TUNDRA SWAN

Cygnus Columbianus

Average length: M 52.0", F 51.5 Average weight: M 16.0 lbs., F 13.9 lbs. Average Wingspan: 72-85 in

Tundra swans are managed as two populaTIons in North America: The Western PopulaTion and the Eastern Population. Both populations are generally called the same, but are different in their by breeding areas, migration routes, and wintering areas. Surveys in 2015 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service es mate about 117,100 Tundra Swans in the eastern populaTION on and about 56,300 in the Western Population. As of now there are 8 States that allow hunting of Tundra Swan, states in the Western PopulaTION on zone and States in the Eastern populATION on zone.

HUNT TACTICS

There are two ways to hunt a swan. Pass shooting and decoying. Decoying Swan's to a floating decoy spread is the most popular in all Swan permit areas except for North Carolina as they have greater success in field hunting them.

Pass shooting Swan seems to be prevalent in all permit areas. Again, scouting plays into success. Roost, feed and flight paths are important to being successful. Once you figure these out you can set up your hide and wait, while knowing that being mobile may be needed as like most birds their path might change from day to day.

DECOYS

IN MOST AREAS YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH HARVESTING A SWAN WITH AS LITTLE AS 4 SWAN DECOYS BUT WITH MOST WATERFOWL SPECIES, THE MORE THE MERRIER WHEN IT COMES TO DECOYS! SCOUTING IS YOUR ACE IN THE HOLE WHEN TARGETING THESE MAGNIFICENT BIRDS. YOU SHOULD FIND THEIR ROOST, FEED AND FLIGHT PATH THRU SCOUTING AND SET YOUR SPREAD ACCORDINGLY.

CALLING

IF YOU HAVE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK SWAN'S WILL DECOY TO YOUR SPREAD LIKE NO OTHER SPECIES OF WATERFOWL, ESPECIALLY IF THE HUNTER CAN USE A SWAN CALL OR IS SUFFICIENT AT CALLING THEM BY MOUTH. CALLING SWANS BY MOUTH TAKES VERY LITTLE PRACTICE AND EXPERTISE, WOOO-HOOO, WOOOO, BRRRRRRRRR-WOOO AND YOU'RE A SWAN CALLING PHENOM.

SHOT

I HAVE SEEN SWANS HARVESTED WITH A .410, 28, 20 AND 12 GAUGE NUMEROUS TIMES WITH 1 SHOT. THIS IS DEFINITELY 1 BIRD I LIKE TO GET IN AROUND THE 20 YARD RANGE BEFORE PULLING THE TRIGGER. AIMING FOR THE HEAD IS YOUR BEST BET WHILE KEEPING IN MIND THAT SWAN FLY FASTER THAN THEY APPEAR DUE TO THEIR SIZE. THE BEST AMMUNITION TO USE IS THE ONE YOU FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE WITH. I HAVE SEEN THEM SHOT WITH 6 SHOT TUNGSTEN OUT OF A .410 AND HAVE HARVESTED MANY WITH 2 ¾, 1 1/8 2 SHOT STEEL.

Pass shooting Swan seems to be prevalent in all permit areas. Again, scouting plays into success. Roost, feed and flight paths are important to being successful. Once you figure these out you can set up your hide and wait, while knowing that being mobile may be needed as like most birds their path might change from day to day.

Western Population open to hunting

Alaska= Units 17, 18, 22, 23 permits available over the counter for residents and non-Residents. 1 permit per hunter, each permit allows you to harvest 3 swan, 1

per day. Season dates= Sept 1st– Oct 31st. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/

Utah= 2000 permits available thru lottery. http://wildlife.utah.gov

Montana= 500 permits available thru a lo ery for the PaciFic flyway/Freezeout Lake. http://fwp.mt.gov

500 permits available thru a lottery for the Central Flyway portion of the state. Nevada= 650 permits available thru a lo ery. http://www.ndow.org/

Eastern Population open to hunting

Virginia= 600 permits available through LOTTery. http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/

South Dakota= 1100 permits available for resident lottery, 200 for non-residents thru lottery. North Dakota= 2700 permits available thru lottery. http://gf.nd.gov/hunting

North Carolina= 6250 permits are available thru lottery. www.ncwildlife.org

http://fwp.mt.gov

https://gfp.sd.gov/hunt/

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FIELD NOTES

THE GREAT TUNDRA SWAN - BY TYLER HILLS

FIRST SWAN

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..", comes from a line in section 1.10.32.

The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.