Mute Swan

[callturner]

Judging from the federal invasion map the mute swan is not very wide spread . Just treat it like you would any other swan and go find a place to shoot a legal one. 

[jbeaumont21]

I'm not going to shoot one. The risk is not worth the reward.  Just would be nice to know one way or the other.  I see many other states make it pretty clear cut one way or the other and even allow shooting of them.  I guess one could consider the WA regs that reads Swans - closed state wide to be pretty straightforward though...  Oh well

[Caseyd]

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[Fastass350]

We had a couple dozen coming into our setups the last couple days, cool to see coming in within range and just watching them go. They set in the field a hundred yards out or so, actually think it helped bring the geese in maybe.

[Stein]

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Looks like a trumpeter?

[Guzman]

The species “mute swan” is invasive and should be legal to shoot. I would say it probably isn’t worth tha hastle but would seem legal to me.

Washington not having an actual swan season is a complete joke to me. More politics than science in my mind.

[Skyvalhunter]

Love to see the brief foot pursuit and squabble on video

[Stein]

The species “mute swan” is invasive and should be legal to shoot. I would say it probably isn’t worth tha hastle but would seem legal to me.

Washington not having an actual swan season is a complete joke to me. More politics than science in my mind.

Way too many trumpeter and way too few tundras.  States that have swan seasons usually have the other situation, tons of tundras and few if any trumpeters.  It would be too difficult to tell the difference.

With mutes, yeah, if it has an orange beak it should be legal to shoot.  I think the WDFW release above is incorrect, I don't think there are federal laws against shooting mutes, only state law.

[KP-Skagit]

More and more and more swans than there every used to be. Unfortunately I do not ever see a season in this state.

When I was a kid I used to jump shoot a lot in some fields near our house. One year we heard there was a whooper swan around. The next morning I get up and head out with the dog and by the time I reach the first ditch there was about 200 cars lined up on a nearby the road looking at a group of swans in the field.

Obviously I never used to shoot at the swans but they would jump when I shot. I figured there was NO way I was going to deal with that scrutiny and potential reports of someone "shooting swans". I turned around and went back home.

I did see the whooper out there. Lots of yellow on the bill.

[ASHQUACK]

I drew a tag in Mt this year and was moderately successful. 

[callturner]

Nice bird. Freezout?

[ASHQUACK]

Nice bird. Freezout?

Yes, 1st one ever.

[Stein]

How was the meat?

[ASHQUACK]

Pretty dang good. Almost a cross between goose and elk.

[huntindoc]

You get that swan without a guide?