Mt. Evans Trout Fishing
Grandma & Grandpa's Fishing Pond

Reindeer live here, too!

Some interesting facts about reindeer...

Reindeer are domesticated Caribou. It is believed they have been domesticated for thousands of years. Since 1961 Reindeer are divided into two major groups, the tundra reindeer with six subspecies and the woodland reindeer with three subspecies. In the wild in North America they are called Caribou.

Male reindeer are called bulls, females are called cows and both have antlers that grow from the skull all covered with short hair called velvet, which is gradually rubbed off, leaving solid bone antlers. Babies are called calves; they don't get antlers before their second year. Reindeer antlers are second in size only to the Moose!

Their hair is called pelage. It covers their entire bodies leaving no bare skin and keeps them warm down to -50°F. The long beard of hair under their chin acts as a bib when drinking so water doesn’t get to their underbelly and freeze.

Domesticated reindeer eat barley, hay and other special ingredients, but in the wild they have been known to eat lemmings, arctic char and bird eggs! We keep them away from the fishing pond just in case they decide they like rainbow trout!

They don't normally kick backwards, but they can kick sideways. Caribou and Reindeer feet are large to carry their weight on soft ground, but they adapt to the season. In the summer, when the tundra is soft and wet, the footpads become sponge-like and provide extra traction. In the winter, the pads shrink and tighten, exposing the rim of the hoof which cuts into the ice and crusted snow to keep it from slipping.

Historically, Julius Caesar wrote of Reindeer in the first century BC, "In the middle of its forehead a single horn grows between its ears, taller and straighter than the animal horns with which we are familiar. At the top this horn spreads out like the palm of a hand or the branches of a tree." Santa's Reindeer were first named in the 1832 poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, and Rudolf was added in 1939 as Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Come on by Grandma & Grandpa's Fishing Pond anytime and visit Jerky and Bingo (our bulls) and Elle and Princess (our cows). These unique and friendly animals enjoy visitors and love children. They have such friendly adorable personalities and would love to visit with you.