Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (2024)

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    • Kingdom - Animals - Animalia
      • Phylum - Vertebrates - Craniata
        • Class - Mammals - Mammalia
          • Order - Deer / Sheep / Goats / Bison / Pronghorn - Artiodactyla
            • Family - Deer / Moose / Elk - Cervidae
              • Species - Woodland Caribou - Rangifer tarandus caribou

Woodland Caribou - Rangifer tarandus caribou

Image Copyright and Usage Information

Native Species

Global Rank: G5T5
State Rank: SX

Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:

Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (1)

External Links


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Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (4)
Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (5)

General Description

We do not yet have descriptive information on this species. Please try the buttons above to search for information from other sources.


Species Range

Montana RangeRange Descriptions
Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (6)

Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (7)Historical


Western Hemisphere Range
Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (8)



Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database

Number of Observations: 76

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)Map Help and Descriptions

Relative Density

Recency


(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)

Habitat

Spring: follow green-up, lower elevations, open timber; females calve at higher elevation slopes and ridges. Summer: mature spruce-fir, north slopes; rut habitat similar, moister, denser. Early Winter: old growth cedar-hemlock. Late Winter: mature subalpine fir.


Food Habits

Winter: arboreal lichens. Spring: forbs and shrubs. Summer: Vaccinium membranaceum and Valeriana sitchensis. Fall and early Winter: evergreen forbs and shrubs and arboreal lichens.


Ecology

26 to 28 caribou in northern ID, southern BC, 3 to 5 calves, 11 to 13 cows, 3 to 10 immature bulls, 3 to 4 mature bulls, cows, calves, immature bulls usually found together in 3.4 groups, mature bulls often more solitary - often move south.


Reproductive Characteristics

Selkirk herd raised 3 calves 1982 and 84, 5 calves in 1985. Calving second week of June at high elevations; high early calf mortality, maybe as high as 50 to 75% annually. Rut mid-September to October.


References

  • Additional ReferencesLegend:Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (14)ViewOnlinePublication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (15)Anonymous. 1953. Caribou on the Yaak. Montana Wildlife. August.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (16)Bergerud, A.T. 1973. Movement and rutting behavior of Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) at Mount Albert, Quebec. Canadian Field-Naturalist 87:357-369.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (17)Cameron, R.D. 1994. Reproductive pauses by female caribou. Journal of Mammalogy 75(1):10-13.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (18)Chadwick, D.H. 1982. Caribou south of the border? National Wildlife 20(5):40-42.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (19)Child, K.N. 1980. Caribou in British Columbia. Province of British Columbia, Ministry of the Environment Informational Pamphlet. 4 p.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (20)Drumheller, S. Biologists losing battle to save dwindling caribou. Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint, ID: The Spokesman Review.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (21)Drumheller, S. Caribou herd up for adoption. Coeur d'Alene, ID: The Spokesman-Review. 27 August 2000. p. A8.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (22)Evans, H.F. 1960. A preliminary investigation of caribou in northwestern United States. M.S. thesis. University of Montana, Missoula. 145 pp.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (23)Evans, H.F. 1964. An investigation of woodland caribou in northwestern United States. North American Wildife and Natural Resources Conference 29:445-453.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (24)Foresman, K.R. 2012. Mammals of Montana. Second edition. Mountain Press Publishing, Missoula, Montana. 429 pp.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (25)Gebrke, C. 1982. Prognosis gloomy for Idaho caribou. High Country News 14(21).
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (26)Helena Independent Record. Are caribou hiding in the hills? Helena, MT: Independent Record. 15 February 1983.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (27)Helena Independent Record. No trace of caribou found in northwest Montana search. Helena, MT: Independent Record. 30 April 1986.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (28)Hoffmann, R.S. and D.L. Pattie. 1968. A guide to Montana mammals: identification, habitat, distribution, and abundance. Missoula, MT: University of Montana. 133 p.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (29)Jerry, D. 1984. Selkirk Mountain caribou management plan/recovery plan. Portland, OR: U.S. Fish Wildlife Service, Idaho Panhandle NF. 121 p.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (30)Joslin, Gayle, and Heidi B. Youmans. 1999. Effects of recreation on Rocky Mountain wildlife: a review for Montana. [Montana]: Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (31)Manley, T.L. 1986. Status review of woodland caribou in Montana. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Final Progress Report. 84 p.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (32)Miller, D.R. 1977. Feasibility of reintroducing caribou in Glacier National Park [1976 progress report]. P. 49 in K. L. McArthur, comp., 1976 Annual Research Summary, Glacier National Park. USDI National Park Service, Glacier National Park. 64 pp.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (33)Miller, D.R. 1977. The feasibility of reintroducing caribou in Glacier National Park: a preliminary study. Unpubl. Rep. 16 pp.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (34)National Audubon Society Newsletter. Truce calms Idaho caribou conflict. New York, NY: NAS Newsletter. June 1986. p. 3.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (35)Nelson Jr., L. and W. Baker. The woodland caribou: bigfoot of the Selkirks. Moscow, ID: USDA Forest Service and Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Pamphlet.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (36)Peterson, R. L. 1966. The mammals of eastern Canada. Oxford University Press. Toronto, Canada. 465 pp.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (37)Rominger, E. 1990. Research continues on augmentation of the southern Selkirk Mountain caribou herd. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin 15(8):1.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (38)Scott, M.D. and G. Servheen. 1985. Caribou ecology. Idaho Department of Fish & Game. Job completion report Project #W-160-R-12. 136 p.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (39)Servheen, G. and L.J. Lyon. 1989. Habitat use by woodland caribou in the Selkirk Mountains. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 53(1): 230-237.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (40)Stephenson, R.O., D.V. Grangaard and J. Burch. 1991. Lynx, Felis lynx, predation on red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, caribou, Rangifer tarandus, and Dall sheep, Ovis dalli, in Alaska. Can. Field-Nat. 105:255-262.
    • Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (41)USFWS. 1986. Proposed Rules List of Animal Petition Findings. Federal Register 51(6):997.
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Woodland Caribou - Montana Field Guide (2024)

FAQs

What happened to woodland caribou? ›

A similar fate befell the woodland caribou herd in Alberta's Banff National Park. The herd dwindled to a point where a single avalanche wiped out its last remaining members in 2009. Poof.

What is the difference between caribou and woodland caribou? ›

Woodland caribou that live in the boreal forests of Canada (boreal caribou) are a type of caribou that is considered to be different from the large, migratory barrenground herds, and from the woodland caribou that live in the Mackenzie Mountains, which are known as "mountain caribou." However, genetically both boreal ...

Where can I see woodland caribou? ›

The Woodland Caribou is federally protected under the Species At Risk Act and under the Canada National Parks Act (where it is found in Canadian National Parks). It's also provincially protected in Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, and Alberta.

Are caribou native to Montana? ›

Caribou, members of the deer family, are native to northwest Montana but have almost completely disappeared from the contiguous United States over the last half century. Woodland caribou herds once stretched from central British Columbia to Idaho, Montana and Washington.

What is the status of the woodland caribou? ›

Boreal caribou are listed as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act, as well as under provincial legislation in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Labrador, Northwest Territories and Quebec (in French only).

What is being done to save the woodland caribou? ›

Indigenous communities and organizations are continuing to lead and participate on a number of projects related to protecting boreal caribou critical habitat, such as identifying important areas for boreal caribou, population monitoring, and developing management plans, as well as engaging in collaborative approaches ...

What are 3 fun facts about woodland caribou? ›

Interesting Facts:

Caribou can run as fast as 50km an hour! The Inuit name for the caribou is tuktu. The Woodland Caribou—a subspecies that lives in the boreal taiga regions of Canada and a small part of the United States— is an endangered species, mostly due to habitat loss.

Are woodland caribou rare? ›

ESA Status: Endangered

The southern mountain caribou distinct population segment (DPS) of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is currently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, with designated critical habitat.

Are woodland caribou becoming extinct? ›

After more than a million years on Earth, the caribou is under threat of global extinction. The precipitous decline of the once mighty herds is a tragedy that is hard to watch — and even harder to reverse. Caribou make do. They use as little as possible, often what nobody else wants.

Is a woodland caribou a reindeer? ›

Caribou and reindeer are the same species and share the same scientific name, Rangifer tarandus. Caribou are what the species is called in North America and reindeer are what they are called in Eurasia.

What color are woodland caribou in summer? ›

Members of the deer family, caribou are distinguished by their large, splayed hooves, broad muzzles, long legs, and distinctive amber-colored antlers. Their color ranges from a deep chocolate brown in summer to a grayish tan during spring, while they simultaneously sport a whitish underbelly, neck and rump.

How big do woodland caribou get? ›

Woodland caribou measure 3.6 to 4.6 feet tall at the shoulder. Males weigh 350 to 500 pounds, while females weigh 240 to 330 pounds. Body coloration is dark brown, contrasting with a whitish neck, shoulders and rump, and overall coloration becomes paler during the winter and spring.

Are moose native to Montana? ›

Moose are considered to have been rare throughout the U.S. Rocky Mountains until the mid 1800s, yet their earlier presence in several regions of Montana were documented by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805–1806 and others.

What breed of elk is in Montana? ›

Elk Management For Montana Landowners. A Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) is an impressive animal. Mature bulls average 700 pounds while cow elk weigh in at about 500 pounds. The majestic antlers of a bull elk can weigh more than 40 pounds.

Are there caribou in Glacier National Park? ›

Southern mountain caribou range includes habitat in Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Jasper and Banff national parks.

Are woodland caribou extinct? ›

The southern mountain caribou distinct population segment (DPS) of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is currently listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, with designated critical habitat.

Why is the woodland caribou endangered in Idaho? ›

No matter what they're called—South Selkirk caribou, mountain caribou, or black caribou (as a few North Idaho old timers still call them)—the issues faced by present as well as extirpated animals are the same: habitat fragmentation and destruction due to resource extraction (primarily timber and mining), human ...

Why did caribou disappear from Minnesota? ›

In Minnesota the vast muskeg wetland complex near Red Lake gave wintering caribou a place to hide from hunters and wolves. But by the early 1920s, Minnesota caribou were endangered as well. Homesteaders had drained much of the Big Bog, hoping to turn the peat wetlands into a rich farmland.

Why did the caribou become endangered? ›

Mountain caribou are considered one of the most endangered large mammals in North America. Loss of old-growth habitat to logging and other development have removed old growth and reduced caribou numbers to roughly 1,900 animals across North America.

References

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