Wild reindeer friendly trip planner
Thank you for showing consideration for wild reindeer when planning your trips!
In this planner, you will find three questions you should ask yourself before heading out on your hike. Under each question, you will find more information that is useful for those who care about protecting wild reindeer. Click on the questions to go to each section or scroll down the page to read more about each one.
The Mountain Safety Rules have become second nature for anyone who ventures into our mountains. Since many of our mountain areas are the home of wild reindeer, we hope that our six wild reindeer rules will also be helpful guidelines.
Is your trip in a wild reindeer area?
Use the map to see if your trip is in a wild reindeer area.
- Yellow indicates wild reindeer areas
- Blue indicates domesticated reindeer areas
You can zoom in and out on the map. To get more information about each area press it and then go to “more info”
- Yellow indicates wild reindeer areas
- Blue indicates domesticated reindeer
You can zoom in and out on the map. To get more information about each area press it and then go to “more info”
Is your trip in a protected area?
In Norway, we have several types of protected areas.
Do you know which rules apply in protected areas in Norway?
Photo: Karina Gjerde
Do you know which rules apply in protected areas in Norway?
Photo: Karina Gjerde
The responsibility behind the Right to Roam (Allemannsplikten)
Some you might have heard of our Norwegian Right/Freedom to Roam but did you know that if we don’t follow our responsibilities, we lose this right?
In the Norwegian Outdoor Recreation Act (Friluftsloven) §2, we find the Freedom to Roam: “In uncultivated land, everyone may walk freely throughout the year, as long as it is done considerately and with appropriate caution.”
What many may not know is that with this right comes a responsibility that those who use it must follow. These responsibilities are outlined in §11: “Anyone who travels or stays on another person’s land or in the sea must act considerately and cautiously, so as not to cause harm or inconvenience to the owner, user, or others, or harm the environment. They are also obligated to ensure they do not leave the place in a condition that could be considered unsightly or cause damage or inconvenience to anyone.”
In practice, these responsibilities mean not disturbing or harming wildlife and nature.
If you do not follow the duties you forfeit you freedom to roam.
If you do not follow the duties,
you forfeit you freedom to roam.
When are you going on your trip?
SPRING
Spring means calving season, and from mid-April to mid-June, calving takes place in wild reindeer areas. During this time, the reindeer need peace and quiet so that the female and calf can get enough nourishment and rest. If the reindeer are disturbed during this period, the female may, in the worst case, abort the calf or become separated from it. The calf cannot survive without the female at such an early stage of life.
This is the most vulnerable time for the wild reindeer. Consider choosing an area without wild reindeer for your hike.
SUMMER
In the summer, the reindeer fatten up for the winter. It is important that the animals have plenty of grazing time, as well as time to rest and digest their food. Reindeer are ruminants and need time to chew their cud. If they are disturbed, they lose grazing and resting time, which contributes to them becoming in poorer condition (health-wise). If they enter the winter in poor condition, they have less chance of surviving the season. Follow the wild reindeer rules to minimize disturbance to the reindeer.
AUTUMN
Autumn is the rutting season and wild reindeer hunting. Wild reindeer hunting usually takes place from mid-August to mid-September, and during this time, you as a hiker share the wild reindeer mountains with the hunters. Both you as a hiker and the hunter have the right to use the wild reindeer mountain, but both of you must respect each other.
When the hunting season ends, the rut (mating season) begins, from mid-September to the end of October. During this time, wild reindeer gather in large herds, and the males compete with each other to impress the females so their genes can be passed on. If they are disturbed during the mating season, the number of matings may decrease, and the growth of the wild reindeer herd will be lower than usual.
WINTER
Winter is a vulnerable time for wild reindeer, as they rely on stored resources from the summer, such as lichen, twigs, and dry grass. If the reindeer do not have enough time to graze and rest, they may not survive the winter. If a female reindeer is in poor condition at the end of winter, she may abort (miscarry) her calf or give birth to a calf with very low birth weight. Calves with low birth weight have a lower chance of survival compared to calves born with higher weight.
Choose a area without wild reindeer for your hike.
However, if you are in a wild reindeer area, please follow the wild reindeer rules.
What activities are you doing?
With the use of tools (motorized or non-motorized) such as a kite, snowmobile, bicycle, or dog sled, you can quickly travel deep into a wild reindeer area. This increases the risk of approaching animals quickly, often without either you or the animals noticing until it is too late.
Click on the images to learn more:
How many are you?
When hiking, you have the least impact on wild reindeer if you stay together and follow the trails. Trails and paths act as barriers for wild reindeer when there is heavy traffic. In Rondane, 30 crossings of a trail within 24 hours are enough for the reindeer to hesitate or avoid crossing the trail (NINA Report 1013). If more people move off the trails, it could create even more barriers that the reindeer are afraid to cross. Therefore, we ask that you stick to the trail.
Even if you walk together, you still affect the wild reindeer if you do not take sufficient care, so please follow the wild reindeer safety rules.
In some protected areas, organized activities may require a permit. What is considered organized activity varies from area to area, so you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the applicable rules.
Check the protection regulations or visit the national park and protected area authorities’ websites
Long or short hike?
On a long trip. you can venture deep into or pass through one or more wild reindeer areas. Then you could potentially disturb several herds of wild reindeer and wild reindeer in multiple areas. In any case, it’s good to remember that you might encounter wild reindeer even if you’re just on a short-day trip in the outskirts of a wild reindeer area.
Is there something you didn’t get an answer to? Or do you have any comments?
Contact us at the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre!!
You can also contact:
Wild Reindeer Committees // Wild Reindeer Boards // Visitor Centres // Protected Area Managers
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about wild reindeer-friendly hiking! 🫶
Have a nice trip!
Photo: Kjell Bitustøyl