Reindeer farms in Finland. That's what you are, reindeer! Reindeer farm in Nuuksio National Park, Finland
It is believed that Finnish Lapland begins to the north after the city of Kemi, and the capital of Lapland is Rovaniemi - this is where old Santa sits with his horde of gnomes. But if you look at the map of Finland, there is a huge space north of Rovaniemi. What's there? The Kingdom of Ice and the Night's Watch as in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga? IN winter time years is definitely something similar.
In winter, the sun practically does not rise above the horizon here, that is, it is equally dark almost all day and night, both day and night, and the level of snow is, literally, above your head.
But in the summer the sun does not set below the horizon, so at night it is just as light as during the day, which, out of habit, confuses the consciousness, which finally loses time references. Not only does it become absolutely impossible to sleep, it is also not clear how much time has passed since you laid your head on the pillow. And it’s absolutely amazing to wake up at three in the morning and take photos without a tripod or flash! 
Most of Lapland lies north of the Arctic Circle. This is the land of the Sami - a people different from the Finns and having their own Sami language. According to one version, the Sami came to these lands about 8 thousand years ago - even before the great pyramids of Egypt were built. For thousands of years, people here have learned to adapt and survive in the harsh conditions of the north: long nights and merciless cold.
Now Lapland is popular place for tourism. In winter it is ski holiday, northern lights, husky dogs and reindeer; in summer - all kinds of camping, fishing, cloudberries, crystal lakes and wonderful forests. There is always an atmosphere of calm and clear unity with the planet.
I like to go to a house on the lake, from where the nearest settlement, Inari, is only 15 kilometers away. I'm not even afraid of the lack of running water and electricity. The first is fully compensated by a Finnish sauna and a cool, clean lake, the second by a fireplace and candles, and as a bonus - constant romance. There is such a real fairy-tale forest around, where moss and lichen hang from tree branches, turning ordinary pines and fir trees into magical ones, as in the stories about Leshy and Baba Yaga.
It is very easy to achieve a meditative state here. The flow of thoughts stops on its own, the consciousness has nothing to worry about and it becomes silent, merging with the more powerful flow of nature’s energy.
It is more convenient and interesting to travel around Lapland by car. Although it is also possible to get there by plane or train. You can fly to the very north to the city of Ivalo, but the railway only goes to Rovaniemi. And if you have planned a little more than just visiting Santa Claus, then you will have to change to a bus. By the way, Santa receives visitors all year round. And I still highly recommend using a personal car!
When traveling to Lapland by car, it is important to remember two things: speed control and arrogant free-grazing reindeer.
If you drive through the central part of Finland, there is only one route to Lapland. Oulu, Kemi, Rovaniemi, Sodankyla, Ivalo are the necessary names. There is a fairly decent two-lane highway here with speed limits of 100, 80 and 60. It is not worth driving, as there are cameras placed along the road at various distances that photograph a vehicle exceeding the speed limit in a given place. It’s probably not very pleasant to receive a fine of a tidy sum after a wonderful holiday.
Especially after Sodanküla, you should be on your guard and not exceed the speed limit, because at any moment a reindeer or a whole herd of deer. They know who’s boss here and they’re not going to run in different directions when they see the car. Be polite, don't honk, slow down and move forward carefully. The deer will slowly and reluctantly give way to you. Interestingly, the sight of a standing person has a more convincing effect on them. They don't let you get close to them.
When we were in the Lapland wilderness, deer constantly passed around, alone or in whole families. If you sat and didn't move, they could come very close. But as soon as you reached for your camera or phone, instinct immediately kicked in and the graceful reindeer ran away like a frightened hare.
Yes, proud reindeer like to keep their distance and even an apple or carrot cannot tempt them.
Among the useful road signs you will find Varo poroja!– handwritten in Finnish. This means - Be careful deer!
There will also be signs for campsites right along the route. In summer there are many of them working here. You can drive calmly and stop where you like. Most people travel around Lapland in a trailer or motorhome. We even met cars with Italian license plates. Accordingly, campsites are designed for this type of recreation. But in many there are places where you can stay with your own tent, there are campsites with wooden houses. As a rule, in such places there is no running water or a normal toilet; everything looks clean and decent, but very natural. Information on campsites can easily be found online by searching for lapland camping or in Russian “camping lapland”.
Of course you can stay at a hotel. There are simply luxurious ones in Rovaniemi or Ivalo. But still, in the summer, in order to feel the atmosphere, I recommend being closer to nature. And leave the running water and electricity for the winter trip.
What you must try in Lapland:
Reindeer meat happens in in different forms, but the most popular is thinly cut slices - poronk?ristys - usually served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.
Smoked meat is considered a special delicacy. It can be bought in a store in vacuum packaging. For example, in Ivalo it costs 76 euros per kilogram, and in Inari it’s already 124!!! Any amount of it is eaten in years, because you can’t tear yourself away.
Cloudberry- can be used as a topping for pancakes or pancakes, with Finnish cheese or ice cream, sometimes they serve just a cloudberry dessert - something like jelly or jam.
Local lakes are full of fish, and fishing is a popular activity. Even if you are not a very experienced fisherman, you should definitely go fishing and catch trout, taimen or whitefish, and immediately smoke it or grill it.
Remember that in Lapland it is prohibited to light open fires in the forest. This is a safety measure, the government's way of protecting dry forests from fires. Grilling can be done in specially designated areas and at campsites.
Well, in conclusion, among other animals living here, I would like to mention mosquitoes and midges, which behave like real predators, not disdaining any bare part of the body for the sake of a drop of blood. Standard OFF type insect repellents make you unfit to eat. Stock up in advance! I was also very pleased with the anti-mosquito coil lit on the terrace - I could calmly read, sit, eat and just be without being distracted by the annoying buzzing.
Enjoy your unity with nature!
A new attraction has appeared in Finland - deer with glowing antlers! This is not a way to attract tourists, but a measure aimed at protecting fauna. Thousands of wild animals die on the highways every year, especially at night. Such clashes often end tragically for people. To make the deer visible from afar, they decided to paint the antlers with luminous paint.
What's worse than a deer on the road? Finnish drivers will answer: perhaps the elk is larger. On the way to Lapland, our film crew met horned animals three times: the animals calmly licked salt from the asphalt and nibbled plants on the side of the road. And, it seems, they reluctantly gave way to people.
Although each of them has an owner, deer roam freely in the forests, which means they can easily wander onto a busy highway. As the Finns themselves joke, this is a semi-domestic animal. In the summer it grazes and gets along well without people; in the winter, when food becomes scarce, it is fed by reindeer herders. Once a year, the herd is gathered in a pen to inspect and count the furry ones.
"These bells help us find deer in the forest. We only know the approximate location of the herd. And when we want to gather deer in a pen, as now, we go into the forest and listen to their ringing. This is an old, proven method. But a new one works better - GPS sensors ", says reindeer herder Sami Juusitalo.
Modern means help track the route of movement of animals, but do not save from road accidents. According to statistics, 4 thousand accidents involving deer occur in Finland every year. Everyone suffers losses: car owners, insurance companies, and reindeer herders.
The experiment with painting the horns began this year. Some people transform their entire herd, others only a few of the most valuable specimens.
Paint with reflective elements is specially designed for animals. The procedure is short but unpleasant, as the deer demonstrated by shaking its head angrily several times. Another test subject put up a fight: he almost kicked our operator. Still, it’s not customary in the forest - it’s so disrespectful to grab someone by the horns.
In three hours, the reindeer herders counted the herd, marked the young ones, loaded some of the animals into minibuses - comfort, of course, is questionable, but these lucky ones will spend the winter on the farm. Now it’s time to take a break: sit around the fire and calmly chat.
"It is still difficult to talk about the results of the experiment with reflective horns. In this area where painted deer live, only two of them were hit by wheels. Although we have already sprayed more than 200. We’ll see what happens next,” says Veikko Heiskari, head of the Poikajärvi region reindeer herders’ association.
Meanwhile, the forest begins to get dark. This part of Finland is located on the Arctic Circle line. Daylight hours in winter last only 4 hours.
It’s hard to spot a deer on a forest road during the day, and even more so at night. However, with reflective paint on the horns, the animals become much more visible; even the light from mobile phone. What can we say about the light from car headlights?
The Finns jokingly call their reindeer Jedi - they say their antlers glow like laser swords in space films. Another association will come to mind for our compatriots: this is a new transformation of the curse of the Baskervilles. The deer themselves react calmly: they do not shy away from their luminous relatives, and they are accustomed to the camera by the end of the shooting day.
In this material we want to tell you about Finnish reindeer. For many centuries now, people and reindeer in Finland have lived next to each other. Therefore, it is not surprising that this particular animal has become a symbol of Lapland, and its population is approximately equal to the population of this northern region. But still, man was only able to tame it halfway. The Finnish reindeer lives in temperate forests and feeds on moss and plants. It must be said that in conditions wildlife it can live on average up to 12 years; in captivity this figure increases and can reach about 20 years. A lot of Finnish reindeer die under the wheels of cars, so in Finland you can often see corresponding car signs on the roads.
Farmers and animal advocates are making every effort to protect them from death. For example, their antlers are covered with reflective material, and special barrier nets are stretched along the perimeter of the roads so that animals cross the road surface only in specially designated areas. Please note that a collision with them is very dangerous and the driver should always be on alert. Finnish reindeer are not afraid of cold weather and can easily withstand low sub-zero temperatures. They are reliably protected by thick, warm fur, which is not afraid of even -50 degrees.
Some medicines are made from the horns. As for milk, it is the most valuable of all mammals. It contains 19% milk fat, for comparison, cow milk contains on average about 4%. A lot of delicious dishes and products are prepared from meat, which are definitely worth trying when you come to Finland. Some people are fond of snowmobile safaris, but among the Scandinavians one of their favorite winter activities, this is reindeer racing. A man gets on his skis, clings to the harness and rides after the animal.
Photo: Manfred Werner/Wikimedia Commons
Such races are organized quite often, the routes are different and the route can pass through several settlements. Such competitions are always awaited in every corner of the country because these people are believed to bring good luck with them. There are many special farms in Finland that many tourists love to visit. They listen to the stories of the farm owners, feed the animals moss, watch them, and also ride on reindeer sleds. The programs, as well as the prices of such tours, vary greatly.
But for the majority of the Lapland population, especially those living in the north, reindeer herding is considered one of the main sources of income. It should be noted that every Finnish reindeer belongs to a reindeer herder. Twice a year, animals are lured into pens to count the number of herds and brand the young. Even the Finnish Santa Claus chose this inhabitant as his assistant northern latitudes. Any little Finn can easily list the names of each reindeer from the big Christmas nine.
Husky Park and Safari Express 2 and 4 km(Husky Point Kennel)
Duration: 2 hours
On this excursion you will meet real Siberian huskies with thick fluffy hair and blue eyes, as well as with foxes, Spitz, Arctic fox, tundra wolf Boogie and husky wolves. The nursery is located just 15 min. drive from Levi. On a trip to dog sledding you ride on a sled as passengers: you sit two people per sled (you can take more small child). The musher stands on the runners behind the sled, and you get the feeling that the huskies themselves are rushing you along the taiga paths. A journey of 2 or 4 kilometers flies by like one unforgettable moment. After the trip, it’s nice to sit in a yurt by the fire, taste sausages fried over the fire and a hot drink (tea/coffee/juice). The owner, the famous mahout Reijo Jaskelainen, will show a film in Russian/English about the history of the Laika breed, their habits and content. A local attraction called “Kiss of the Deer” will be a bonus.
Husky nursery and self-guided sled safaris 5 and 10 km
(kennel of Paulina and Hannu)
Duration: 2 hours
The nursery is located just 15 min. drive from Levi. The owners of the farm, Pauliina and Hanna, keep real racing Alaskan Huskies, as well as Siberian Huskies. Their pets are participants and winners of the latest European and Scandinavian competitions. Safari routes for 5 and 10 km. Upon arrival, you will go through a musher school and immediately go on a safari, as the dogs harnessed to the sleds are very impatient. The route will take you through forest and open hilly terrain with beautiful view. After the safari, you can warm up in a cozy yurt, drink hot berry juice, tea or coffee and fry a sausage over the fire. The owner will be happy to tell you a lot of interesting things about the “dog” life of her pets. The kennel houses more than 70 dogs. You can also meet husky puppies.
"Polar Express": husky + deer
(Husky Point Kennel)
Duration: 2.5 hours
A combination of two of the most popular excursions in Lapland - traditional Vehicle in the Arctic - huskies and reindeer. After a breathtaking 2km husky safari and a wonderful 1km reindeer ride, your guide will tell you about the traditions of reindeer and dog breeding. During a tour of the nursery, you will meet Spitz dogs, Arctic foxes, Boogie tundra wolves and husky wolves. At the end of the excursion, it’s nice to sit in a yurt by the fire, taste sausages fried over the fire and a drink (tea/coffee/juice).
Wolf Safari 10 km
(Husky Point Kennel)
Duration: 2.5 hours
Departure: on request
Are you afraid of wolves too? After this exciting excursion, you will no longer be afraid of them and at the same time get great pleasure from a 10 km ride in a sled with husky wolves through the twilight forest under the control of a professional driver. You can give a trip to a friend for his birthday! At the end of the excursion, it’s nice to sit in a yurt by the fire, taste sausages fried over the fire and a drink (tea/coffee/juice).
Lapland village and mini reindeer safari
Duration: 1.5 hours
A fun program for the whole family. Full of impressions, it is, nevertheless, the shortest and most inexpensive program at the resort. Just 15 min. drive by bus from the resort, on the banks of a taiga river, in the forest, there is a Sami settlement that is more than 200 years old. The owners of the farm, Arja and Erkki, will help you get comfortable in a reindeer sleigh and take you for a ride in a small circle along the river. You will also be able to take pictures with handsome deer with large branched antlers. After the ride, the hostess will invite everyone to the guest house, where she will treat you to warm berry juice by the cozy crackling fireplace and also tell you a lot of interesting things about deer. You can buy interesting souvenirs self made made of deer antler and skin.
3km self-guided reindeer safari
Duration: 2 hours
This excursion is for those who want to have a fun reindeer ride and manage the team on their own. Starting point - a small and cozy deer farm on the shore taiga river. Because deer are semi-wild animals, you will need a short instruction from the farm owner. After that, you get into the sleigh and the reindeer races you along a narrow path through the snowy forest. After riding, you can feed the reindeer moss. Then, in a cozy guest house or Lapland yurt, you can warm up a little by the fire, drink hot coffee/tea with a sweet treat and hear interesting story the mistress of the farm about the life of reindeer and reindeer herders.
Visit to a deer farm and super safari 5 km
Duration: 2 hours
Located 15 minutes' drive from Levi, Erya Farm offers a 5 km super safari through the fabulous winter forest. From early morning, the owner of the reindeer begins to prepare her pets for the trip: she puts on a picturesque harness, harnesses them to a light homemade sleigh, puts warm reindeer skins in the sleigh for the “passengers,” puts a kettle on the fire... After returning from the forest, a cup of hot tea or coffee with pastries A crackling fire in the fireplace will seem especially delicious. You can buy handmade souvenirs, feed reindeer moss and explore the old buildings on the farm, some of which are over 100 years old.
Reindeer safari 3 km + ice fishing + salmon soup for lunch
Recommended for adults and children over 6 years old
Duration: 4 hours
Combination of a 3 km reindeer safari, ice fishing on Wolf Lake and lunch in a Lapland yurt: hot salmon soup with traditional brown bread and butter, coffee/tea with a sweet bun. A reindeer team is used as transport on the way from the bus stop to the lake (the route is divided into 2 parts, 1.5 km in each direction). Rainbow trout (Finnish salmon) is caught. The fish you catch can be cooked over a fire. During lunch we will talk about nature, animals, reindeer husbandry. Those who successfully return will receive the license to drive a reindeer team.
Reindeer Safari + Ice Fishing + Salmon Soup for Lunch + Snowshoeing
Recommended for adults and children over 6 years old
Duration: 4 hours
The tour is based on the same program as the previous excursion, but with the addition of the possibility of snowshoeing. In winter, the thickness of the snow cover in the forest can reach more than 1 meter. Snowshoes are a great way to get out into untouched places where regular shoes cannot go.
Warm clothing is included in the price of the excursion.
Night reindeer safari "Chasing Aurora"
Duration: 2 hours
You will take a trip in a time machine to the past, when the Sami used reindeer as their only form of transport, and only the Northern Lights illuminated their way for a long time. winter nights. The journey from Levi to the departure point will take about 15 minutes. The adventure begins when local reindeer herders take you across the ice to the other side of the taiga river, from where you go on a leisurely 3 km reindeer sleigh ride through the forest. Returning to the reindeer farm, you will be able to observe the night sky of the northern hemisphere, and if you are lucky, see beautiful flashes of the northern lights.
Hot berry juice and a fire in a wooden yurt will help you warm up. It is possible to rent warm overalls for 10€ per person.
Excursion to a horse farm and riding Finnish horses through the winter forest
Day program
Duration:~1 hour (skating 40-45 minutes).
Duration:~2 hours (skating 1-1.5 hours)
Night program (chance to see the northern lights)
Duration:~1 hour (skating 40-45 min.)
The horse farm is located 10 km from the resort of Levi in a snowy forest. You will enjoy a guided tour of the stables, instruction and a horseback ride through the snowy forest. Upon returning back, a treat awaits you - warm juice and cookies. Min. the child's age is 6 years. Max. rider weight - 100 kg.
Sierijärvi farm and looked at farm life from a tourist’s point of view. However, tourism is only part of their activity. Reindeer husbandry has never been a particularly easy job and it is not easy now. Tourism is a missing source of income for many reindeer herders, but the center of everything is traditional reindeer herding. We will also attend traditional corral work — a reindeer count, which is carried out jointly by different reindeer herders in the area. There are different farms, there are “real” ones, that is, where families of reindeer herders live, and there are “tourist” ones, where the infrastructure has simply been created for receiving guests. We will visit a real farm!
And here are the owners of the farm - Ari Maununiemi (left) and his friend Sampo. The Manuniemi family has lived here for hundreds of years. By the way, you can see behind an old house Ari's grandfather, but no one lives in it now.
Ari has no brothers or sisters, so his friend Sampo helps him in his work. In the photo with reindeer herders are Lapandan shepherd dogs.
Ari has been a reindeer herder since birth. He was born on this farm, but lived in town for some time. Previously, his father was involved in the farm, however, due to health reasons, he had to significantly reduce his workload. A year ago, he handed over management of the farm to his son Ari and now only helps in a small way with deeds or advice. Ari and Sampo are still young guys, they are 27 years old. They haven’t had time to have children yet, but both are married. They say that finding a wife who “understands” this lifestyle (working 24 hours a day, seven days a week) is not so easy :)
Sampo is an agricultural engineer by training, so for him this is a job in his specialty. He has been working on the farm for 6 years and lives nearby, a few kilometers away. It is important for a reindeer herder to always be on the alert and, if something happens, to quickly come to the rescue.
Maununiemi family - Finns, not Sami, that is, unlike the northern Sami reindeer herders, they never led a nomadic lifestyle. Family lives on this place for a couple of hundred years now. Here is their fairly modern home.
The oldest buildings on the farm were destroyed during the war and Ari's grandfather had to rebuild everything from scratch. The very first sauna was built, in 1947, which is still in use. They lived in it while they were building the residential building, which is visible in the photo earlier.
The farm is named after the lake of the same name, Sirijärvi. The farm is located only 15 km from Rovaniemi, but local residents lead a fairly authentic lifestyle. Fishing is very popular - this is both relaxation, and sports, and the opportunity to catch something for lunch or dinner. The guys go picking mushrooms and berries and hunting game.
Next to the house there is a special smokehouse where you can make smoked fish or meat.
The loot can be stored in a special storage facility.
But the view the family has every morning is work. A typical morning for reindeer herders begins early, at 7.00. It is necessary to feed the deer (although not all of them are on the farm at the same time), repair, clean, build, prepare firewood, etc. In winter, when tourist season, that is, from December to the end of March, in addition to the usual hassle, other concerns are added in organizing and selling excursions. I wake up at about 6 am and work often ends late in the evening or around midnight. There is no such thing as a weekend during the season.
In the center of the farm there is a modern Lapland tent.
Guests are received here and treated to hot drinks. You can arrange a trip to the farm yourself, without intermediaries. To do this, you just need to contact Ari directly and book an excursion with him, or with, which sells excursions at no extra charge. A standard visit includes an introduction to the farm and reindeer, a Lapland greeting ceremony, juice and sledding (in winter). You will be picked up from the center of Rovaniemi and driven to and from the farm. The standard ski circle is 450 meters, but you can negotiate a longer ride (up to 5 kilometers) and lunch at the farm. Local tour operators also offer trips to farms. It will likely be a little more expensive. However, these trips are often done on snowmobiles, meaning they offer more adventure. There are several reindeer farms in Rovaniemi and it is not a fact that a specific tour operator works with the farm and will take you here.
Riding is only available during the season. Here is a path next to the lake, along which you can ride a reindeer sled in winter.
Skiing equipment is stored in an old barn.
Antlers, which deer shed once a year.
And here is the real owner of the farm Ranne is a loyal and experienced shepherd dog who helps herd reindeer. She is trained and performs various tricks.
Recently the guys built a new building where there will be a restaurant for receiving guests.
Everything was done with our own hands, or at most with the help of neighboring reindeer herders or friends.
There is always something to patch up, do, adjust. Ari is also responsible for marketing the farm, working with tour operators and selling excursions to the farm. Everyone in the family is involved in preparing food for tourists, although several more workers are hired during the season. Special mention should be made of the training of “tourist” reindeer that pull the sleigh. According to Ari, only 1 or 2 deer out of ten become “mounted”, the rest simply do not understand what is wanted from them. Training lasts for years, but with a break for summer holidays when the riding reindeer are resting. Reindeer need to get used to people, then to sleighs, and then to pull the sleigh itself over long distances. Even more difficult is training deer for reindeer racing, although this is not done on this farm.
The Maununiemi family has about 120 reindeer. This is quite small compared to reindeer herders in northern Lapland, but the state allows more reindeer to be kept there than in southern Lapland. The largest owners have livestock in the thousands. Sampo’s friend owns another 5 reindeer; he was given a “starter package” for a novice reindeer herder :)
By the way, 2/3 of the world's reindeer population is in Russia. It is a pity, however, that this fishery is gradually losing its importance and the number of deer in Russia only in the 1990s decreased by more than half from 2.5 million to 1.2 million. In Lapland, the maximum allowed number of livestock is 230,000. This is the part that is allowed to spend the winter after slaughter. Nature will no longer be able to bear it, or the deer will have to be fed like cows all year round.
However, now, in October, there are no more than ten deer on the farm. The rest graze freely in the forest and feed on grass and other vegetation. The deer's diet includes more than 200 species of plants, including mushrooms. In Lapland, herders do not constantly control the reindeer and they are left to their own devices. Most year, they find their own food, but in winter, when the snow is too deep and it is difficult to dig out moss, reindeer herders feed the reindeer at special forest feeders. Deer can travel 60-100 km from the farm. They move to different pastures depending on the time of year.
U At the entrance to the farm, a few kilometers away, you can see deer freely grazing. Most of them are from the farm Sierijärvi. They lay down in a field not far from the road to bask in the last rays of the October sun. Several times a year, deer are herded into small heaps, having previously found them in the forest. This is done for corral work — counting deer, applying your “stamp” for young deer and for slaughter. It is impossible to herd all the deer in one place at one time, so this is done in stages and in different places.
The Maununiemi family has taught their reindeer to come “home” for the winter. Half of the deer come on their own, either out of habit or by smelling food. Of course, some deer winter autonomously in the forest (if only because they are well protected from corral work), but the advantages of wintering on a farm are obvious. Despite the fact that deer can extract moss from under the snow up to a meter deep, winter is still no picnic for them, and on the farm there is always something to eat. Yes, someone has to pull the sleigh or chew moss for the crowd!
When deer spend the winter on a farm, the reindeer herder can sleep peacefully, then the deer will not die of hunger, it will not be eaten by a predator or run over by a car. By the way, about predators. A significant part of the deer, about a few percent, becomes food for animals. In Lapland there are lynxes, wolves and bears who are not averse to snacking on venison, but the most dangerous beast for a deer it is a wolverine. There are not many wolverines within Rovaniemi, but further north they are a real scourge. Wolverine hunts mainly deer calves, but kills not only for food, but also for “sporting interest.” Purely to “keep in shape” or stock up for a rainy day.
Hunting wolverines is prohibited by law in Finland. For the above reason, in the 1980s, almost all wolverines were exterminated, that is, they were slightly overdone. The only way to preserve the species was a total ban on hunting, which is now punishable by a maximum fine of 16,500 €! The wolverine population has grown from a dozen individuals to a couple of hundred, however, since thousands of reindeer are dying from wolverines, the Finns are talking about revising this policy.
Wintering on a farm is safer, but it also has its downsides. Here, for example, there is a very young shepherd dog who begins to try his hand and disrupts the regular daily routine of the deer, chasing them around the farm. Loud bark and pressure small dog makes deer nervous, despite the fact that they are several times larger and equipped with antlers.
- Hey, brother, what are we going to do?
- Fuck it, let's get lost!
The deer try not to be provoked and ask themselves to enter the fence, which accidentally closed.
Another day we go to a very important event — corral work. Reindeer herders in Lapland are united in reindeer herding associations according to geographical location. There are 52 such associations in total. Corral works - This is a team sport and reindeer herders from their area gather for them.
In the slang of reindeer herders this is called “separation”, since the reindeer are divided into groups, or “meeting”, because for reindeer herders - this is just a chance to meet. Corral work is carried out several times a year and in different places in the region. In the summer, for example, reindeer herders go into the forest to put their mark on small fawns. This is done 3-4 times. In autumn" reindeer collection"is carried out about 15 times in different places in order to determine those deer that will be sent for meat, and those that will be destined to continue the race.
There are no "nobody's" reindeer in Lapland and all reindeer are divided to varying degrees among 5,000 owners. Some people have thousands of deer, others only a few heads. There are also “amateur reindeer herders”. They usually only have a small herd of reindeer, which grazes autonomously in the forest, but such reindeer herders, as a rule, live in the city. For example, a relative may give several deer as a gift for some important occasion, or the deer may be inherited. Amateur reindeer herders help “professional reindeer herders” in whatever way they can, that is, they participate in searching for reindeer in the forest and gathering them into a herd. Professionals, in turn, are stern Lapland men, usually middle-aged or older.
In this sense, Ari with his friend Sampo - a kind of exception, a new wave of young reindeer herders.
However, the father is nearby and helps in every possible way with advice, because his experience is measured in decades.
In his work, a reindeer herder needs to take into account a lot of different factors that we are not even aware of! Ari carefully studies the herd, thinking about which deer will continue the family line.
There are also women among the reindeer herders. They work on equal terms with men. We have already talked about, who is also a master in the production of souvenirs from deer antler.
A very young generation of reindeer herders is also growing. In general, the corral work of local reindeer herders is more reminiscent of a large family gathering. The families know each other well. Wives and children participate in the event.
Previously, reindeer herders traveled on skis, but now they also use cars and, in winter, snowmobiles. Shepherd dogs are still effective today, as they are indispensable helpers. The reindeer herders collectively herd the reindeer into special ready-made fences that are scattered throughout the region. In the forest, deer of different owners are mixed and herded into one large pen.
To begin with, the most violent individuals - alpha males - are removed from the herd. This is done in the traditional way by throwing a lasso. The males' blood is now boiling on the eve of the romantic season, so they can harm the reindeer herders with their antlers.
The first one went!
However, it is not an easy task to drag a hippopotamus from a swamp to tame a reindeer.
How many reindeer herders does it take to handle a full-grown deer? The alpha males are released and then continue their work of spreading love throughout the herd.
The time has come for our hero to throw the lasso.
This succeeds on the second try and the deer with the most beautiful horns separated from the herd. My friend insures me just in case.
After the gang leaders are removed, small groups of deer are cut off from the herd for convenient work. It happens very simply, but in an effective way. A canvas is stretched, which limits the space of movement and creates a small corridor.
About a dozen deer run into a small enclosure.
This is where the deer are sorted.
The most important thing is to determine who owns the deer. The owner's mark is on the deer's ears: at an early age, small pieces are cut off from the ears, resulting in a unique profile that an experienced reindeer herder can distinguish from tens of meters away. Each reindeer herder has his own unique way of doing this. The pattern on the left and right ear is not mirrored and the mark is the sum of the profiles of the left and right ear. Young fawns, still without a mark, are identified by their mother, then the fawn is assigned the same mark as the parent. Reindeer herders say that deer do not hurt when they mark them.
This is where the selection of deer for meat occurs. In Lapland, they eat the meat of young reindeer that have not yet reached puberty. Thanks to this, the meat is very tender and does not have a too strong (sometimes even bitter) taste. Deer meat is really very tasty! It's worth going to Rovaniemi, for example, to try it. We will omit photographs of butchering deer, although there is nothing immoral in this action. This is what both the inhabitants of Lapland and the indigenous peoples of the north of Russia have done for centuries. Reindeer herders can slaughter the reindeer themselves on the spot or send the reindeer to special item. The meat of a deer slaughtered by a herder is usually bought by locals and prepared themselves, but such meat cannot legally be served in a restaurant. This does not mean that the reindeer herder does it badly; on the contrary, this method is more humane than at a meat station, and even more so in those places where cows, pigs, etc. are bred. Simply, in European Union There are laws that do not take into account such specifics as Lapland reindeer herders. In restaurants and stores, that is, only official and certified meat is served to customers. Since there are relatively few deer, about 90,000 heads are slaughtered every year, the price of deer meat is expensive. At least demand always exceeds supply. Locals buy a dressed carcass from reindeer herders for 9-12 € kilogram (including bones). Meat from a slaughterhouse costs closer to €20 per kilogram, but it is often already packaged and cut. Chilled and frozen deer meat is practically impossible to buy in a regular supermarket. It is bought by wholesalers, mainly for the restaurant industry, but you can buy dried meat or semi-finished products (sausage, baked meat). When venison products reach supermarkets, the price for it reaches 50-60 € / kg, however, of course, without taking into account the weight of the bones.
A special record is kept of how many and whose reindeer are slaughtered and how many are released. Each oval in the account card is a template for applying a unique reindeer herder’s mark.
The strongest individuals are selected for procreation. They undergo mandatory vaccination by a veterinarian right there on the spot.
Deer that are released are given a special mark on their skin to prevent them from being caught twice. It doesn’t hurt, since it doesn’t reach the skin, and the pattern will disappear with the next molt.
Some deer benefit from “prevention.” They decided to turn this deer into an athlete for deer racing, so they “help” him to shed his antlers prematurely, otherwise they could be damaged during training, but this is done very rarely. Usually deer shed their antlers on their own. This occurs immediately after the mating season, that is, in winter. At this time, male deer do not need antlers. They only make the deer heavier and make it difficult to move through deep snow. Females leave their antlers in the winter because they give birth to babies in the spring and need protection from predators. The antlers also help push the male deer so that they don’t get in the way. In summer, the antlers grow back. This happens quite quickly, as blood circulates in the horns. At this time, deer are vulnerable, since if the horn is severely damaged, the deer may die from loss of blood. They are protected only by a delicate “suede” layer of fur. In the summer, the antlers grow a centimeter a day, but by autumn the blood circulation stops and the antlers begin to stiffen. The layer of fur falls off and in October the deer again have bone antlers.
Sorted reindeer are kept in so-called “kontori” (that’s what “kontori” sounds like in Finnish). The road to life!
While the deer are being sorted, the young males measure their strength.
Of course, they cannot defeat adult males yet, but their time will come. You just need to let go of the horns for a couple of years. Every year the males grow more and more horns.
To live well!
The wise deer has already seen a lot of things.
- We'll fight again!
It's time to go back. On the way home we met deer that had been released earlier.
This is roughly how the everyday life of Lapland reindeer herders goes!
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