The reindeer roundup, beginning in late September, is an exceptionally busy season for reindeer herders. The reindeer roundup gathers the reindeer for marking and for the selection of reindeer for slaughter. Slaughter commences after the reindeer roundup and begins the season for fresh reindeer meat. Finland produces some two million kilos of reindeer meat annually.
The schedule for the reindeer roundup is in accordance with the reindeer’s natural yearly rhythms. The breeding season or “rut” begins in the fall. At this time each reindeer doe begins to gather a group of bucks, making it easier to collect the reindeer into large herds for the roundup. The fall roundup season lasts from the end of September to January. The start of the roundup season depends on factors such as weather and reindeer movements. The exact schedule for the reindeer roundup is defined by the reindeer herding cooperatives. The busiest period of the roundup is in October-November, when fresh reindeer meat is most readily available.
Lapin Liha’s selection of fresh reindeer meats products and recipes for their preparation can be found here.