# Swan tips



## waterfowlwhacker (Aug 13, 2016)

First year with a swan tag, I've been hunting ducks and geese for four seasons now so I've got a decent spread of 50+ Duck floaters and a teal mojo mostly hot buy mallards and a few pintail and teal goose wise 18 fullbody and 24 floaters ghg honkers and a dozen supermag goose shells painted white for swan. currently hunting out of a canoe or walking in. I know its popular to shoot swans off the dikes at BRBR but I was hoping to decoy my bird. Any tips or recommendations? Or how could I improve my setup in general?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Decoying swans is the most fun way to harvest your bird. Use all of your goose floaters, and take your super mag goose decoys and get some pipe foam and drill holes and zip tie the foam around the shells so they float. Throw out your duck decoys too. Bunch all of the swan decoys together and enjoy the show!
http://s164.photobucket.com/user/dk...son 2015/20151122_130807_zpsj2ipwq2u.mp4.html


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

I rarely decoy them out to the BRBR because of all of the people. You'd really have to get away from the crowds which is difficult.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

Fowlmouth said:


> http://s164.photobucket.com/user/dk...son 2015/20151122_130807_zpsj2ipwq2u.mp4.html


Really cool video. Thanks for posting.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

waterfowlwhacker said:


> First year with a swan tag, I've been hunting ducks and geese for four seasons now so I've got a decent spread of 50+ Duck floaters and a teal mojo mostly hot buy mallards and a few pintail and teal goose wise 18 fullbody and 24 floaters ghg honkers and a dozen supermag goose shells painted white for swan. currently hunting out of a canoe or walking in. I know its popular to shoot swans off the dikes at BRBR but I was hoping to decoy my bird. Any tips or recommendations? Or how could I improve my setup in general?


first off decoying swan is the best way to hunt them.2nd swan decoy really well mid day and the after noon. they dont fly tell like a hour to closing time.3rd you can decoy them at bear river even with all of the people.4th burn a day and watch where they are fling over the pond you want to hunt. I like hunting them on blue cold days with a nice breeze. Just hunt them like ducks and geese. they will circle a couple times so wait for them. 
If you want and im going out after them and you want to tag along and learn or try and fill your tag with me you can.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

here some of my swan hunts that i guided on and filmed. I like working small flocks.if you have any question feel free to ask them up.


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## curlycoyote (Sep 11, 2015)

Those are great video's. Sure gets me excited for this year and swan hunting for me and the grandson. This will be the first year we will be decoying them. Can't wait.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Before swan decoys came out we used white plastic garbage sacks. Seemed like it always took me 3 to 4 days to get a swan. Now it's a half-day hunt.

We're using gull confidence decoys, some upside-down feeding goose decoys painted white, and 2 to 6 of the regular swan dekes.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

curlycoyote said:


> Those are great video's. Sure gets me excited for this year and swan hunting for me and the grandson. This will be the first year we will be decoying them. Can't wait.


I cant wait ether got two tags in the family and then helping three other tags


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

I made some sillosock decoys last year out of Tyvek and with a little wind, they moved around great and worked well. There is nothing like a huge swan decoying!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

CPAjeff said:


> I made some sillosock decoys last year out of Tyvek and with a little wind, they moved around great and worked well. There is nothing like a huge swan decoying!


That's a great idea Jeff. Any pictures? I thought of trying sillosock snow geese dekes, but they're kinda small. Carrying swan decoys is kind of a drag.


.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I like this picture and it's almost in focus:


longbow might recognize the mountain on the right.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

dkhntrdstn said:


> here some of my swan hunts that i guided on and filmed. I like working small flocks.if you have any question feel free to ask them up.


Those videos are so cool. I've watched them a number of times now. Thanks for posting them and good luck.

.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

wyogoob said:


> That's a great idea Jeff. Any pictures? I thought of trying sillosock snow geese dekes, but they're kinda small. Carrying swan decoys is kind of a drag.
> 
> 
> .


Here you go - no jokes about my sewing skills or lack thereof! Post #20

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/16-waterfowl/134873-swan-ducks-2.html


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Prairiewind Decoys has a econo 2D sentry snow decoys for $40 a doz. Those would work great. Call Jim and tell him what your needs are and he'll fix you up. Great guy to deal with. Get the 24" stakes.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I bet a couple of sillosock snow goose flappers on a rotary machine would suck a swan or two to the decoys. Just have to paint the wing tips white. That would be fun to try over water. I think the flappers are one of the best decoys ever made.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

These are all great ideas. I'm gonna get a bigger decoy backpack or hell, I'll just carry 2 of them.

Nevermind, I didn't draw a tag. 

.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

I'm going to need a bigger retriever


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

waterfowlwhacker said:


> First year with a swan tag, I've been hunting ducks and geese for four seasons now so I've got a decent spread of 50+ Duck floaters and a teal mojo mostly hot buy mallards and a few pintail and teal goose wise 18 fullbody and 24 floaters ghg honkers and a dozen supermag goose shells painted white for swan. currently hunting out of a canoe or walking in. I know its popular to shoot swans off the dikes at BRBR but I was hoping to decoy my bird. Any tips or recommendations? Or how could I improve my setup in general?


I always follow the DNR's swan aerial survey online and go hunting when the numbers are high. There's all the past aerial swan surveys on the website too. They're helpful and really interesting to compare one year to another.

We've got all our swans but 1 the first 2 weeks of November.

I don't do weekends in the Utah marsh.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> .


Geeze, I tore that marsh apart looking for my swan call before leaving my set-up that day. -O,-


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Hey...don't worry...we can go back this fall and look some more...just remember to bring those decoys...



wyogoob said:


> Geeze, I tore that marsh apart looking for my swan call before leaving my set-up that day. -O,-


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> Those videos are so cool. I've watched them a number of times now. Thanks for posting them and good luck.
> 
> .


thanks it was fun filming them and being part of them. Glad you enjoy watching them.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> I bet a couple of sillosock snow goose flappers on a rotary machine would suck a swan or two to the decoys. Just have to paint the wing tips white. That would be fun to try over water. I think the flappers are one of the best decoys ever made.


Are you saying we need to try that this year ?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

gdog said:


> Hey...don't worry...we can go back this fall and look some more...just remember to bring those decoys...


It was a joke. The call is hanging on my pack behind me. That's why I couldn't find it. Well my partner thought it was funny.

I gotta work on my delivery.

.


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