Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-08-01
WILL REINDEER DO 1T
Said They Thrive On Cut
over Lands in Wisconsin
and Michigan.
written for American Lumber
man by Harold Maier)

man by Harold Maier)
Amigo, Wis, July 18-Will the
propagation of reindeer be the
means of relieving the lumber
companies in the upper regions of
Michigan, Wisconsin and Mime
sofa of the immense burden of
disposing Of the large tracts of un-
profitable cut-over land now lying
idle?
Conservationists in Wisconsin
and Minnesota have been astonish-
ed by the results of an experiment
carried on in Michigan within the
last year, in which a herd of sixty
reindeer, imported from Norway
at the cost of S125 each, has in
creased more than 100 percent.
These reindeer have been living
"off the land" in the Lake Super
ior forest reserve, twenty-six miles
north of Newberry, Mich
Spaghnum moss is the secret of
the success Of the experiment. Ev-
ely swamp Ill GIlC LO1 GllC1 IL POI VI
these three states contains an end
less supply of this moss, upon
which the reindeer thrive and are
content. This semi-domesticated
animal is hardy and fully capable
of taking care of itself twelve
months of the year, providing it
has sufficient quantity of the COM
mon moss. Now, lumbermen own
ing literally tens of thousands of
acres of idle cut-over land, land
upon which agricultural expert
ments and sheep and cattle rails
ing have proved a failure but land
which is snow-covered during
a large part of the year, are won
dering whether the raising of rein
deer ON these tracts is not the
most practical method of utilizing
this land to the best advantage. A
few years may see large reindeer
ranches from two to ten thousand
acres in size occupying land which
at the present time is worse than
useless.
There are many reasons for the
success of the Michigan ex-
pertinent. Most important is the
abundance of Spaghnum moss.
With plenty of moss, snow, NOV
ing space, and cool weather
the reindeer feel at home and are
perfectly content to frisk about in
the swamp lands. They need no
care, therefore the expense is COM
paratively small Reindeer breed
and produce one calf a year. A
250-pound reindeer when dressed
will average approximately 1870
pounds and should bring at least
30 cents a pound when sold fresh
on the markC+. The raising Of
cattle, with the expense of build
ing barns and feeding throughout
the winter never left such a wide
margin of profit!
The nucleus of Michigan's rap
idly increasing reindeer herd ar
rived in New York from Norway
on the steamer Bergensfjord year
ago last March. The herd consist
ed of fifty cows and ten bulls, and
were secured through DR.. Hafton
Christensen, a Norwegian reindeer
expert. He and two Laplander
boys came over with the animals.
Said DR.. Christensen upon his ar
rival in Michigan.
There is no reason why the
reindeer will not do we'll in this
state. You recognize that in our
country they represent our most
important industry. This is par
ticularly true in the northern sec
lions among the Laplanders. The
reindeer is food, clothing and life
to these people, When a Lap has
herd numbering two hundred to
SIX hundred reindeer, he is consid-
cred poor, because a herd of that
size will take care of his own i'm
mediate needs only. However,
when his herd reaches 1000 in