UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



m BULLETIN No. 1089 W 



Washington, D. C. 



September 22, 1922 



REINDEER IN ALASKA. 



By Seymour Hadwen, Chief Veterinarian and Parasitologist, and Lawrence J. 

 Palmer, In Charge of Grazing Investigations, Bureau of Biological Survey. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introductory (By E. W. Nelson) 



Biology of reindeer 



l5escription 



Disposition 



Teelh 



Shedding horns 



Growth of horns 



Shedding the velvet 



Shedding hair 



Alaskan and Norwegian rein- 

 deer compared 



Eeindeer as range stock 



Ownership of herds 



Increase of herds 



Utilization of reindeer 



Slaughtering and handling 



meat 



By-products 



Tanning 



Reindeer milk 



Grazing and range management 



Available grazing area 



Eange suitable for reindeer 



Forage cover 



Forage grazed -. 



Grazing periods and climate 



Range management 



Carrying capacity 



Grazing units 



Overgrazing 



Deferred and rotation grazing 



Regulations and range control-. 



Herd management 



Supervision of herds 



Community herds 



Size of herds 



Distribution and control within 



unit 



Grading up the stock 



9 

 10 

 10 

 11 

 12 



12 



17 

 18 

 18 

 19 

 19 

 20 

 22 

 25 

 27 

 28 

 29 

 29 

 30 

 32 

 33 

 33 

 34 

 35 

 35 



36 

 39 



Page. 



Handling the herds 40 



Round-ups 40 



Corrals 41 



Method of roping 44 



Ear-marking i 45 



Branding 46 



Dehorning 47 



Castration 47 



Pawning 48 



Feeding experiments 49 



Breaking sled reindeer 50 



Packing and riding 51 



Predatory animal enemies 52 



Injuries and diseases 52 



Accidents 53 



Broken horns 53 



Broken bones 54 



Long hooif 54 



Foot rot 54 



Dermatitis and abscesses 55 



Eve troubles 58 



Warts 56 



Rheumatism 56 



Rickets 57 



Parasites 57 



Tapeworms 57 



Lungworms 59 



Roundworms 60 



Prevention, and treatment of 



worms 60 



Warble flies 61 



Nostril flies 64 



Screw worms 66 



Mosquitoes 67 



Lice 67 



Protozoa 68 



Pathological conditions in general 68 



Summary 69 



Check-list of Alaskan range plants 70 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Reindeer grazing is an industry of the arctic and subarctic regions. 

 In northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Siberia it dates 

 far back in history and is of considerable economic importance.^' ^ 



^ Laufer, Berthold, The reindeer and its domestication : Mem. Amer. Anthr. Ass'n., vol. 

 4, no. 2, pp. 91-147, April-June, 1917. 



^ Hatt, Gudmund, Notes on reindeer nomadism : Mem. Amer. Anthr. Ass'n., vol. 6, no. 

 2, pp. 75-133, April-June, 1919. ' 



Note. — This bulletin presents the results of the first detailed studies of reindeer graz- 

 ing, range and herd management, forage plants, and of diseases and parasites, with 

 methods for their control. For distribution to those interested in improving the herds 

 and developing the reindeer industry as one of the major resources of Alaska. 

 105932°— 22 1 



