# UWN Swan Survey 2018



## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Now that the DWR is no longer flying weekly swan surveys, I think it would be cool if we could have a thread on the UWN devoted to current information on how many swans are around, and where they're flying. 

After each trip I take, I plan to post a little report to this thread about how many swans I saw and what they were doing. I hope others will join me. If we get a lot of participation, I think it could turn into a cool and useful thread. I'd also encourage you to post pictures when you find success.

Here's mine for today: I hunted Farmington Bay this morning and saw a few dozen swans. They came off the clubs and headed north to somewhere. I suspect it will be a few weeks before the swan hunting picks up at FB - I'll probably end up at the bird refuge for an attempt next weekend.


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

I went out to Harold Crane, specifically the rainbow unit for the morning flight, there were no swans on the pond yet and the morning flight was somewhat delayed, I had somewhere around 50-60 swans fly over me at about 9 am headed northwest, they were a little high so I let them go, I'm sure in the coming weeks we'll see swan numbers boom, I can't wait!


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

Lots of swans around Public this morning, they were moving around quite a bit so I would imagine that BRBR should have a few on the north end.


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

All this Swan talk has me all excited to fill my tag!


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## [email protected] (Nov 9, 2018)

Does anyone know if many swans are flying in the Howard Slough area? If so, at what times? How about at BRBR in the mornings? Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

A few small flocks at Farmington.....


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## 7summits (Nov 28, 2017)

Kudos to the Tanglefree Swan Decoys. Through out 6 this afternoon in the Farmington Bay area. Within an hour a flock of 10-14 came right in. 20yrd shot, dead.


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

There were several hundred moving through Ogden Bay this morning, all were coming from the northwest and heading south and fairly high so I didn't get any shots but I did connect on a couple stud greenheads!


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## Shadow Man (Feb 22, 2017)

Well, I think it's fair to say that the swans have arrived, we saw a couple thousand out at Harold Crane this morning, we got a few shots but couldn't connect on anything so we decided to go out to Howard Slough for the evening shoot, the swans showed up in HUGE numbers, my guess would be somewhere between 10 and 15 thousand birds, it was incredible to see and hear that many birds moving through the area...........oh, and I connected on this stud!


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

There were thousands (probably tens of thousands) of swans on BRBR and the Bear River club north of the hunt units today. There were flocks moving through the hunt units all afternoon long. I somehow picked the worst hunting spot in the marsh. Had birds on all sides of me, but what did come over was too high to shoot. Crowds made it hard to relocate.

It really got crazy during the last half hour of shooting light. Unit 1A lit up like a war zone (I wasn't hunting it, but I could hear it). I counted about 50 shots in 2 minutes. It would have been quite a spectacle to be on that unit this evening.

IMO it is a great time to get out after them. I can't make it back until next Saturday. It's going to be a long week...


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I found this frozen swan at Farmington. Apparently someone didn't want it. -O,-


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## one4fishing (Jul 2, 2015)

That sucks. I seen several get crippled over the weekend. Guys just kept shooting at the next groups.


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> I found this frozen swan at Farmington. Apparently someone didn't want it. -O,-


WTF! thats bull****.


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

At OB we got my sons tag filled mid morning Saturday after all the juvies quit flying in the early morning. Then I called a buddy to have his brother come out Saturday afternoon. I picked him up and went back out and within 15 minutes filled his tag. We sat back and watched the show for the evening flight and could have filled dozens more tags. Most of what ducks there were to be had got a free pass because we were watching the show.


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## SX3 (Jun 3, 2014)

Lots of swans flying at BRBR on Saturday. My friend killed a single that flew right in. Later while grilling some burgers in the boat a nice flock decided they wanted lunch. I kept expecting them to turn away as there was lots of smoke coming off the grill. I finally laid down the spatula and picked up my gun and killed the lead bird at about 10 yards. They are so fun to hunt.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Great job Craig!


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Well, by the sounds of things its time for my wife and I to get after our swans... 8)

Decisions, decisions, decisions... BRBR? FB? OB?


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I hunted BRBR all day today. It was quite disappointing. I'd guess there were maybe 10% as many swans today as there were a week ago. We had a couple close calls, but nothing came quite close enough for a shot.

I'm puzzled. Have they left the state, or are they just a little further south?


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

Clarq said:


> I hunted BRBR all day today. It was quite disappointing. I'd guess there were maybe 10% as many swans today as there were a week ago. We had a couple close calls, but nothing came quite close enough for a shot.
> 
> I'm puzzled. Have they left the state, or are they just a little further south?


Were you one of the million people howling at the swan? Holy crap this morning was ridiculous. I managed to get some to decoy and landed my first ever swan! I'm so excited.









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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Ducksanddogs said:


> Were you one of the million people howling at the swan?


Haha, nope. I don't call at them. I've never used decoys either (maybe that's my problem).

Nice bird.


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

Clarq said:


> Haha, nope. I don't call at them. I've never used decoys either (maybe that's my problem).
> 
> Nice bird.


I borrowed some decoys and that worked good. When I heard all the calling I decided to not even bother. Maybe that was the key. But I agree, they were not coming in at all. It was some rough hunting.

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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Ducksanddogs said:


> Were you one of the million people howling at the swan? Holy crap this morning was ridiculous. I managed to get some to decoy and landed my first ever swan! I'm so excited.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Congratulations, beautiful bird!!! Uh...I don't see any yellow on the skin between the bill and the eye. Most, but not all, Tundras have some yellow there.

Any more pictures?


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

wyogoob said:


> Congratulations, beautiful bird!!! Uh...I don't see any yellow on the skin between the bill and the eye. Most, but not all, Tundras have some yellow there.
> 
> Any more pictures?


There was some yellow. Not a ton though. I had a 2 mile hike out so I got after it and forgot to get more pictures. I took him straight to the taxidermist. When I get him back I'll post better pictures. 
Here's another picture where you can see some of that yellow









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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Ducksanddogs said:


> There was some yellow. Not a ton though. I had a 2 mile hike out so I got after it and forgot to get more pictures. I took him straight to the taxidermist. When I get him back I'll post better pictures.
> Here's another picture where you can see some of that yellow
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. Nice photo.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

I was at FB yesterday when a guy set up on the dike fired at a high swan. Doubt he had a tag, but didn't talk to him.


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## SwedishCowboy (Sep 25, 2017)

Heading out to FB tomorrow, will let you know how it goes!


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Congrats on your swans! I saw a ton at the Deseret ranch last week. How do they taste goob?


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

I ate swan in China and it was great. But I’m sure it was a fat and pampered park swan


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

We saw 5 Trumpeters at Farmington today. No mistaking those big bugling birds.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

35whelen said:


> Congrats on your swans! I saw a ton at the Deseret ranch last week. How do they taste goob?


I really like it, especially the immature ones.

https://utahwildlife.net/forum/26-recipes/101705-whole-swan-cookbook.html

.


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## SwedishCowboy (Sep 25, 2017)

Went to the east entrance of FB yesterday evening for a couple hours and didn't see a single swan...


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

The swan flight at Farmington Bay on Thanksgiving was ok for about the last half-hour of shooting time, but everything that came over was too high. I went back today, thinking I had them patterned, and they didn't fly until after shooting closed. The only ones I saw during the day were in high V's headed south for the winter. I think I may have missed my chance at them this year.  

I may give it another try next weekend, but I don't know what I'd do. It might be better at this point to try for ducks and hope for an incidental swan than spend any more time hunting swans specifically.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Clarq said:


> The swan flight at Farmington Bay on Thanksgiving was ok for about the last half-hour of shooting time, but everything that came over was too high. I went back today, thinking I had them patterned, and they didn't fly until after shooting closed. The only ones I saw during the day were in high V's headed south for the winter. I think I may have missed my chance at them this year.
> 
> I may give it another try next weekend, but I don't know what I'd do. It might be better at this point to try for ducks and hope for an incidental swan than spend any more time hunting swans specifically.


I'm with you. Talked to a Federal Warden at BRBR Friday evening and he said that the count was figures to be 20,000 birds left. A week earlier, there were 80,00.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

Friday I went to FB on the Turpin unit, had a handful of juvy swans come through the decoys but was looking for a white one. The duck shoot was decent. Sat all day and that afternoon had several more juvys come through the decoys. The last half hour of shooting light I decided to take one since it would be my last day I could hunt them this year due to other hunts planned. I wouldn’t say I saw more than 250 swans all day. It seemed like a weird migration year. Usually thanksgiving weekend is money for swans at FB. Better luck next year I guess


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I ended up back at FB this afternoon, targeting ducks more than swans. I saw more swans today than I did last Saturday. There are a fair number hanging out on the clubs. A few flew off the clubs and headed north over Turpin and a few others flew northeast toward unit 2.

Almost had an opportunity on the swans. 20 yards closer, and I would have fired. Brought 3 ducks in and managed to miss.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Clarq said:


> I ended up back at FB this afternoon, targeting ducks more than swans. I saw more swans today than I did last Saturday. There are a fair number hanging out on the clubs. A few flew off the clubs and headed north over Turpin and a few others flew northeast toward unit 2.
> 
> Almost had an opportunity on the swans. 20 yards closer, and I would have fired. Brought 3 ducks in and managed to miss.


Speaking of Swans on FB. With this freeze getting on, id get out there if I were you if you can. They will be popping around looking for open water for the next few days.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Longgun said:


> Speaking of Swans on FB. With this freeze getting on, id get out there if I were you if you can. They will be popping around looking for open water for the next few days.


Yup, I've been at the office daydreaming about the marsh all morning long. I could maybe slip out Friday afternoon, but probably not until Saturday.

Working for a living sucks...


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Yes, yes it does... 

Good luck!


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