Reindeer Games

A reindeer rules over a colorful kingdom in late summer in Denali National Park. Reindeer are called caribou here. These hardy animals must deal with the worst winters Mother Nature can provide. But they are used to it. They are perpetually on the move, covering vast distances across arctic tundra and boreal forest alike. Meet our beloved icon of Christmas.

Nearly ready for the rut, a bull has only recently lost the velvet on his enormous antlers. The antlers can weigh as much as 40 pounds! That's a lot of weight to carry on your head!

A beautiful caribou has no trouble navigating the bushy tundra of Denali in a snowstorm. Like other animals here, they have a two-toned pattern of darker legs and bellies and lighter backs. 

A caribou is nearly obliterated in a whiteout snowstorm in Denali. This was the snowiest winter of my life, stretching from September to April, including a blizzard in New Jersey that knocked out power for days. For caribou, it's just another Tuesday.

A beautiful bull bounces across the scrubby high country of Denali. The ground was covered in delicious berries.

Denali National Park is my favorite place. In the early fall, the aspens seem to cast a light of their own.

Caribou in Alaska are known to form enormous herds that move seasonally across the landscape between calving and wintering grounds. But in Denali they are found in small numbers, scattered across the tundra.

Besides biting flies and bears, of course, caribou have to worry about overheating in the summer. These caribou spent a warm day sprawled out on the last remaining snowpack.

A small herd of caribou graze on a hillside in the springtime in Denali. 

They still had their warm winter coats and a new pair of velvety antlers. 

This bull in his prime is the biggest caribou I ever saw. Sign him up, Santa!