Joe-Winter and Swans

In a post this morning, Joe mentioned seeing the largest flock of swans he’s ever seen in a flooded field out side of St Peter. A week ago, I was taking photos of a large group sitting in Mud Lake.

Just a few short years ago, if I saw anything large and white in the water, it was pretty much always a pelican. Not so much anymore. There are a lot of swans and pelicans out there! Wondering what changed?

On a side note, did you know it was against the law to shoot a swan? Is there anyone here that didn’t know that? If there is, you might want to contact your state rep to support this bill that’s in the senate and house right now.

“(m) $1,400,000 the first year is for designating
swan protection areas under Minnesota
Statutes, section 97A.096, and to provide
increased education and outreach promoting
the protection of swans in the state, including
education regarding the restrictions on taking
swans. This is a onetime appropriation and is
available until June 30, 2026.”

I know $1.4M isn’t much in a budget, but I think that money would be better spend educating me on how something like this can even be introduce.

I never saw swans or pelicans growing up in the Eau Claire area (even lived along the Chippewa River in a rural setting).

Swans and pelicans are now regular inhabitants of Swan Lake (large swamp area) in between St Peter and New Ulm. Not as much swans but I see pelicans all over MN and WI on my fishing excursions as well.

When you are stealing $17 billion you can afford $1.4 million to the bird watchers.

There has been so many swans and geese on the river by my house at night I can hear them when Im in the garage with the tv on. Been wanting to walk down there with the girls but always to damn cold or windy.

I do I apply for that job on educating people on not shooting swans?? I didn’t realize we had such a problem with poaching of swans.

Personally I feel like the swan and sandhill crane population have rebounded to the point we should be talking about opening the hunting season on them like the Dakotas, if our DNR were concerned whatsoever with increasing hunting opportunities anyway…

BigWerm wrote:

Personally I feel like the swan and sandhill crane population have rebounded to the point we should be talking about opening the hunting season on them like the Dakotas, if our DNR were concerned whatsoever with increasing hunting opportunities anyway…

I hear from old timers that the Sandhills were once called Ribeye in the sky. I would like to try it out.

BigWerm wrote:

Personally I feel like the swan and sandhill crane population have rebounded to the point we should be talking about opening the hunting season on them like the Dakotas, if our DNR were concerned whatsoever with increasing hunting opportunities anyway…

“Sandhill cranes are a protected species in Minnesota, but it is legal to hunt them in part of northern Minnesota during the sandhill crane hunting season each year.”

Brian Klawitter wrote:

“Sandhill cranes are a protected species in Minnesota, but it is legal to hunt them in part of northern Minnesota during the sandhill crane hunting season each year.”

Yeah….
Open area: Sandhill crane zone only (The very NW Corner of the state, Kittson, Marshall, Red Lake, Pennington and parts of Polk and Roseau counties)
Season dates: Sept. 18 – Oct. 24
Daily limit: 2 sandhill crane
NEW Shooting hours: 1⁄2 hour before sunrise to sunset
License: Small game
Stamps: Not required
Permit: Sandhill crane permit ($3): all hunters

John Rasmussen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
Personally I feel like the swan and sandhill crane population have rebounded to the point we should be talking about opening the hunting season on them like the Dakotas, if our DNR were concerned whatsoever with increasing hunting opportunities anyway…

I hear from old timers that the Sandhills were once called Ribeye in the sky. I would like to try it out.

Also heard them called flying filet mignon and roast beef on a stick.

In my small Briank’s World, I don’t see or hear that many SH’s. I think the swans are just passing through but still in much higher numbers then before. Pelicans on the other hand…

One question, if there was an open season on swans, how many of us could tell the difference between a trumpeter, tundra and the invasive mute swan? (googling not allowed to answer).

John Rasmussen wrote:

I hear from old timers that the Sandhills were once called Ribeye in the sky. I would like to try it out.

I have a co-worker from North Dakota who has hunted and consumed them. He said ribeye of the sky is an exaggeration, but they are “decent.”

I would like to try one too. Perhaps there will be a statewide season for them here in the future.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

In my small Briank’s World, I don’t see or hear that many SH’s. I think the swans are just passing through but still in much higher numbers then before. Pelicans on the other hand…

One question, if there was an open season on swans, how many of us could tell the difference between a trumpeter, tundra and the invasive mute swan? (googling not allowed to answer).

It’d be nice if there was a season on them all with no differentiation. You can’t hardly be outside our place without being bombed by geese, swans, cranes, and every other type of migratory bird there is by the hundreds

gimruis wrote:

I would like to try one too. Perhaps there will be a statewide season for them here in the future.

Save a leg for me Grim!

It seems there is some irony in the fact that hunters are the main reason there is habitat for swan and sandhill crane populations to rebound, but special regulation is now needed to protect the growing population.

Living next to the MN River and a big WMA, I see big flocks of everything. Tons of Swans and Sandhills the last couple weeks.

Tom Knapp used to call sandhills folding chairs. Because when you shot one it was like folding up a folding chair.

Love seeing both swans and sandhills. I remember seeing one swan in a flooded marsh when I was young – in the early 80s. Now I can step out on my driveway and look up – I bet within 5 minutes a migrating flock will fly by. Sandhills seem to double each year and I hope to be able to hunt them in southern MN some day. If you watch some of the hunting footage from down south, they come in flocks as numerous as geese – up here it still seems like it’s groups between 2 and 6 at a time, but seeing them all over.

Sandhills started landing in the field next to my house when I lived in Princeton. My only opinion of them is they make a heck of a racket.

I have shot plenty of sandhill cranes. They are fun to hunt especially if they are decoying. Pass shooting is often used too. Cranes are extremely agitated by truck headlights. If (when) headlights hit a roost area the entire flock usually busts and they fly around in the dark – eventually shifting to another area. Something to keep in mind if you are hunting them … I guess kind of like a gobbler in a tree. Get close, but if you get too close – oh well.

Swans …

There are two wild species of swans in North America.

Tundra Swans
Tundra swans breed in (well the arctic tundra) and migrate through the Dakotas on their way to their wintering area (mainly the Carolina coast). This diagonal migration results in many staging on parts of the Mississippi River – south of Lake City or so.

Tundra swans (massive flocks) migrate through MN in November and now (March-April) … I hear them on my deer stand. I am hearing them often when outside the past week or two. It is possible some of the larger flocks being seen now are Tundra Swans – listen to their call …

Tundra swans are the species hunted in the Dakotas and North Carolina.

Trumpeter Swans
Trumpeter Swans are the common species in much of Wisconsin and Minnesota. They were “reintroduced” and now are prolific breeders across Minnesota. I wonder sometimes if their aggressive territorial ways push Canada geese and even ducks off some of their nesting ponds.

Trumpeter Swans seem pretty dang hardy and I will see them in fields near the St Croix River almost any month of fall, winter, spring.

Trumpeter Swans sound like – a trumpet. Trumpeter swans are measurably larger than Tundra Swans.

Everyone here can search Tundra and Trumpeter swans on google or youtube and listen for themselves.

Swans have increased dramatically over my life. Especially the last decade and few years. I cannot drive to our cabin without seeing multiple. More and more spend time on our lake but still wont nest there. Must not be the right setup.

Brit, where did the Mute Swan come from?

We are lucky not to have the invasive Mute Swan. They are considered a problem in Michigan and other places east. I remember them not being afraid of us years ago steelhead fishing in a semi remote river.

suzuki wrote:

We are lucky not to have the invasive Mute Swan. They are considered a problem in Michigan and other places east. I remember them not being afraid of us years ago steelhead fishing in a semi remote river.

Maybe if they’d just talk about their problems they wouldn’t be so aggressive and mean, but, you know… they’re mute.

Sandhills are everywhere in Central Wisconsin. In the fall they bunch up to migrate south. You will see flocks of up to 1000, maybe more. In the fall they change from a light brown color to a gray when getting ready to migrate.

My only opinion of them is they make a heck of a racket.[/quote]

They are very noisy for sure!!

I heard Sandhills last weekend while ice fishing. They had already set up shop near the lake I was on in NW Wis. Honestly they can go from “OMG how exotic, I love seeing them” to ” will those things just shut the $^#^% up!!!!”
pretty fast if they live near you.

They will also f^$% up a yard pretty fast too. My FIL had a couple in his yard a few years back and hated them, he put up a make shift fence out of streamers and other stuff that is supposed to keep them out.

Heard my first bluebird this morning. He has to be thinking WTF!

Saw my first Red Wing Blackbird this last week.

My friend Tim Alms was taking shots of bluebirds in Red Wing starting around March 20th. And you’re right, can’t you just see the expression on this ones face from last weekend?

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