It is natural that the season at which the new antlers of the Barren
Ground Caribou begin to grow should vary greatly according to sex and
age, just as the shedding of the antlers does; probably also, for the
various forms of _Rangifer_, according to locality (_cf._ Jacobi, 1931:
237). On Southampton Island “the new antlers begin to appear in the
males in March and April” (Sutton and Hamilton, 1932: 85). In Alaska
Murie (1935: 24) “has found old bucks late in April with velvet knobs
well begun.” Seton’s account (1929, +3+: 102-103) of the seasonal change
of antlers is not only meager but largely at variance with the
information I assembled in Keewatin. Recently gathered information is
supplied by Banfield (1951a: 17-18).
Measurements of the length of antlers in the velvet (right and left,
respectively) were recorded as follows: adult male, June 18, 420, 440;
adult male (figs. 3, 4), August 17, 1165, 1205; adult female (fig. 21),
September 21, 220, 165.
Scratching or anointing of antlers in the velvet with a hind hoof was
observed in an adult buck on June 16, and in a fawn on August 27.
While there is undoubtedly some correlation between the age of a Caribou
and the number of points on its antlers, I am not aware that such a
correlation has been worked out to a satisfactory degree. The Schweder
brothers judged a Caribou’s years by the number of points on both
antlers, yet freely admitted that they had limited confidence in such a
criterion. Probably they would be nearer the actual facts if they
counted the points on only one antler. The situation is complicated by
the fact (if we are to credit Jacobi, 1931: 238) that bucks in other
forms of _Rangifer_ exhibit the best development of antlers at six to
eight years.
_References._--Hearne, 1795: 198-199; Franklin, 1823: 240-241;
Lyon, 1824: 270; Richardson, “1825”: 327-328, and 1829: 241;
Richardson, in Back, 1836: 499; Armstrong, 1857: 478; Murray,
1858: 199-206; B. R. Ross, 1861: 439; Osborn, 1865: 227; Pike,
1917 (1892): 49; J. B. Tyrrell, 1892: 128; Dowling, 1893: 107;
Russell, 1895: 51, and 1898: 225; Whitney, 1896: 238-239; J. W.
Tyrrell, 1908 (1898): 79-80; A. J. Stone, 1900: 53; W. J.
McLean, 1901: 6; Elliot, 1902: 279-280; Hanbury, 1904: 95, 116,
133; Hornaday, 1904: 138; J. A. Allen, 1908a: 488; R. M.
Anderson, 1913b: 505; Stefánsson, 1913b: 151; Buchanan, 1920:
126; Blanchet, 1925: 33, 1926b: 47-48, and 1930: 49;
Birket-Smith, 1929 (1): 50, 89, 239-251; Seton, 1929, +3+:
102-103; Critchell-Bullock, 1930: 192; Jacobi, 1931: 237; Sutton
and Hamilton, 1932: 81-86; Ingstad, 1933: 159; Hornby, 1934:
105; Murie, 1935: 20, and 1939: 244; Clarke, 1940: 95; Downes,
1943: 228; Manning, 1943a: 52-53; Harper, 1949: 228; Banfield,
1951a: 17-18; Barnett, 1954: 104.
_Rubbing trees_
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