My 2014 Swan Hunt

Friday night as soon as I was off work Chris Todd and I went out swan hunting. We were out there and set up by 3. I joked and told the boys we are NOT picking up decoys until its officially shooting hour close after what happened last time. There were a flock of swans that came over around 3:30. Nothing close enough to shoot and they didn't want to turn into our decoys. We had a few more smaller and far out flocks come in around 4:30. Shooting hours officially closed at 5pm. We had a flock fly over head with about 25 swans still too high. A few of them dropped out and landed to the west of us. We had swan hunters to the west and to the south east of us. The group of 3 landed close to the guys west of us decoys. We were watching the birds through the binoculars. One swan was HUGE and grey. I kept hoping they would pick up and come towards us. We were watching the clock too. Its now 4:40.. 4:50.. and the swans are still sitting there. We can hear swans all around. We have a set coming in from the north of us too but still far..

Its now 4:55....4:56... I glance to the east of us and 3 swans are flying low and right over us. I have 3 1/2 inch T shot loaded in my gun. I am shooting directly above me and hit the lead swan. 

It doesnt drop but sets its wings and coasts out to the water just over 100 yards from us. I can tell its injured. Todd jumps out of the boat and pushes us out of the weeds. I hop in the front. Chris gets the motor uncovered and started. We head towards the swan. The two other swans that were with it circle over us twice and try and land in our decoys.

 To be legal you cannot have your motor running and have to have all movement from the motor stopped to legally shoot from the boat. We run to about 25 yards or so from the swan. Kill the motor. Wait for the boat to stop and I shoot it again. I hit it but still not enough. It starts swimming off. We get closer and I shoot it again at about 15 yards(head shot again) and it still doesnt die. Rue is out of the boat on the last shot and is after it. She is trying so hard to catch it but its wing is broken and she is swimming as fast after it as she can. She keeps getting a mouth full of its tail feathers. Chris starts the boat back up and turns towards the swan and the dog. I set my gun down and he pulls the boat up next to the swan and I catch it and drop it in the boat. Its 5:00. I can hear Todd yelling from where we left him. Chris is jumping up and down happy. I was pretty dang happy too! It was a HUGE swan. Way bigger than the one I shot two years ago.

                                         

The way a swan tag works is you have to put in and draw out for it. You dont draw every year and usually about every other year. So I wont be lucky enough to get a swan tag again next year.. but hopefully Dad, Todd and Chris will!

We took the swan into be measured (you legally have to within 3 days of shooting it so they can gather information on it) and they measure from the nostril to the end of the beak. My measurement was 51.1 which is really good size. The lady said I was the first adult woman to bring in a swan to the Refuge this year. We have decided we probably need to mount this one!