Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: Fishnclifff on December 15, 2016, 12:59:17 PM

Title: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Fishnclifff on December 15, 2016, 12:59:17 PM
 Men Fined For Shooting 4 Tundra Swans Near Tri-Cities
December 15, 2016 Andy Walgamott   

The shooting of several tundra swans near Tri-Cities early last month serves as a good reminder to know your target before you pull the trigger, as well as illustrates the strong partnership between hunters and fish and wildlife officers.

When the giant waterfowl were illegally killed early on Nov. 6 by a pair of middle-aged Western Washington men, nearby hunting parties at McNary National Wildlife Refuge by Burbank quickly called WDFW’s poaching hotline to report the incident.

Details were patched through to Sgt. Brian Fulton who contacted two federal wildlife officers, and the trio went to the blind and located four hidden tundra swans. :bash:

“They told us they’d shot some snow geese the day before and thought they were snows,” says USFWS Officer Hindman. :dunno:

While that’s possible in the early light of a Columbia Basin morning, there’s also quite a bit of size difference between the two species, plus tundra swan necks are much longer than those of snow geese.

Hindman says he doesn’t believe the two men went out that morning to purposefully kill swans, but all the same, it’s a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to do

Both men were fined $560, which they’ve subsequently paid, he says.

Hindman says that the unit where the swans were shot is a draw hunt where hunters are given ground rules before going out. Information that tundras are in the area has been added to the spiel.

At least three other tundras have been shot here this season, but in this case waterfowlers saw something that wasn’t right and immediately called it in.

“The hunting community by and large doesn’t stand for these violations. It really makes our job easier,” Hindman says.

He adds that USFWS and WDFW have a good working relationship.

Though not open for harvest in Northwest states, limited tundra swan hunts occur in the Dakotas, Utah, North Carolina, Alaska and Montana.

Hindman says the four killed at McNary NWR will likely be mounted for display at the refuge’s visitor center.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: boneaddict on December 15, 2016, 01:06:00 PM
Nice work by all parties except the idiots doing the shooting.  I'm glad they specified they were from Western Washington. Lol :chuckle:     I wonder if they are members here.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Bob33 on December 15, 2016, 01:14:03 PM
Nice work by all parties except the idiots doing the shooting.  I'm glad they specified they were from Western Washington. Lol :chuckle:     I wonder if they are members here.
They must either be ______ _____s or members of the _______s. ;)
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: huntingfool7 on December 16, 2016, 07:16:04 AM
$560 seems cheap.  No mandatory court appearance on something like that?
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: birddogdad on December 16, 2016, 07:36:12 AM
agree, 560$ doesn't fit the crime.. state would have more invested in response than that!
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Wacenturion on December 16, 2016, 07:53:45 AM
Geez.....how sad.  Got off cheap for sure.  Boy if you don't know the difference between a snow goose and a swan, you have no business hunting waterfowl....period.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Stein on December 16, 2016, 09:27:25 PM
They should have read the mute swan thread.


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Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Fishnclifff on December 16, 2016, 09:45:38 PM
I believe the 560 is only the state portion of it.
It is a fed. violation of the Mig. Act, so they may be looking at a fed. court appearance also.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: JODakota on December 16, 2016, 10:36:45 PM
They did mess up, but I do feel the state should issue a lottery on tundras. They aren't endangered and plenty of states allow harvest. I'm not condoning in any way,  I do, however, feel there should be a season on them. Good work WDFW
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: greenhead_killer on December 16, 2016, 11:42:07 PM
This Is the same reason stuff up north (skagit) is becoming more difficult. Saying they thought they were snows is laughable. Those tundras are like a 747 going by. If you're that far off, time to hit the indentification books.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: huntingfool7 on December 17, 2016, 10:06:37 AM
They did mess up, but I do feel the state should issue a lottery on tundras. They aren't endangered and plenty of states allow harvest. I'm not condoning in any way,  I do, however, feel there should be a season on them. Good work WDFW
:yeah: 
Nothing like having a tag in your pocket when Tundra Swans make a second pass :)
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: constructeur on December 17, 2016, 11:20:00 AM
They did mess up, but I do feel the state should issue a lottery on tundras. They aren't endangered and plenty of states allow harvest. I'm not condoning in any way,  I do, however, feel there should be a season on them. Good work WDFW

If we have people that shoot snows the day before and can't tell the difference in them and a swan the very next day, it sure doesn't make a good case for the rest of us that can identify the different swans.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Fieldp66 on December 17, 2016, 12:20:27 PM
I could of bagged one yesterday outside of Fall City. It was bee Bopin' down the middle of the road near some farm land. I stopped when I got close to it and it waddled by. It stopped at the window to look at me eye to eye (or to check out it's beak in the mirror). I was in an SUV and taken back by how big they are up close. I thought some thing may have been wrong with it but I saw it take flight in the rear view mirror.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Britt-dog on December 17, 2016, 05:29:46 PM
$560.00 per person is nothing. Won't even pay the taxidermy bill on all four. you and I are now paying for that.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: huntingfool7 on December 17, 2016, 06:31:20 PM
They did mess up, but I do feel the state should issue a lottery on tundras. They aren't endangered and plenty of states allow harvest. I'm not condoning in any way,  I do, however, feel there should be a season on them. Good work WDFW

If we have people that shoot snows the day before and can't tell the difference in them and a swan the very next day, it sure doesn't make a good case for the rest of us that can identify the different swans.
I think the "I thought they were snows" is kinda like a drunk saying "he only had a couple".  Both come off pretty lame in front of a LEO.  It's not believable at shotgun range that a swan is honestly mistaken for a snow goose.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: JODakota on December 17, 2016, 06:50:03 PM
They did mess up, but I do feel the state should issue a lottery on tundras. They aren't endangered and plenty of states allow harvest. I'm not condoning in any way,  I do, however, feel there should be a season on them. Good work WDFW

If we have people that shoot snows the day before and can't tell the difference in them and a swan the very next day, it sure doesn't make a good case for the rest of us that can identify the different swans.


I think the "I thought they were snows" is kinda like a drunk saying "he only had a couple".  Both come off pretty lame in front of a LEO.  It's not believable at shotgun range that a swan is honestly mistaken for a snow goose.

Yeah, the "I think they were snows" sound like a tall tale.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: hdshot on December 22, 2016, 09:18:21 AM
Just getting harder to think about spending the money and time to hunt next to the people with poor ethics.  Not hard to believe but they where not the lucky ones to have the swans fly into range.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: pianoman9701 on December 22, 2016, 09:29:38 AM
I hope they roasted them. Those taste great!  :) The flavor is a little like a cross between bald eagle and peregrine falcon!
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Oh Mah on December 22, 2016, 09:38:03 AM
I follow the regs,That being said i dont think this has anything to do with ethics.these should be on the menu.  :twocents:
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: pianoman9701 on December 22, 2016, 09:42:19 AM
It is an ethical question. So should Sandhill cranes, but they aren't yet. So, you don't kill them. Part of being an ethical hunter is making sure of your target. Another part is not trying to hide the evidence when you fail at that. Whether or not there are plenty of them doesn't change how we handle ourselves in the field.  :twocents:
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: npaull on December 22, 2016, 09:42:57 AM
Quote
They did mess up, but I do feel the state should issue a lottery on tundras. They aren't endangered and plenty of states allow harvest.

Agreed. The state could offer a lottery for a few dollars and make a ton of money for say 100 permits or whatever. I could shoot one almost every time I hunt the Skagit delta...
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Special T on December 22, 2016, 09:48:35 AM
Quote
They did mess up, but I do feel the state should issue a lottery on tundras. They aren't endangered and plenty of states allow harvest.

Agreed. The state could offer a lottery for a few dollars and make a ton of money for say 100 permits or whatever. I could shoot one almost every time I hunt the Skagit delta...
I think the main problem with swans is similar to the problem with not having separate limits for mergansers. This is a Pacific flyaway issue and there is no way  that California would allow a change. Swans are big beautiful knowledge birds. So if we can't get a change on esa fish eating ducks there is no chance to shoot swans.
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: Oh Mah on December 22, 2016, 10:11:58 AM
It is an ethical question. So should Sandhill cranes, but they aren't yet. So, you don't kill them. Part of being an ethical hunter is making sure of your target. Another part is not trying to hide the evidence when you fail at that. Whether or not there are plenty of them doesn't change how we handle ourselves in the field.  :twocents:
I guess if you look at it this way.The lying would make it unethical.If they werent illegal to shoot simply because there pretty is what i meant.  :tup:
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: pianoman9701 on December 22, 2016, 10:13:38 AM
Understood.  :tup:
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: huntingfool7 on December 22, 2016, 01:53:05 PM
I hope they roasted them. Those taste great!  :) The flavor is a little like a cross between bald eagle and peregrine falcon!
Swan is absolutely delicious.  I have no idea what eagle or falcon tastes like, I'd guess a lot like any other fish eater.  :)
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: pianoman9701 on December 22, 2016, 03:16:24 PM
 :chuckle:
Title: Re: Swans shot at Mcnary
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on December 22, 2016, 06:12:18 PM
I saw two cygnets by themselves on Wells Reservoir yesterday.  Quite likely the adults and possibly other brood mates got whacked.
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