DEC 7 1926 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1423 



Washington, D. C. 



October, 1926 



PROGRESS OF REINDEER GRAZING INVESTIGATIONS IN ALASKA 



By Lawrence J. rALMiat, Uiolouist in Clniryc of Reindeer Graziny 

 iHrcsHi/dlioiis, Jliirciiii ■)( JUoloi/icfil Survcif 



( O N T E N T S 



(irowtli of the reindeer industry 1 



Herd owners :i 



Kcinileer iis grazius animals 4 



ISri'i'ds ;ind types of reindeer 5 



Sled reindeer Ti 



Type of animal fl 



lirenlvins (> 



Harness 7 



Work ability 7 



Feeding 



I'se of sled reindeer 8 



Iteindeer meal !l 



I'eeding e.\]ierinients 1 9 



Feeding preferences of reindee;'_ 

 Tests with cultivated grains and 



grasses 1(» 



Importanee of lichen forage Id 



I^fl'ect on (luality of meat 11 



Analysis of feeds ] 1 



Nature of grazing use 11 



Size of herds 12 



Herding i:i 



Kound-ups 1", 



Corrals i;; 



Holding i)asture 1-1 



Branding 14 



Nature of the range 15 



Range belts 15 



Rania' types IG 



Page 



Xatuie of the range — Continued. 



Timber range K! 



Range site K! 



Salting IT 



Ri'.nge improvements 17 



Influence of cliniale on reindeer 



grazing 17 



A range factor 17 



A forage factor 18 



Local vari.i t ions 18 



Seasonal variations 19 



Soil conditions in Alaska 19 



A forage factor 19 



Forage cover 20 



I'orage plants grazed by rein- 

 deer 21 



The liclien plant 23 



Reaction of lichens tu grazing 



use : 26 



Range fires 29 



Cai-rying capacity of range 80 



Winter re(|nircnients 30 



Carrying capacity estimates :'>(i 



Management 31 



Range control and regulation-. 31 



Herd management 33 



Summary 34 



GROWTH OF THE REINDEER INDUSTRY 



The reindeer industry in Alaska, thoiifjli still in its infancy, prom- 

 ises with proper guidance to become an important factor in the 

 future development of the Territory (pi. 1 and pi. 2, fi<i:. 1). It is 

 comparatively a recent undertaking, and as a commercial enterprise 

 dates back only a few years. From the original stock of 1,280 ani- 

 mals imported from Siberia over the period of 10 years \\p to 1902, 

 the reindeer in Alaska have increased to about 350,000 head, dis- 

 tributed in 110 herds, all but 0 of which are along the coasts of 

 Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The main grazing at present is 



S71S9°— 2G i 1 



