Reward offered for information on trumpeter swan shooting
(Released September 27, 2010)
Four immature trumpeter swans were shot at Brown?s Lake, near Warroad, during the youth waterfowl weekend and the ruffed grouse opener that was held Sept. 18-19, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The dead swans were left at the lake, which is located 4 miles southeast of Norris Camp, the headquarters of the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area.
The trumpeter swan is a threatened species and shooting one is considered a gross misdemeanor. People who shoot them face fines up to $3,000, possible loss of their shotguns, and loss of their hunting license.
?Under the new gross overlimit penalty, the shooter could lose their waterfowl hunting privileges for three years,? said Conservation Officer Jeff Birchem.
Anyone with information about the swan shooting should call the Turn in Poachers (TIP) Hotline at 800-652-9093 or Officer Birchem at 218-783-2521. There is a reward being offered and the person reporting the information may remain anonymous.
Minnesota?s swan population now consists of more than 3,000 adult swans and at least 800 young of the year, called cygnets. Because of their increased numbers and expanding range, trumpeter swans may be found virtually anywhere in the state.
The DNR urges hunters not to mistake a swan for a goose during hunting season. Swans are three to four times the size of a Canada goose. The all-white adult swans and the light gray young swans (cygnets) are much larger than geese and their neck length is equal to their body length.
The much smaller, dark gray Canada goose has a distinctive black head with white cheek patches and its neck is half of its body length. Snow geese are much smaller than swans, their necks are shorter and they have black wing tips. Trumpeter swans usually travel in small family groups of two adults and two - six cygnets. In contrast, geese usually travel in larger flocks of up to 100 birds.
