Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl Tundra Swan

For the 2nd year in a row I've drawn a Virginia Tundra Swan permit.Didn't get to go last time due to military missions. Hope to be able to make it this year. I've done a lot of duck and goose hunting over the years but have never taken a swan. Really looking forward to trying to fill the permit this season.

Cheers.

Flags

Like shooting down an ultra-light. Hard to beat swan hunting for a good time. The birds in these parts are so naive that it's more a matter of finding the time to kill one than working very hard.

Just got my draw e-mail from NCWRC, didn't get drawn last year, but did the two previous years. Looking forward to a morning in the corn fields of Hyde County. Welcome to the fire Flags, always glad to have another waterfowler around!

Saw an immature swan, grey in color, knocked down while snow goose hunting years ago. Watching that Lab try and retrieve it was comical to say the least.

That reminds me... Years ago (when I was swan hunting) I saw a guy bring down a mature tundra swan near Lake Mattamuskeet and watched his Chesapeake Bay retriever get it.

The dog grabbed the swan just under the chin, then the dog dragged it backwards across a field by this neck hold. He even stopped to rest a couple of times, and kept turning around to see if his master was still watching him (or perhaps checking to see if he still wanted the bird brought back?).

It was a good thing this particular swan came down dead... otherwise, it might have been an interesting contest.

Thanks for bringing that memory back, Hawk.

John

I have hunted them the last 3 years and they are truly the hardest thing to bring down I have ever shot at.

I will say that Federal Black Cloud is worth its weight in gold. 1 shot with BBB brought one of the Piper Cubs down, in the past I had been using regular Rem Steel shot and it didnt work nearly as good.

Good Luck.

I've hunted black swans in New Zealand. It's like shooting down small aircraft!

They fly deceptively fast, and getting down the right lead takes some trying. Whatever you do, don't be in the way of one when it's coming down.

You got that right!

The adult swan I shot came straight down (with a broken neck) and damn near landed inside the small stake blind with myself and my host.

As it was coming down, both of us thought that it was going to hit us, but we could not get out of the blind fast enough.

Fortunately, the bird landed about 3 feet from the blind, where it broke about an inch (perhaps a bit more) of ice. I would hate to think of the damage it would have caused had it hit one of us (well, to be honest, I would have hated for it to have hit me!)

John

I have killed 4-5 swans (can't remember exactly) and seen a bunch more killed. All my hunting has been in Hyde Co. NC. 12 gauge 3 inch T shot has always worked for me. Lead them quite a bit, they are moving fast. Even over decoys and in close aim for the beak.

I have killed 10 an seen 40 to 50 shot over the last 20 years an alot of people i take will say there is no way i can miss that thing its as big as a jet then they stand up an burn about 25.00 bucks worth of the latest nontoix shot an not get a feather.They fly alot faster than you think an are alot futher than they look .Here is what i preach to my hunters if you kill the head the body will be dead good luck .