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WILDLIFE REPORT FROM N.H. FISH AND GAME—DECEMBER 29, 2004
Happy New Year from the N.H. Wildlife Report. This month, biologist Eric Orff explains how birds survive our cold New Hampshire nights; and, learn why it’s a great idea to feed the birds, but NOT the white-tailed deer.
Know someone who’d enjoy getting this free monthly report? Have them sign up at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Inside_FandG/join_mail_list.htm. Let us know about wildlife topics you’d like to see covered by emailing jvachon@wildlife.state.nh.us.
In this issue:
 Birds of a Feather...Shiver Together
 Haven for Winter Wildlife
 Feeding Deer Harms their Health
 WILD NH -Sessions for Teachers
 Become a WOW Volunteer
 January Highlights on WJTV

BIRDS OF A FEATHER...SHIVER TOGETHER
Remember the last time you were cold? I mean, really cold, when you shivered so much that your teeth practically rattled. Imagine being that cold every night....all night, all winter long. Birds are! From our cute chickadees to gracious crows, all birds shiver all night long, all winter long. To not shiver is to die.
Our black-capped chickadees not only shiver, but have adapted other heat conserving tactics to survive the cold New Hampshire winter nights. Chickadees actually grow more feathers for the winter, doubling the number from 1,000 to 2,000. Then, all these feathers are fluffed up to add an insulating layer, trapping the warmth of their bodies. They also tuck themselves deep into a thicket of evergreens, or even find a woodpecker hole for night shelter.
Have you noticed how ravenously the birds eat at your bird feeders, especially first thing in the morning and just before dusk? Chickadees can gain as much as 10 percent of their body weight each day and lose it that night. For an adult male human of 200 pounds, that would be a 20-pound gain each day. Imagine losing 20 pounds while you slept. Sounds like one of those too-good-to-be-true commercials, doesn’t it? For birds it’s true!
Because of this harsh reality, every cold night our local birds are flirting with death. It’s always a gamble for them to see if they ate enough that day to get them through a long frigid night of shivering.
These birds can find food naturally, but you can help, too. Is your bird feeder near some close cover, like a thick hemlock or pine tree? Don’t toss that Christmas tree just yet. Place it near your bird feeder for much-needed winter cover. If it’s snowing, be sure to clear the feeder of snow by mid-afternoon. It’s that last meal of the day that is most likely going to get birds through the night.
And don’t forget, once you begin feeding birds during the winter, it is very important to be consistent. Empty feeders may cause hardship during extremely cold or stormy winter weather. If you are going to be away for even a few days, ask a neighbor to check and refill your feeders regularly during your absence.—Eric Orff, wildlife biologist

HAVEN FOR WINTER WILDLIFE
Winter wildlife watching is almost addictive. What better way to spend a frigid weekend than watching the lively scene at your bird feeder? Better yet, why not get outside for a walk or maybe even a drive to spot some of the more exotic species that are often only here in numbers during the winter months.
New Hampshire’s coast is a winter haven for waterfowl and other wildlife. Although our coast is relatively short, there are plenty of places to pull off Route 1-A and take a long look out to sea for a glimpse of the hundreds of sea ducks that normally call our coast home this time of year. (Their summer breeding range is to the north.) Eiders, oldsquaw and several types of scoters can be found diving into the cold surf. Numbers of loons are there, too, dressed in drab winter coats that are quite different from their sleek black and white summer look. Watch the islands exposed at low tide for numerous harbor seals basking in the low winter sunlight.
The open water of Great Bay is another winter “hot spot” for waterfowl. During the first week of January, Fish and Game staff will conduct their aerial winter waterfowl survey, an annual count we’ve been doing for more than 50 years.
Fish and Game is always on the lookout for new areas with over-wintering ducks and geese. Call your local Fish and Game office if you see numbers of wintering waterfowl, and the regional biologist can check the records to see if you are seeing “uncounted” waterfowl. Leave your name, phone number and an exact description of where you are seeing the ducks or geese, so the biologist can determine if the site needs a winter check.—Eric Orff, wildlife biologist

FEEDING DEER HARMS THEIR HEALTH
Good Samaritans who think they’re helping deer by putting out feed in the winter may actually be endangering the health of the herd, says New Hampshire Fish and Game Department wildlife biologist Kent Gustafson.
“People mean well, but don’t realize the damage they’re doing. Feeding wild white-tailed deer may actually reduce the animals’ ability to survive a New England winter, making them more vulnerable to starvation, predation, disease and vehicle collisions,” says Gustafson, the Deer Project Leader for Fish and Game. “Despite people’s good intentions, supplemental feeding creates an artificial situation in which the deer, the habitat and the public may suffer.”
The commercial availability of so-called “deer feed” does not make it OK to feed the deer. The Fish and Game Department urges landowners to NOT provide supplemental feed to deer, because the practice actually can cause far more harm than good.
“Many people think of feeding deer like feeding the birds,” says Gustafson. “But there are some critical differences that make feeding deer unhealthy for the deer population, for plants near the feed site and for passing motorists.”
Problems start because feed sites congregate deer into unnaturally high densities. This can spread diseases among deer and attract predators, increasing the risk of death by coyotes or domestic dogs. It can cause aggression in the herd, wasting deer’s vital energy reserves and leading to injury or death; as well as using up critical fat reserves as deer expend energy traveling to and from the feed site. Feeding can deny access to food for subordinate deer and fawns, and can encourage over-browsing of local vegetation and ornamental plants. It also increases the likelihood of deer-vehicle collisions.
One of the most serious drawbacks to feeding deer is that feed sites lure them away from their natural wintering areas. This attraction can trap deer in inferior winter habitat and increase the chance of malnutrition and predation. If deer continually go to feed sites instead of natural deer wintering areas, then young deer may never learn to find their traditional winter habitat. Also, landowners may not see the value of managing for dense softwood cover, typical natural winter habitat for deer.
Habitat is critical, because in winter conditions, deer conserve their energy, getting as much as 40 percent of their daily energy during winter from their fat tissue. That’s why in winter, COVER—not food—is the key to deer survival. Deer retreat to softwood cover, or “deer yards,” to avoid deep snow, high winds and extreme cold. In these areas, deer move around very little, using a network of trails that disperses them and reduces competition for natural food.
“Quality natural habitat provides the best insurance for deer survival in winter,” says Gustafson. “If you care about deer, leave them alone -- let them be wild, and find natural foods and appropriate winter shelter on their own. The bottom line is, please don’t feed the deer, and discourage friends and neighbors from engaging in this harmful activity.”
“More Harm than Good,” a brochure explaining the negative impact of deer feeding, is available from http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us; from Fish and Game or UNH Cooperative Extension offices or from Extension’s Forestry Information Center at 1-800-444-8978.

WILD NH—SERIES FOR TEACHERS
Teachers and others interested in New Hampshire wildlife will enjoy a distance-learning class called WILD New Hampshire, co-sponsored by N.H. Fish and Game and New Hampshire Public Television. Wildlife-related topics presented by Fish and Game staff and other experts are broadcast through the Granite State Distance Learning Network to educators at various locations throughout the state. Sessions are the third Thursday of each month of the school year (except December and June), from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at five participating sites. Using the network, the presenter can be in one location and the session can be delivered using two-way video and audio to remote sites across the state. Visit http://www.nhptv.org/kn/wildnh/ for a list of the participating sites and directions. No pre-registration is necessary. For information, call Susan Adams at (603) 868-4354.
Upcoming Wild NH series presentations include:
*January 20 -- Moose, presented by Kristine Bontaites, N.H. Fish and Game’s Moose Project Leader.
*February 17 -- Bald Eagle Recovery in New Hampshire, by Chris Martin, Audubon Society of New Hampshire.
*March 17 -- New Hampshire’s Amphibians and Reptiles, featuring Mike Marchand of N.H. Fish and Game’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program.
*April 21 -- New Hampshire Fishes and their Habitats. Presenters:
Laura Ryder and Mark Beauchesne, N.H. Fish and Game Aquatic Resource Education.

BECOME A WOW VOLUNTEER
If you enjoy wildlife and kids, have time to volunteer during the day and live in the western part of the state, a training session coming up offers a chance to get involved as a Wonders of Wildlife (WOW) educator for Fish and Game. A 3-month training course (one 2-hour class per week) for new volunteers starts February 3, 2005, in Enfield, N.H. To register, email mgoody@ncia.net; call (603) 846-5108; or write to Mary Goodyear, Twin Mountain Fish and Wildlife Center, RR1 Box 341, Whitefield, NH 03598.
What does a WOW volunteer do? Trained WOW docents travel to schools or organized youth groups to present programs on New Hampshire wildlife and endangered species, aquatic ecology and wetlands. Find a full schedule of WOW docent training sessions and an application at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Education/ed_WOW_docents.htm.

WILDLIFE WATCHING ON WJTV
Wildlife watchers, resolve to tune in to Wildlife Journal TV every Thursday at 9 p.m. on New Hampshire Public Television. January shows include the following segments: Great Bay’s wintering eagles (special airing at 2:30 p.m on New Year’s Day.), “Whitetails in Winter” on January 6, “In Search of Bats” on January 13, “The Bassing of New Hampshire” on January 20, and the action-packed episode, “Moose Roundup” on January 27. Wildlife Journal is a co-production of Fish and Game and NHPTV. Visit http://www.wildlifejournal.tv for more airtimes and program descriptions.

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Copyright 2004 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301.