In early August, 23 contestants from the three Baltic states competed in Latvia to claim the title of best reindeer caller. Competition rules call for a strict dress code and the reindeer callers must start their performance with a tip of the hat. The sounds, according to the hunters, allow them to communicate with the animals in the forest.
“It’s amazing when you can talk to animals in the forest and understand what they are saying back to you,” said Kaspars Larmanis, a contestant from Latvia. “That’s why my colleagues and I go into the forest. We talk not only to deer, but also to wolves, roe deer and other animals.”
Experienced deer hunters say that calling these animals can give them an idea of where the rutting males are, whether they are old or young, or whether they are protecting their females. Contestants use a variety of tools, from special instruments to pipes, shells and lamp-globes.
“Finding, attracting and hunting a mature deer is the real gold medal,” said Lithuanian contestant Vaidas Martinkus.
This is the seventh time the competition has been held in Latvia. The winner of the competition will be able to showcase their talent at the European championship in Poland next year. See a clip from the contest at www.lrt.lt at minute 5.17 to 7.40. The website LRT.lt illustrated the article with a photo of a moose, but the translation of “elnias” is actually reindeer.
