I hope you all come through this pandemic and are herding again soo. Unlike other reindeer-herding people, the Nenet move massive herds between winter and summer pastures, traversing thousands of kilometres a year across frozen rivers in temperatures as low as -50°C (-58°F). The centre has sent out six teams in 7.5-tonne lorries to go to about 100 events in the build-up to 25 December (Hanshaw has acquired a licence to drive an 18-tonne lorry since working at the centre). I am wearing thermals and salopettes, two pairs of socks and two fleeces under my waterproof coat, and am just about the right temperature. Afterward, the herds are released back into the wild to continue their never-ending search for grub. Her day typically starts at 8am and depending on how the jobs are apportioned, her first task might be to drive up to a vantage point above the deer enclosure to check whether any look unwell. “Reindeer Near End of Four-Year Trek” announced the New York Times on October 7, 1934, “Canada Grooms Alaskan Herd for 70-Mile Lap Over Delta Ice to Mackenzie Basin.” The previous fall had been cheerless, monotonous, and fraught with anxiety for Bahr and his small band of weary herders. There, everyone clusters around to hear her health and safety briefing. It’s lovely to receive such praise and appreciation and pass it on to my colleagues at the Reindeer Centre and Farm. Searching for a “magical experience” among the Tsaatan people leads to a cultural reality check. Adults are too heavy for dongor, so it is usually the children's job to train them. As a result, they are so well insulated they don't really feel the cold until the temperature drops to -30C and snow doesn't even melt if they lie on it. In Finland, reindeer husbandry at the individual level in terms of taxation is not treated as a for-profit-business. Accessible only by horseback, a remote village in Mongolia has stood as the epicenter of reindeer herding for thousands of years. They are more likely to suffer from the summer heat than the winter cold. Kiryak and the other men then strip the deer carcass, peeling the skin off its torso like an unzipped vest. Before the 17th century the Sami were able to live on wild reindeer for clothing and meat. The reindeer herd is central to the Nenet traditional way of life. Miss Aviemore Nearly 3 million domestic reindeer live in northern Europe. According to herders, reindeer do not browse all the leaves but carefully select some; these are assumed to be of highest quality. The reindeer are not great respecters of personal space and may clonk you with their antlers, but that is up to them, she adds. I was cleaning and sorting out some old cycling/running shoes to sell and wondered what/how many shoes does it take to herd a reindeer?! Hill running shoes x50: the joint most important shoe of a reindeer herder! We start leading the reindeer down the mountain to an enclosed trailer. I feel lucky to be healthy and secure when so many are really struggling. Reindeer are gathered in herds for certain purposes in different seasons, as for marking of calves, slaughtering and dividing in winter groups/siidas. They are very considerate to lead; unlike horses, which often tread on your heels and try to get to the nearest patch of grass, they keep a respectful distance and don't pull on their lead ropes. In traditional herding, reindeer were used for food, clothing, trade (reindeer as a form of money), and for labor. Chris: It turned out I had a million and one things that needed doing so I don’t think I’ve ever had the time go by faster ever! The adults wear small, pony-sized headcollars, but the calves' heads are so tiny they have specially made halters. The deer are behind a fence at least 6ft high, in an area of about 1,000 acres separated into large fields, and as soon as we enter the first enclosure they trot over. Heather likes to knit in the evenings – usually scarves and things she can construct while watching TV or talking. Commenting has been disabled at this time but you can still. "Each place is secure and we keep an eye on them," says Hanshaw. It was a spiteful thing to do." Here, Anna Pavlovna Nerkagi, an award-winning Russian author and educator, runs an orphanage and school for the local reindeer herders, which is the indigenous community to which she belongs. Removing the fence is hard work. A day in life of Nenets reindeer herders in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Russia. Today, herders typically move between summer … He's going for the big chop soon. I would definitely buy. They have only just started being handled, and the herders are very quiet with them, crouching down to their level rather than standing over them. The wind is blowing so hard that people are being lifted off their feet and water is being swept out of the loch on the mountain above us into a misty cloud. The word spread, other neighbours wanted to join the ‘meat delivery group’, and friends, family and colleagues I mentioned it to also wanted to join our gang. She has clearly benefited from a lot of hands-on experience before she took up her current full-time role at the Reindeer Centre, and a geography degree enables her to talk to visitors about the surrounding landscape. "This is Shekel," she says. The Tromso Arctic Reindeer experience lets visitors go to a Sami village reindeer farm in order to learn about Sami culture, reindeer, and even help feed the reindeer themselves. No, we don’t have helicopters/drones/quad bikes which I’ve been asked several times on Hill Trips! This menu might seem disrespectful, but Sami people do not hesitate in explaining the importance of the animal in their lives. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod. Addressing the question, ‘‘What’s counted as a reindeer They are also surprisingly small and light in weight, so when one stands on my foot a bit later, it doesn't hurt at all. It is believed that domestication started between the Bronze and Iron Ages. My four ewes have all lambed successfully so that’s cool. The herdsmen use boats to direct herds to offshore islands in summer. Currently, there are approximately 20 reindeer herders and 20,000 reindeer in western Alaska. Do not leave the animal to suffer. Once they are in the enclosure, we have to get them in the shelter, and finally persuade the six that are to be moved to the farm to separate from the rest of the herd. You could sell in the shop or online. Hanshaw lets him lip up grain from her cupped hands, showing the slightly nervous crowd (the reindeer are by now circling with serious intent) that they really don't bite. Besides Sámi, Evenk and Yakut reindeer herders there are also Nenets, Chukchi, Komi, Koryak, Khanty, Mansi, Dolgan, Dukha, Enets, Yukagir, Tozha Tuvans, Tofalar, Selkup, Nganasan, Scottish and Greenlandic herders, Chuvan, Inupiaq Eskimo, Inuvialuit, Uil’ta, Kets, Negidal and Soyot. It is caused by tendons rubbing over bones, and Hanshaw says the noise is believed to enable reindeer to follow each other in snowstorms. Been planting things and painting things. In the summer, the centre does up to three guided visits a day to meet the reindeer, but at this time of year there is just one trip up the mountain at 11am. Well it’s a fairly long list. Enjoyed that catch up, thank you. "Please don't touch the antlers. The reindeer are gradually moved through a series of fences until they’re penned together. This is an added extra: the reindeer mostly find their own food – grass; mushrooms; birch leaves; and their absolute favourite, lichen. The reindeer sometimes range free over the surrounding countryside. They would have a … Each sleigh (on wheels) is pulled by two reindeer, with four following behind – two adults on the outside and two calves between. In winter, herders pitch their tents and set up camp in sheltered valleys ideal for fishing and hunting. Adults ride on hoodai (three-year-old reindeer) or older ones. He is calmer now because the season is at an end, but he is still very much top deer, pushing the females around and working his way along the line of feed piles to see which is best. Reindeer find food in the form of mosses, shrubs, and lichens -- a cross between algae and fungus. They drop weight during this period, and by December are so exhausted their antlers drop off to save energy during the harder winter months. The film explores the eerie isolation … If they are covered in velvet they are very sensitive, and even if they're not, your pushing against them may be regarded by the reindeer as a challenge," she says. So while Fiona and Lotti are working away trying to keep everything ticking over at Reindeer House and Andi and Derek are doing the same at the farm, what are the rest of the staff up to? Few corners of the planet are as remote and unplugged as Russia’s Yamal-Nenets region, where a 10-day excursion with migrating reindeer herders gives adventure-seekers the chance to immerse themselves in a world far removed from the trappings — and distractions — of modern life This was just the start. Nowadays in Scandinavia, it is common for reindeer herders use assistive technologies, such as motorcycles, … Even if the reindeer continues, it is likely that it is hurt. And today, I think, reindeer herding is many things. So how do you train to be a reindeer herder? Ciao! "They lose their fur - they're sick" Apparently, some people believe that a reindeer who is losing its fur … Other than that I’ve been in my garden as much as possible, and have finally started work on a rockery and a pond that’s been in the pipeline for years. When the communist took over, the Nenets’s herds were collectivised, and their children sent to city boarding schools where they were taught in Russian rather than their indigenous language. There were some groups that led completely nomadic lives following the reindeer year-round, but present day herders live a more sedentary life. Alternatively, she might carry a sack of cow and sheep cereal mixed with "dark grains" – the non-alcoholic solids left over from the whisky making process – up to the deer for their first feed of the day. Inform your insurance company if there have been damages to persons or car. Many customers have expressed they are finding it so superior and delicious compared to other meat they have tasted. The killing is done by knife or gun. Reindeer herding has existed among the Sami for over 1,000 years. It takes a while and is just like a Benny Hill sketch; all you need is the music. I'm not too keen on having to go out and feed the reindeer when it's wet and cold.". The reindeer herders will work constantly during this time, day and night, as their herds are dispersed over a very large land area. Readers may be crossing their legs and feeling considerable sympathy towards him but, Hanshaw says, "It's quite a nice life. "Before that I never thought I'd work with kids, but I did a lot of environmental education with them and really enjoyed it," she says. Although Christmas is busy, the autumn is even more exhausting for the five bull reindeer, who are left to breed. First we move two male reindeer – one of whom has a sore foot – from a small enclosure which has a shelter. They are important to traditional herders such as the Sami (Lapps) of Scandinavia and Russia, who exploit them as pack and draft animals and for meat, milk, and hides; the antlers are carved into tools and totems. September and October is the rutting season, and although the bulls aren't allowed to fight each other (they are keep separate in large fenced areas), they are constantly running around checking their harem to see whether the cows are ready to breed. Back to Yorkshire two years ago, family etc. But working at the Aigas Field Centre, an environmental and wildlife holiday centre just outside Inverness, also developed her ability to talk to and lead groups of children. The Cairngorm reindeer were brought to Scotland in 1952 by a Swedish Sami man, Mikel Utsi, and Hanshaw has worked here on and off for 11 years, starting with a Saturday job when she was 16. I signed up to be a Kindness Volunteer for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland so I’ve gone through a online training with them, helped out delivering  the odd parcel in the community and done a lot of weeding at my  mum’s… can’t wait to tackle the jungle at my own house when this is all over!! Reindeers tend to hang around in the same area all their lives, and usually only go as far as 60km. For people to be able to get ethical, locally sourced meat; to get to know more of my neighbours; to help some of my elderly neighbours who aren’t able to go to the shops and are having supplies delivered to them; to deliver to friends who work for the NHS; it brings a wonderful sense of community when everyone pulls together in times like these. They live off reindeer herding … Just look around you! At the end of July, for example, Sami herders bring their reindeer together in mountainous areas to be tagged, so they can be tracked and recognised later on. he wind is blowing so hard that people are being lifted off their feet and water is being swept out of the loch on the mountain above us into a misty cloud. Christmas is obviously a busy time of year for reindeer and herders. Rather a few years ago, at age 30, I woke up one morning and the family genetics had suddenly kicked in – must grow plants NOW! The Nenets are an indigenous nomadic people of Arctic Russia. Nicky: A different side of the Reindeer Centre Business is selling meat from our Glenlivet hill farm,  where we have free-range cattle, soay sheep and wild boar. It was a spiteful thing to do.". "It was a real shame because he was really friendly," says Hanshaw. The herders from various samebys s (reindeer collectives) come together to separate their reindeer. Work/life balance "Because we all work and live together, it's a way of life, not a job. Wear wellies. She lives at the Reindeer Centre at Glenmore – a slightly ramshackle building which includes a shop stocking nothing but reindeer-related goods. Reindeer on the farm are neither hostile nor affectionate; if you have food in your hand, they come to you, and the second they realize the food is gone, you are invisible to them. Light, comfy, grippy and worn almost every day outside of winter for running around the hills chasing reindeer and fixing fences/boardwalking. Missing all the reindeer herders too and missing meeting all our wonderful visitors. By contrast, Heather Hanshaw, a herder with the Cairngorm reindeer herd near Aviemore, is wearing a fleece and jeans. We moved As they are fattening the reindeer for a year-end slaughter outside Esso and the company-managed sale that follows, the herders themselves have to eat. Move the carcass to the side of the road and mark it clearly. Christmas is obviously a busy time of year for reindeer and herders. As lockdown kicked in and with meat scarce in the local shops, I received a message on our Reindeer Herders Whatsapp group asking if any of us would like any meat dropped off from our farm and I came up with the idea of offering an ordering and delivery service out to my neighbours and friends. So also it is to learn children and take care of the language – that kind of stuff could be a part of reindeer herding’’ (Woman, age 18–34). Each team does about two weeks' work, and stays overnight at deer-friendly farms with fields. I look after a small Croft. Reindeer herding in Alaska has been a cultural and traditional mainstay in many western villages. They are perfectly adapted for cold weather, she says, with hollow hairs to increase the thermal efficiency of their coats, and they even have fur on the bottom of their feet. Therefore, reindeer keep old forests “ clean ”. We are in with the Christmas reindeer – the gelded males used for pulling sledges at parades and shopping centres around the UK in the run-up to Christmas. As you probably know, many of the reindeer herders are furloughed just now as the Centre is obviously closed to the public. They regularly ride on zari (castrated males). All of these reindeers are semi-wild; they’re owned by someone but they are free to roam wherever they want. Dave: So what have I been up to ? It looks like the feeling is mutual, as the reindeer stands placidly waiting to be fed. Some of you might know that when I’m not a reindeer herder I am an artist… so all this time I must have been busy painting yeah?… Well yes – my mum’s garden fence!! There are no wolves or bears, they are fed up to three times a day. Her only concession to the weather is deer feed: Hanshaw is tiny – about 5ft 5in and 8st – and although she has only just had physiotherapy for a bad back, she is carrying a hefty bag of grain which is acting as ballast to keep her on the ground. Where reindeer roam: Life among Mongolia’s nomadic herders. Then reindeer herders tag all the calves, determine their mothers—and therefore their owners—and then mark the calves’ ears with the owners’ marks. Siberian reindeer owners also use the reindeer to ride on (Siberian reindeer are larger than their Scandinavian relatives). Our Tundra Wonder Mums feature documentary explains how they run their households in such harsh climates, what traditions they uphold and what difficulties they face. Light, comfy, grippy and worn almost every day outside of winter for running around the hills chasing reindeer and fixing fences/boardwalking. No wonder Santa Claus thinks they're magic. In fact their noses are velvety, with fur extending into their nostrils, and their coats luscious and dense (2,000 hairs per square centimetre, according to Hanshaw). I even grew strawberries on the feed shed roof for a couple of years, prompting some strange looks from visitors in the Paddocks on a regular basis, looking over to see me climbing up the side of the building carrying a watering can! The reindeer then follow their instincts and make their way up the mountain – a route that can often lead them close to farming areas. If they are gelded they don't even have to worry about all that rutting and women.". Otherwise they are very safe animals: they have no upper teeth at the front of their mouths, so can't bite, and they don't kick. ", Best thing "Getting paid to walk in the Cairngorm mountains. Last modified on Fri 17 Dec 2010 11.37 GMT. Down here it is more sheltered, and you can here the strange clicking noise – a bit like when people crack their wrists or ankles to release pressure – that reindeer legs make. Visitors buy their tickets then wait outside in their cars: Hanshaw is leading today's visit, and after jumping in the centre's van, she beeps the horn and drives off slowly – Pied Piper-like – with about 12 cars following behind to a car park opposite the entrance to the path up the mountain. When temperatures drop below -34° C during severe tundra winters, the reindeer herders move from one location to another searching for new lichen pastures. Hours 8am to 5pm, five days a week. For these reindeer herders, selling the reindeers’ meat and skin is … "He's my favourite." “Reindeer” is to “caribou,” as “donkey” is to “ass.” They are … We start leading the reindeer down the mountain to an enclosed trailer.
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