# what a job



## huntertom (Nov 6, 2011)

So there i was sitting in my office overlooking the lake when i start to hear shots ring out. knowing that all seasons were done I look out and to see a boat picking up dead swans. This carries on for the next 3 hours. We have.... had about 100 swans on the lake at the highest point. Today there were only 56 swans and only 2 left at the end of the day. These guys were shooting t shot at a hundred yards out of a moving boat making them do cartwheels across the water! As you can imagine there were a few crazies who showed up and let us know that this was sick and wrong. The shooter had 2 sbe's and 2 silenced pumps. I was having so much fun watching that i forgot to snap any pics until the very end when they were pulling out there boat.... 54 birds in all taken off the lake and some very amused neighbors......... the filled up their half ton and the boat full of birds. For all wondering the property owners around the lake signed a petition for this to happen. 75% said yes please.

the pic of the day


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## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

USDA Wildlife Services at their finest, really great guys and good at what they do


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## huntertom (Nov 6, 2011)

BigR said:


> USDA Wildlife Services at their finest, really great guys and good at what they do


could not agree more very nice guys!


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Did they indicate if the meat will be utilized? It would be a shame if it wasn't.

I have heard on good authority there was a cull on LSC in the spring. They did it at night to avoid the "crazies". The toll numbered in the hundreds, but they're back again.


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## rentalrider (Aug 8, 2011)

Wonder if they're taking applications? :idea: Nice boat, too!


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## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

Oh, what a show it must have been. I would have paid money to see that one. I have no love for that type of white beast.


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## huntertom (Nov 6, 2011)

waxico said:


> Did they indicate if the meat will be utilized? It would be a shame if it wasn't.
> 
> I have heard on good authority there was a cull on LSC in the spring. They did it at night to avoid the "crazies". The toll numbered in the hundreds, but they're back again.



Ya thats first question i had as well...the guys said i could have one but would not advise it because of the smell and bad taste. They said they are nothing like the tundra swans out west. So the incinerate them...


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## sthiede (Aug 31, 2004)

man, how do i get a gig like that!?


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

I may or may have not partaken in one of these events...very satisfying either way. :evil:


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

sthiede said:


> man, how do i get a gig like that!?


its all in who you know steve....c'mon.


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## sthiede (Aug 31, 2004)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> its all in who you know steve....c'mon.


I know you Dan!...hook a brotha up!!


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Great pics. Yep, it's being done as quietly as possible, but it is being done. 

PLEASE don't let that pic of the blood coming out of the bilge pump hit the airwaves. I can only imagine what the other side would do with it  In fact, I would suggest you pull that picture before someone does use it against us...but that's just my PC side talking. Not my place to say what's right or wrong.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Where is the this thread is worthless without video emoticon.. :lol:

I agree on the picture.. Fuel to the fire right there..


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## smallmouthpro (Sep 30, 2009)

thats awesome and on lsc this spring i heard they shaked the eggs before they hatched resulting in the deaths of the hatchlings. pretty neat stuff to witness right there :evilsmile


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## huntertom (Nov 6, 2011)

Haha i know should have gotten out my camera gear! 



DEDGOOSE said:


> Where is the this thread is worthless without video emoticon.. :lol:
> 
> I agree on the picture.. Fuel to the fire right there..


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## anon12162011 (Jun 9, 2009)

waxico said:


> Did they indicate if the meat will be utilized? It would be a shame if it wasn't.
> 
> I have heard on good authority there was a cull on LSC in the spring. They did it at night to avoid the "crazies". The toll numbered in the hundreds, but they're back again.


 
One of the last things I heard on this issue is that the USDA were testing several swans for contaminants and heavy metals, due to the nature of their age, the fact they are eating a large amount of organic matter, and some of the areas they frequent and sit all year long. I think also they don't want to advertise it anymore than they have to, although, there have been some extremely public mute swan cullings, it is seldomly done at night actually.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

just ducky said:


> Great pics. Yep, it's being done as quietly as possible, but it is being done.
> 
> PLEASE don't let that pic of the blood coming out of the bilge pump hit the airwaves. I can only imagine what the other side would do with it  In fact, I would suggest you pull that picture before someone does use it against us...but that's just my PC side talking. Not my place to say what's right or wrong.


That's not blood,,, I spilled my whole jug of Hawaiian Punch...


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## Little Roober (Jun 17, 2004)

William H Bonney said:


> That's not blood,,, I spilled my whole jug of Hawaiian Punch...


I thought it was the boat's automatic trans fluid. :lol:


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

i ate a whole bunch of them last year. very tasty.


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## LayinLow (Oct 25, 2011)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> i ate a whole bunch of them last year. very tasty.



They are very good


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

tastes kinda like spotted owl....:SHOCKED:


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## Lvhuntnfish (Sep 2, 2010)

I know a whole bunch of lakes that could use a "clean up" like this.
Must have been a great show.


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## huntertom (Nov 6, 2011)

kind of hoping for animal planet to come out with a swan wars show! There certainly is plenty of drama!


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## lssu-laker (Feb 24, 2009)

What a wasted of opportunity!!!! 

I need one for my life list, and would gladly pay the $25 fee like I did for a Tundra swan permit in ND.

And just think what the state could do with $50,000. (2000 permits @25, ie ND).  The state is broke right?

I know it will never happen due to politics and re-introduced Trumpeters. Its all BS!! We could shoot redheads and blue-bills when canvasbacks were closed. Not sure, don't shoot, simple.


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## BangBangBang (Mar 30, 2011)

didn't someone post on here about there being nuisance permits where one could apply to get one to shoot them yourself, i.e. if you own lakefront where they are roosting???
does anyone recall that?


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## BIG DAVE (Mar 3, 2003)

Mike L said:


> Oh, what a show it must have been. I would have paid money to see that one. I have no love for that type of white beast.


hi mike!!! been wanting to ask this question before,cause
of reading in older posts. why is it hunters dont like them??
(this type of swan) compaired to a trumpter??? are they 
a nuisence??? i used to duck hunt!!! but that was in the
late 70,s and never got back into it.. never saw many
back then...dave


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

BIG DAVE said:


> hi mike!!! been wanting to ask this question before,cause
> of reading in older posts. why is it hunters dont like them??
> (this type of swan) compaired to a trumpter??? are they
> a nuisence??? i used to duck hunt!!! but that was in the
> ...


mute swans dominate acres of nesting in the spring. they are mean. basically birth control for the mallard. kinda like coyotes...not good use for them.


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## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

BIG DAVE said:


> hi mike!!! been wanting to ask this question before,cause
> of reading in older posts. why is it hunters dont like them??
> (this type of swan) compaired to a trumpter??? are they
> a nuisence??? i used to duck hunt!!! but that was in the
> ...


Yep ! Just what the kid said. They dominate....will chase and kill anything in there area. Baby ducks, goslings, even the adults. Up on vacation years ago one came after my son when he was little.......his mistake....


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## BIG DAVE (Mar 3, 2003)

thanks for the info guys!!!


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## lastflighttaxidermy (Jul 12, 2010)

My buddy just got one of those jobs. Cant wait to tag along!


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## huntertom (Nov 6, 2011)

Yes thanks for the education if the feds do indeed take 13,000 swans it seems like the ducks will thrive!


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## bc21 (Dec 15, 2010)

huntertom said:


> http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kent_county/Mute-swans-culled-on-Lincoln-Lake


It is interesting to see the responses of what I assume to be non-hunters at the bottom of the article and how they view this topic.


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

They take em off the game area every year it seems. Makes me jealous seeing the pics of a 747 being held up with big smiles. Wish it was me in the pic just one time. Dont know why we cant have a lottery with a class or something to cull the Mutes....I bet the class would be full!!!


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## kcaramat (Nov 29, 2009)

Finally got a pair of Loons to nest on our lake. They had two eggs and were setting up housekeeping.

Two days later it was all gone, the Swans had destroyed it.


The lake always hatches out several nests of Mute Swans, but none of offspring ever survive. Snapping Turtles get them all ! 

Isn't Karma a bitch !


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

I was amazed to see this on the news tonight. Wondering if you watched tom. Wildlife officials finally helped out what a few locals did one year on snowmobiles, that didnt end as pretty. Loved the one women who said shes never heard shots like that on the lake before. She must be out of town every october. Wish i could have watched. Wonder if they just ran any over. I seen this done to commorants in northern mich as well.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

Spoke to a local fish counter that saw them do a shoot here at fish pt. Same story, blood bath.


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## twoteal (Jul 22, 2001)

Game on!!!! think I can get away with saying its an albino turkey??


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## huntertom (Nov 6, 2011)

haha.. ya i almost texted ya but i wasnt sure how long it was going to last...saw the whole show....and for the lady not hearing any shots thats crazy alot of people hunt here. Maybe the mallards will be back in full force now!



sswhitelightning said:


> I was amazed to see this on the news tonight. Wondering if you watched tom. Wildlife officials finally helped out what a few locals did one year on snowmobiles, that didnt end as pretty. Loved the one women who said shes never heard shots like that on the lake before. She must be out of town every october. Wish i could have watched. Wonder if they just ran any over. I seen this done to commorants in northern mich as well.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

since the cat is out the bag completely (news reports). It's been going on for 3 years at least..on selected waters. there was even many, many topics on here about "why can't we kill these things" while....we were killing these things. lol.

i was sworn to secrecy and it was supposed to be under the radar because of the soft public. The general population cannot stand killing such "peaceful" creatures. Think Dove Bill.

when it becomes more acceptable or "safe" maybe i'll post some cool swan pic's. 

hopefully in the future they come up with a way for us to hunt these suckers during regular season. i dont think worrying about trumpeters is the reason for the non-hunting as much as pushing it past the public is.

i worried about shooting a trumpeter my first time in nodak. its virtually impossible to tell on the wing...mainly its body size but to a new hunter its really tough. but from what i understand nodak figures hunter mortality into it and just faces the fact that some trumpeters might get whacked on mis ID...not much either side can do...although i've never seen it happen.


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## thedude (Jul 20, 2004)

that lake needed it BAD. thought i recognized the pic. 
glad to see it. hope they killed off all of the wretched things


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## Logan the Destructor (Nov 20, 2009)

lssu-laker said:


> What a wasted of opportunity!!!!
> 
> I need one for my life list, and would gladly pay the $25 fee like I did for a Tundra swan permit in ND.
> 
> ...


 
NODAK is paying $15/hour at WENDY's right now. No they don't need the $$$ for killing Tundra's. (Oil is HUGE busines in N.Dak) Michigan needs the $$$$$$$$$$$$ to kill MUTE swans. And from what I witnessed on LSC all summer the state could/would be debt free by June if they opened up a Mute swan "season".

you're welcome.

B


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

Logan the Destructor said:


> NODAK is paying $15/hour at WENDY's right now. No they don't need the $$$ for killing Tundra's. (Oil is HUGE busines in N.Dak) Michigan needs the $$$$$$$$$$$$ to kill MUTE swans. And from what I witnessed on LSC all summer the state could/would be debt free by June if they opened up a Mute swan "season".
> 
> you're welcome.
> 
> B


He said he would gladly pay $25 here like he did in Nodak to shoot swans. and was just showing that ND takes in $50000 off swan permits alone. Making a basis that Michigan could do the same with Mutes...which i entirely agree apon.


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## vezben (Aug 13, 2011)

Mike L said:


> Yep ! Just what the kid said. They dominate....will chase and kill anything in there area. Baby ducks, goslings, even the adults. Up on vacation years ago one came after my son when he was little.......his mistake....


Unfortunately the trumpeters aren't much better . . . if at all . . . and they're endangered . . . so getting rid of them isn't an option once established in an area. The pair on our lake sees to it that every young and/or dumb goose, duck, etc. is killed or driven off from late spring 'til mid-summer. They're relentless. Fortunately there are two or three pairs of geese that have figured out how to lead their youngsters downstream when one of the trumpeters comes patrolling. Pretty stressful for the families and puts them in harm's way quite a bit due to significant traveling on the small stream but at least they're able to get a couple youngsters raised using such a system. I've lent them a hand the past couple years when the swans get them cornered before they can scoot down to safety but it's a losing battle and mainly just makes me feel good. Seems like those things patrol 24/7 during the nesting/brooding season. I hear them getting after the geese at ALL hours of the day during summer. I've contemplated putting a swan decoy out on the lake as something for the swans to tire themselves out on each day. Maybe it'd tip the odds a bit in favor of the ducks and geese if the swans were constantly fatigued from fighting with the decoy?


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## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

vezben said:


> Unfortunately the trumpeters aren't much better . . . if at all . . . and they're endangered . . . so getting rid of them isn't an option once established in an area. The pair on our lake sees to it that every young and/or dumb goose, duck, etc. is killed or driven off from late spring 'til mid-summer. They're relentless. Fortunately there are two or three pairs of geese that have figured out how to lead their youngsters downstream when one of the trumpeters comes patrolling. Pretty stressful for the families and puts them in harm's way quite a bit due to significant traveling on the small stream but at least they're able to get a couple youngsters raised using such a system. I've lent them a hand the past couple years when the swans get them cornered before they can scoot down to safety but it's a losing battle and mainly just makes me feel good. Seems like those things patrol 24/7 during the nesting/brooding season. I hear them getting after the geese at ALL hours of the day during summer. I've contemplated putting a swan decoy out on the lake as something for the swans to tire themselves out on each day. Maybe it'd tip the odds a bit in favor of the ducks and geese if the swans were constantly fatigued from fighting with the decoy?


Give it a whirl, nothing ventured. You may have to move it every couple of days tho.


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## Quack R (Oct 7, 2010)

This picture is the greatest i have ever seen.


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## PhilBernardi (Sep 6, 2010)

_"We're hearing gun shots and we're seeing swans falling out of the sky. And it was disconcerting to watch that," said Lavender-Bailey. "I personally didn't care to see that myself."_

Well then, LOOK THE OTHER WAY! :idea:

Good grief!


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## lastflighttaxidermy (Jul 12, 2010)

Thought the exact same thing. Made me laugh.


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## huntertom (Nov 6, 2011)

20 swans were back today haha...


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## Bow Hunter Brandon (Jan 15, 2003)

vezben said:


> Unfortunately the trumpeters aren't much better . . . if at all . . . and they're endangered . . . so getting rid of them isn't an option once established in an area. The pair on our lake sees to it that every young and/or dumb goose, duck, etc. is killed or driven off from late spring 'til mid-summer. They're relentless. Fortunately there are two or three pairs of geese that have figured out how to lead their youngsters downstream when one of the trumpeters comes patrolling. Pretty stressful for the families and puts them in harm's way quite a bit due to significant traveling on the small stream but at least they're able to get a couple youngsters raised using such a system. I've lent them a hand the past couple years when the swans get them cornered before they can scoot down to safety but it's a losing battle and mainly just makes me feel good. Seems like those things patrol 24/7 during the nesting/brooding season. I hear them getting after the geese at ALL hours of the day during summer. I've contemplated putting a swan decoy out on the lake as something for the swans to tire themselves out on each day. Maybe it'd tip the odds a bit in favor of the ducks and geese if the swans were constantly fatigued from fighting with the decoy?



I am confused here. Trumpeter Swans don't generally nest in Michigan I am assuming the story your telling is about Mute Swans on your lake but the post sure makes it sound like your talking about Trumpeters. I am not saying you don't have a pair on your lake I know of one pair that nest year after year here in the UP but I did not know of any on the west side.


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