How to identify it
Medium-large deer with broad hooves and a pale neck and rump; both sexes can grow antlers, so antlers do not establish sex. [1]
Where it lives
Tundra and boreal landscapes; population and ecotype distinctions are important. [1]
How it behaves
Large herds migrate up to 400 miles (640 km) between summer and winter ranges; smaller herds may not migrate. [2][3]
Lichens are the main winter food, located by smell and dug out of snow with the hooves; summer diet is willow leaves, sedges, flowering plants and mushrooms. [2][3]
Usually quiet but may give a loud snort; cows and calves call constantly around calving. [2][3]
Bulls shed antlers in November-December after the rut; each herd uses a distinct calving area. [2][3]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Conservation and protection
- ENDANGERED — Southern Mountain Caribou DPS (Rangifer tarandus ssp. caribou), U.S.A. (wherever found), Canada (southeastern British Columbia): listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1983-01-14. · ECOS species profile: Southern Mountain Caribou DPS
Where legal take is listed
- British Columbia — hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Manitoba — hunting · Manitoba Hunting Guide 2026
- Newfoundland and Labrador — hunting · 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Guide
- Northwest Territories — hunting · NWT Summary of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, July 1 2022 - June 30 2023
- Nunavut — hunting · Summary of the Nunavut Hunting Regulations 2021-2022
- Alaska — hunting, invasive species removal · 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations: Fur Animals, Small Game, Unclassified Game, and Deleterious Exotic Wildlife (pp.140-142) · 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations No. 67 (complete)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Northern and boreal North America
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALSouthern Mountain Caribou conservation
Parks Canada · reviewed 2026-09-20
Parks Canada
- BIOLOGICALCaribou Species Profile
Alaska Department of Fish and Game · reviewed 2026-09-30
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- BIOLOGICALCaribou - Hinterland Who's Who
Canadian Wildlife Federation / Environment and Climate Change Canada · reviewed 2026-09-30
Canadian Wildlife Federation / Environment and Climate Change Canada