Reindeer are in Iceland, however, they are not indigenous.
They were imported a long time ago by some of the original settlers in hopes of
providing a good source of meat as there were no sheep here either. The problem
with reindeer is that they migrate great distances because they need lots of
grazing range. They simply could not convince the Icelanders to become nomads
and follow them all over the place. So shortly after they were imported, they
were let free. They have sustained a respectable population to the point where
they are hunted in limited numbers through a national lottery that allows a
fixed number of hunters to take a specific number of reindeer.
I was told that the hunting season is about to begin – and the reindeer know it because each year at this time, they go hide in the most remote valleys and hunters have a difficult time finding them.
I was lucky to see one and take some pictures of him. You will notice that he is shedding his velvet. He will shed his antlers, an annual occurrence, in the coming winter months when the mating season is over.
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