Meeting Abstract
Waterfowl face a multitude of stressors throughout their annual cycles. These stressors include energetic demands associated with life history stage, weather, and waterfowl hunting seasons. Many studies have examined the effects of hunting, but few have focused on how hunting affects the stress physiology of waterfowl. Any stressful stimulus will elicit a physiologic stress response and activate the sympatho-adrenal system culminating with the release of epinephrine and corticosterone (CORT). These hormones aid in survival and recovery over the short-term, but if CORT is elevated over a long period it can lead to decrements in health. Importantly, maintenance of body condition is well known to affect future reproductive potential. The aim of this ongoing study is to determine whether hunting alters body condition (BC) and stress physiology of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Our recent findings suggest that hunting does not alter BC or baseline CORT. Thus this study focuses on how mallards protect themselves against reoccurring stressful encounters and elevated energetic demands. Mallards may alleviate this is by seasonally altering how they respond to stress. To examine this, we collected mallards before the hunting season in North Dakota and; before, during, and after the hunting season in Arkansas. Birds underwent a standard capture and restraint protocol and blood samples were analyzed for CORT levels. We hypothesized stress induced CORT levels change depending on the energetic demands of annual cycles. Thus far, our data support this and indicate that mallards dampen their CORT response during the fall to minimize decrements in BC.
