WILDLIFE REPORT FROM N.H. FISH AND GAME - July 22, 2005 

This month the Wildlife Report looks into how our wild creatures cope 
with the summer heat. Hope you're managing to stay cool and get out to 
see lots of great wildlife! 

IN THIS ISSUE:
    * How Do Wild Things Keep Their Cool? 
    * Moose Wishing for Winter
    * A Way Out for Bats
    * Become a "Wonders of Wildlife" Docent 
    * N.H. Deer CWD-free


THE HEAT IS ON! HOW DO WILD THINGS KEEP THEIR COOL?

The hottest days of the year are at hand. While we can escape to our 
air-conditioned offices, cars and homes, the wild things have their own 
methods of keeping their cool. For starters, most wild critters shed 
their winter coats, just like us, and go with a much lighter covering for 
the summer. Even the birds have far fewer "summer" feathers. Gone is 
the luxurious winter fur of the mink, fisher or fox. Deer have shed the 
long, hollow insulating hair of their winter coat. In fact, not only do 
deer have less hair, but you'll notice that deer even are sporting a 
much lighter-colored reddish coat of hair for the
summer. They'll put on their darker winter coat to absorb more warm 
sunlight this fall.

Did you know that wild critters have AC, too? Sure they do. We call 
them ears! Deer, moose and rabbits, as well as all others with ears, use 
them to radiate heat away from their bodies. The ears are full of blood 
vessels that help move the heat out of their bodies.

Just like we humans, wildlife prefers the nightlife on these hot summer 
nights. During the day, bears will go to the local bog to wallow in a 
cool spring-fed hole in the ground to stay cool. In fact, lots of 
critters will head underground during the hot summer days to keep their cool. 
Just like you'll probably be spending a little more time in your 
basement, or at least appreciating it a little more, this summer. Don't 
forget to keep plenty of fresh water available for your pets at all times 
this summer and make sure they have shade. Your basement is a great place 
to keep your pets cool, too. --Eric Orff, wildlife biologist


MOOSE WISHING FOR WINTER

Like every good Yankee, moose hate the heat. They don't spend the dog 
days of summer in lazy contemplation of possible summer fun. They spend 
it praying for cold or rain or possibly both. Moose are perfectly 
adapted for extreme cold and this, unfortunately, makes them not so well 
adapted for heat. First there is the fact of their large-volume-to-surface 
ratio. An adult bull moose weighs around 1,200 pounds, but is only 6 
feet tall at the shoulders. That's a lot of volume packed into a 
relatively small surface! If you've ever gained 50 pounds while remaining the 
same height, you'll instantly understand how a larger volume-to-surface 
ratio causes problems with heat dissipation. 

While you're still packing those extra pounds, put on your 
grandmother's old mink coat. Now you're coming closer to understanding heat from a 
moose's point of view. A moose has one of the thickest hides and most 
insulative hair coats of any land mammal. Moose do completely shed their 
winter coat every spring, but they immediately grow a new hair coat of 
both hollow guard hairs and wooly undercoat. As a result, moose start 
to heat stress when summer temperatures reach 57 degrees F and are 
panting by 68 degrees F. 

A moose's idea of a fantastic vacation would probably be the Arctic 
Circle in August. Sadly, they can't call a travel agent, so instead they 
hunker down and try to stay cool. They accomplish this in a variety of 
ways. If moose get too hot, they can reduce their heat load by panting 
or, like us, sweating. To avoid getting hot, moose will reduce their 
activity and stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. They 
may bed down in shaded wet areas, getting rid of heat through 
convection. 

If it stays hot for several days, moose will also limit their food 
intake. Finding, consuming and digesting 40 pounds of browse every day 
creates a lot of heat, so by limiting food intake, they can also limit the 
amount of heat they generate. Unfortunately, this can cause problems in 
late winter if a moose fails to gain enough weight in the summer to get 
it through till spring. Too much heat stress in the summer can cause 
moose to starve to death by winter's end. Is it any wonder they prefer 
cold, wet summers?

Living in New Hampshire, moose are very nearly at the southernmost 
extremity of their range. Our highest moose densities are found in the 
northern portion of the state and moose densities diminish rapidly as you 
travel north to south. We are very fortunate to have moose in our state, 
but if you live in southern New Hampshire you need never worry that 
moose densities may increase till there is a moose in every backyard. 
Unless, of course, every backyard comes with a shaded pool! -- Kristine 
Bontaites, Wildlife Biologist and Moose Project Leader


A WAY OUT FOR BATS

Watch out! Duck! Take cover! Is that a bat flying around in your 
bedroom? By mid-summer, bats born a few weeks ago are ready to try out their 
wings. Some of these bats end up in strange places, like right in your 
bedroom. Isn't it amazing how, as adolescents, bats make foolish 
mistakes just like we humans do? 

The best way to get rid of an unwanted bat is to give it a route to fly 
outside. Get children and pets into another room and isolate the bat to 
a room by closing the door, keeping the bat inside. Then, open the top 
of a window and simply let the bat fly out. 

Avoid handling the bat if possible, but if the bat won't fly out, put 
on gloves and throw a large cloth over the bat. Scoop it up inside the 
cloth and toss the whole bundle outside. 

Bats only rarely have rabies. However, if any person or pet is bitten 
by a bat, be sure to save the bat and have it tested by the State for 
rabies. But remember, don't touch dead animals - if it is absolutely 
necessary to pick one up, wear rubber or latex gloves. If you think you 
have been exposed to rabies, seek medical advice immediately. There's more 
advice on the Fish and Game website.

Remember, in New Hampshire, a bat in the house just needs a way out! 
--Eric Orff, wildlife biologist


BECOME A "WONDERS OF WILDLIFE" DOCENT

If you're into wildlife, like kids and have time to volunteer during 
the day, you might enjoy being a Wonders of Wildlife (WOW) educator for 
New Hampshire Fish and Game. A three-month training course for new 
volunteers begins September 22. 

Trained WOW docents travel to schools to present programs on New 
Hampshire wildlife and endangered species, aquatic ecology and wetlands. WOW 
volunteers get 11 sessions of free training between September and 
February on topics like the importance of habitat; wildlife restoration 
programs in New Hampshire; and furbearers. Lectures and other activities 
give docents a chance to explore a wide range of wildlife themes, 
including migratory birds, deer population concerns and the future of 
endangered species. 

Volunteers also learn teaching techniques and specific environmental 
school programs. After the training is complete, WOW volunteers commit to 
at least 48 volunteer hours of natural resource education over the 
following two school years. The training sessions and most presentations 
take place during school-day hours. 

A full schedule of WOW docent training sessions and an application can 
be downloaded from 
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Education/ed_WOW_docents.htm. For more 
information on volunteering for WOW program, contact Stephanie Hicks at 
Twin Mountain Fish and Wildlife Center, 1450 Route 3 North, Whitefield, 
NH 03598; e-mail mgoody@ncia.net; or call (603) 846-5108 or (603) 
271-3211.


NH's DEER CWD-FREE

New Hampshire's deer population shows no evidence of chronic wasting 
disease (CWD), based on monitoring data gathered during the 2004 hunting 
season. Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disorder known 
to affect white-tailed deer, mule deer and elk. There is no evidence 
that people can become infected with CWD. 

Chronic wasting disease was first identified in 1978 and remained 
isolated in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska for about a decade. This spring, 
CWD was detected in both captive and wild deer in New York State, 
bringing the disease far closer to New Hampshire's borders than ever before. 
To date, CWD has been detected in wild or captive deer or elk in a 
total of 15 states and provinces.

During the fall 2004 deer hunting season, New Hampshire Fish and Game 
collected heads from hunter-killed deer across the state for testing. A 
total of 385 deer heads were sampled. All tested negative for CWD. This 
monitoring is part of a nationwide effort to identify areas with CWD 
and prevent its spread. For more on CWD as it relates to New Hampshire, 
visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/CWD_QandA.htm.

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The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the 
state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit 
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us.

-- 
Copyright 2005 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, 
Concord, NH 03301.  Comments or questions concerning this list should 
be directed to lpoinier@wildlife.state.nh.us.