Re: Swan hunt controversy

[Tim Avery <tanager at timaverybirding dot com>]

As many of you know and may have heard me argue in the past, the hunters have as
much a right as any to be there, and obtain their permits to hunt.  And in many
cases we as bird watchers have them to thank for much of the wetlands we use to
bird watch.  This is not say anyone has to support hunting, but more or less
understand the different sides of "Sporting".  Most of us choose to watch and
"shoot" through a camera, others choose the excitement of walking around in the
mud and shooting waterfowl with a gun.

On the side of the Trumpeter Swans it is a tough call.  I personally took the
quiz just for interest sakes and do not believe in any way would it help a
hunter distinguish between Trumpeter and Tundra especially when the birds are
flying over.  In most cases from personal experience (as most of my family
still do hunt waterfowl) when a flock of Swans flies over it si jsut a jumble
of white.  And to be honest, I probalby wouldn't be able to ID a trumpeter with
a flock flying unless it was an extremely large bird, calling.  Another factor
is the number of Tundra Swans that spend the fall and winter along the lake;
that being anywhere between 30,000 and 75,000 swans.  This in comparison to the
estimated 100 Trumpeters.  This means that 1 in every 3,000 to 7,500 might be a
Trumpeter.  The odds are highly in favor of the Trumpeter Swans in this case.

This is not to say a Trumpeter being shot isn't a travesty, but the chances are
slim, as the last email showed 0 - 2 are taken each year.

In any event my point is that most hunters that are hunting waterfowl, aren't
hunting Swan, as the state only issues 2,000 permits, with a success rate of
something like 15 - 25%.  The chances of the swan hunt in Utah haveing drastic
effects on the Trumpeter Swan are not likely, and all that taking the swan hunt
away would do is take money away from projects to help create and save mroe
wetlands for birdwatcher (and hunters) to use.

Another piece to look at in this case would be something that could happen right
now.  What if a hunter were to shoot the BRANT at Bear River.  Technically, it
wouldn't be illegal and it could happen.  Does this mean we should close the
goose season?  Several years ago in Florida a hunter shot a White-cheeked
Pintail at a NWR and was harassed terribly for shooting the bird.  Many birders
argued that he should have knwon better thatn to shoot the bird, but nothing
ever happened to him, because there is no law against shooting foreign
waterfowl.  I myself have seen on several occasions, hunters with Black Duck
and Eurasian Wigeon at Bear River NWR, and most wouldn't even realize what they
had unless they were told by someone.

In any event, just a few things to think about.

Just my two cents on this highyl controversial topic.

Good Birding

Tim

Salt Lake City, UT or Beloit, WI
http://www.timaverybirding.com

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