Reindeers in the night

• bentehaarstad

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It is the time of year when all the reindeer herding families goes to the mountains. They have used weeks collecting the herds and preparing. The calves born in May will now gets its owner mark. In the enclosure the calf follow the mother reindeer. This makes it easy to spot the ownership of the calf, and the owner can mark it. The mark is a combination of cuts made in the calf’s ears. Each owner has his special mark. I went to the mountains to visit last night, but I have just organized a few pictures yet.

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If you think the reindeers looks a bit fluffy, your are right. They are shedding their winter coats. And growing new anthlers. Some more pictures on this link.

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56 thoughts on “Reindeers in the night”

  2. Amazing photos.
    I particularly like the first B & W shot. Love the detail and contrast in tone.

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  11. Good morning
    Your pictures are very beautiful.
    With me you will pfündig with the sky was me as a gift.
    you have subscribed so I can see what you nice have posted.
    You can find my categories at the bottom on my WP page in the middle.
    Wish you have a nice Sunday.
    What is the name of your dear name?
    I hot Andrea ud come from Oberhausen.
    Your pictures are an eye-catcher that concentrate on the essentials in life.
    Andrea sends warm greetings to friends

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  12. Those of us to the south know little about Reindeer so seeing these is very interesting along with the fact that they are all good images, Bente. Where is they guy with the red nose? 🙂

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  14. Spectacular – look forward to seeing more of this wonderful event. Reindeer and Sami life are always some of my favourites of your photographs, Bente.

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  15. Lovely to see the calves. Do the reindeer graze freely once they have been marked? In your photos they appear to be in a big fenced area. Is that the enclosure you write about?

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    1. The reindeers graze freely in the mountains, in vast areas, all year. Except when they are collected for marking during summer, and also again in the slaughtering season. For the marking there is one very big fenced area that have enough grazing for all the thousands of animals for up to one week. Then there is a system of smaller enclosures. The one for marking the calves is very small and they just admit a very small number of animals at the time. To not create too much fuss for the animals and the people handling them.

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  16. It is wonderful to be able to see these animals through your photography. The title says night and th elight seemed to be quite dim. If you have time to respond, I’m curious about what time it was. It is almost dark here at 8:30, and the eastern sky begins to light up at 4:30 am. Already the days are shrinking though.

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    1. I arrived at 5 o’clock at night. Then the herders had been working for two hours already. It is still not dark during night yet, but the sun goes down for a few hours now and then the light is quite dim. In August we will start to get dark nights again, and I am not looking forward to that part..

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  19. Love the first photo in particular. Great to see such images, so different from the Rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer type that we are usually dished up.

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  30. My wife and I went to Tuscany this year to take part in the transhumance on horseback. Unfortunately it was delayed as long spells of bad weather had left the summer pastures too wet. It looks like doing it with Reindeer would be more fun than with cows. Maybe next year.

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