Syracuse.com - Has the cold winter caused white-tailed deer to shed antlers earlier? Ask the Outdoors Guy

[HuntingNY-News]

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Are mute swans really mute?

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<p>Readers are constantly asking me questions concerning the outdoors on subjects ranging from birding to bear hunting.</p>

<p>I give an answer when I can, but often I consult with experts and do research on the matter. This week's questions involved deer shedding their antlers and mute swans.</p>

<p><strong>Q: Isn't now the time when white-tailed deer throughout Central New York are shedding their antlers? Are they shedding them earlier this year because of the cold winter we've been having?</strong></p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> The answer is complex. Steve Joule, regional wildlife manager at the DEC's Region 7 office in Cortland, related the following:</p>

<p>"Bucks drop their antlers much the same way trees drop their leaves. The timing associated with antler casting is controlled by the animal's hormonal state, which, in turn, is tied to the amount of daylight hours (i.e. time of year and latitude).</p>

<p>"In general, growth and retention of antlers is a function of the buck's level of testosterone; in the northeast, a buck's testosterone level typically peaks during the mid-autumn rut and then begins to decline after the breeding season. As the buck's testosterone drops below a certain level, it triggers physiological changes in the connection between the antlers and the attachment point on the skull, known as the pedicle. </p>

<p>"While hormones are the primary determinant of antler casting, there are several other factors that can influence just when a buck will drop his antlers. A feeble state from injury or exhaustion from the rut or severe winter conditions can cause physiological changes that affect the attachment of antlers to the skull, which in extreme cases may lead to premature casting.</p>

<p>"The animal's age and health entering the winter, and its nutritional intake throughout, can play a major role as well. A buck's physiological state is also affected by increased density.</p>

<p>"At high densities, even if nutritional intake is not reduced, the increased social stresses can affect hormonal balance, particularly in younger, less dominant bucks.</p>

<p>"In all case, though, once this complex combination of factors sufficiently weakens the connection, antlers break away with minimal force from rubbing or simply fall off like leaves on a tree.</p>

<div id="asset-14421165" class="entry_widget_large entry_widget_right"><span class="adv-photo-large"><img src="/static/common/img/blank.gif" class="lazy adv-photo" data-original="http://media.syracuse.com/outdoors/photo/14421165-large.jpg" alt="2012-07-23-mjg-Swans1.JPG" /><span class="photo-data"><span class="caption">Mute swans are not mute.</span><span class="byline">Mike Greenlar | [email protected]</span></span></span> </div>

<strong>Q: There's been a lot written lately about the state Department of Environmental Conservation's proposed 10-year-old plan to eliminate wild mute swans, an invasive species, in this state. The DEC is currently revising the plan and will ask for public comment on the revisions some this spring.

<p>Meanwhile, one reader asked me, "Are mute swans really mute?"</strong></p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>Frankly, I've never heard one. <a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7076.html">The state Department of Environmental Conservation website</a> notes, "Mute swans, as indicated by their name, are not very vocal.</p>

<p>"They will, however, grunt, snort, or hiss to communicate, especially if threatened," the DEC said.</p>

<p>I checked out the allaboutbirds.org website maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mute_swan/id">The website's mute swan page</a> has a recording of one sounding off.</p>

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog