Winter Caribou Watching

Winter snowpacks force many of the hoofed animals (ungulates) down into the valleys to forage. This makes it a great time for watching many of these animals as they are attracted to road side lowlands. Last month we talked about the winter strategies of local ungulates. This month, I want to look at one of these unique animals in particular, the mountain woodland caribou.

Caribou, along with moose are the two deer most highly adapted to living in northern climates. Unlike deer and elk, both of which tolerate the mountain winter, caribou and moose were designed with the cold in mind. The hooves of caribou are the widest of all deer, helping them to travel in snowbound landscapes. In addition, the dewclaws are somewhat larger than other deer, helping to add to the surface area of the hoof. This in turn adds to its ability to support the weight of the caribou. In the winter, a hair grows between the toes to help protect the feet from sharp ice crystals, and to provide added traction on ice.

Is it a male or a female?

Watching caribou in the winter can cause a great deal of confusion. We have been trained to distinguish male members of the deer family from females by the presence of antlers. Caribou throw this simple identification technique into disarray. In caribou, both males and females grow antlers, just at different times of the year. During the summer, the males grow impressive sets of antlers that will become an important tool in competing for the opportunity to mate during the fall rut. A large set of antlers increases a males opportunity for mating and thus helps to ensure his genes are carried to the next generation. It is for this reason that antlers are a good evolutionary adaptation. Since only healthy animals will be able to afford to divert so much energy (and calcium) to building antlers, the healthiest animals will usually have the most impressive head gear. On the other hand, since male antlers evolved strictly to ensure opportunities to mate, it would seem to make sense to shed the antlers as soon as possible after the mating season has ended. After all, every gram of extra weight that we carry around requires that we eat enough food to keep up our strength. Usually, by Christmas the male caribou have shed their antlers.

It is at this time that the female caribou will grow a set of antlers. They are usually just a short spike, just enough to out compete the males for the limited supply of food available during the winter. After all, now that the females are pregnant, the males are irrelevant. It is more important that the females get the most nutritious foods in winter. So if you see a caribou with antlers at this time of year, it is more than likely a female.

Caribou Hot Spots

Caribou are not easily spotted in the mountains. They tend to be secretive and rarely approach the roadside like the more common elk. However in the winter, there are two excellent places for viewing caribou. As you travel north from Banff to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 North), caribou are commonly spotted along the road north of the Columbia Icefields. Also in Jasper, the drive to Maligne Lake is another great spot for spotting these secretive deer.

Don't forget to reduce your speed along mountain roads. You don't want to see one too close!