BEINDEER IN" ALASKA. 39 



Construction of cabins. — Reindeer herding deals with large acre- 

 ages, a country of sparse settlement and poor transportation facilities, 

 and traveling over the range on foot, usually under adverse condi- 

 tions. Consequently there is great need for the erection of shelters 

 or cabins for the herders here and there on the range (see PL XIV, 

 Fig. 2). At least three main cabins are needed on the average allot' 

 ment — one headquarters cabin on the summer range, one head- 

 quarters cabin on the winter range, and one cabin on the fawning 

 grounds. In addition to these, and depending upon the size and 

 character of the allotment, the construction of several subsidiary 

 cabins or shelters at strategic points over the range will facilitate the 

 work of moving herds about the range and handling them with less 

 confinement and disturbance. In some instances, tents may suffice, 

 but a permanent shelter is preferable, since this will be more com- 

 fortable and permit the storage of necessary supplies at favorable 

 periods in the year and save much labor where transportation is 

 difficult. 



The construction of necessary cabins is not difficult in timbered 

 sections of the country; but where there is no timber, as over the 

 major portion of Seward Peninsula and along the Arctic coast, the 

 problems of material for cabins, of available fuel, and of transporta- 

 tion are serious, especially so on treeless winter ranges. Material is 

 readily available for the summer on the coast of Bering Sea in the 

 form of beach driftwood and of lumber brought in in a few instances 

 by boat for building purposes, while driftwood, willows, and natural 

 lignite serve for fuel. 



Much of the fuel and building material for cabins on the winter 

 ranges of the Seward Peninsula must be transported into the hills 

 from the coast. In some cases this will prove difficult, and in a num- 

 ber of instances it is this very difficulty of building a new winter 

 headquarters that is holding the herd on old and fed-out ground 

 when it should move on to new range. However, while transportation 

 of material to desirable winter-range sites on the Seward Peninsula 

 or elsewhere may not be attempted under present conditions, it un- 

 doubtedly will be in the future through large holdings under indi- 

 vidual or cooperative management. 



GRADING UP THE STOCK. 



It is apparent that little or no thought has been given in Alaska 

 to the proper breeding of reindeer. Exchange of blood between herds 

 has been more a matter of accident than design. It is especially 

 important that more attention be paid to the selection of herd bucks. 

 At present there are too many undesirable small bucks doing service, 

 and in too many cases the larger animals, which should be heading 

 the herds, are castrated and later killed to supply the meat demand. 



I 



