Sitka deer, the Beverly herd of Nunavut and N Sask. didn't "move", it is gone.
The lichen in the Beverly calving grounds IS under pressure from vascular plants, a bunch of scientists are measuring that and are reporting their findings objectively.
The wintering grounds of the former Beverly herd don't really exist any more, because of fires that have burnt about 75% of the country they used in the past for winter range. The fires are a result of much hotter, longer, drier summers that have been amply and objectively documented over the last 20 or so years. If you don't believe me, fly from Points North to Uranium City some time. It's a barren wasteland. About three quarters of the terrain that isn't lakes and rivers is covered with fire killed snags and bare rock and sand ridges. this loss of winter range has been going on for a couple decades, and the forestry managers are losing more ground each year.
My son was stationed in Uranium city two years ago. They fought huge fires all summer, he was spending about $5M per day of our taxpayers dollars. They pretty much lost the battle, but saved a few cabins and small settlements. Last summer big parts of Siberia were in the same condition, and we had the smoke all the way here in southern Saskatchewan.
I certainly won't dispute that "poor management" is a recurring problem that contributes to caribou declines, but I think it is an error to apply your personal experience with a small part of the western arctic to the entire arctic, and then dismiss the work of professionals in the field who are doing their best to measure changes and apply statistics to their findings. The circumpolar arctic is a vast space, and you happen to be in the only part in North America that has a reasonably stable caribou population. Enjoy it while it lasts.
