An additional contributory factor of what SD posted, is that it takes a long, long time for overgrazed (if they are) lichen to come back.. I believe the average "natural" cycle of caribou herds is on the order of about 70 years.
Or you Quebec folks could just put in a pregnant-cows-only season for 3 1/2 months a year, mid October to Feb 1, like they did in GMU 23 here in Alaska "to slow the decline of the herd".
That should fix it. If you figure out how, PM me.... (Yes, I'm still beating that horse!)
The referenced GMU23 Western Arctic Caribou Herd, by the way, was estimated at 213,000 last summer, with good recruitment and heavier than average calf weights, up from 200,000 the year before. It must be working....???
