes residing in Arctic and Subarctic regions (Nenets, Saami, Khants, Yukaghirs, Evenks, Chukchi, Inuits, and Koryaks) raise and herd Caribou for many purposes – for meat, milk, transportation and some religious purposes. Caribou antlers are known as a strong aphrodisiac. These animals are not fully domesticated; they graze freely and migrate together with people. In Alaska, for instance, Native peoples use Caribou sleigh to deliver mail. Present-day Caribou herders use online maps and telemetry to track their herds.

Since large and agile animals like Caribou have no natural predators, Caribou hunts is but the only way to control its population. Overpopulation of these animals in some area can lead to overgrazing and mass death of the Caribou and other species from starvation.

In America, Caribou hunting is a popular sport. Many people gather in places where these animals are abundant during the hunting season. In Canada, for instance, the Caribou is one of the popular game species. During Caribou hunting, hunters have to walk over large areas of open country. Even those who are not lucky to see a Caribou herd, will enjoy the beauty of the barren ground. To hunt these animals, non-residents need a license available through professional outfitters. The number of licenses is usually limited. The success rate for Caribou hunts is about 90 percent.