Swan Hunt

Cessna Flyer · 12-21-2009, 02:24 AM

My son and I put in for the Tundra Swan hunt here in North Carolina and got drawn, so Saturday Dec 19th we went on the hunt just outside Plymouth, NC.

My son got the first Swan with his browning A500 using BBB's and my dog had a 300 yard retrieve on it. as when shot it was a solid lung shot and the swan set its wings and gluided forever. then nothing for an hour and an half and a lone mature single comes and I take lead and shoot my Pedersoli 12ga double muzzleloading shotgun and break its right wing and down it comes. That was exciting and the guide was pretty impressed also. That swan is now at the Taxidermist getting mounted in a cupped mount. My load was 60grains of 777 powder and a 1 1/4oz #4 ITX shot

Pygmy · 12-21-2009, 10:00 AM

Congrats....That will make a very cool mount..

Gonna save any of the meat..??...

Cessna Flyer · 12-21-2009, 02:29 PM

Pygmy, ah yes, We are having Swan for Christmas dinner

Pygmy · 12-21-2009, 03:33 PM

Glad to hear that... I'd be interested to hear how you like it.. Never talked to anyone who has ever eaten it..

I've done a number of diy big game hunts in Alaska... Pairs of tundra swans are very common there.. I see an occaisional one here in southwestern NY...
However, the only FLOCKS of them I have ever seen were either in central PA ( near Lancaster) and along the Susquehanna near Harrisburg, Pa. Really cool to see a flock of 100 or 200 of them..

Cessna Flyer · 12-22-2009, 02:00 AM

I got to eat swan for the first time last year. It is a little sweeter and more tender than Canada goose.

Hunting Kuk · 12-22-2009, 03:16 PM

thats cool never knew a swan could have a season never seen one either alot bigger than i would have imagined

Hunting Kuk · 12-22-2009, 03:18 PM

how much they weigh?

SwampCollie · 12-23-2009, 04:36 AM

The girlfriend and I both have tags for this season. Going to head down to Chesapeake just after the atlantic side goose season opens back up.

Thats pretty cool taking a swan with a ML.... I've always thought it would be cool to hunt with one.

Cessna Flyer · 12-24-2009, 03:32 AM

Weight, Mine was about 12-15 pounds sure got heavy in a hurry.

I started hunting with the double barrel black powder early this year, and I am addicted to using it. My modern guns don't get much work anymore.

FLBandit · 12-24-2009, 12:32 PM

I didn't know there was a season either. We have lots of swans around here, but they are cared for like they were children. We even have some that are descended from a pair given as a gift to the city from the Queen of England! Needless to say, we don't hunt them. Every now and then someone will hurt one, or try to steal one, and I think the people around here put it on the same level as child molesters! However, I'd love to take one somewhere it's legal. Looks like a challenging hunt, and a good bit of meat!