Swan Hunt Advice

[bkbk12]

I am leaving in a few weeks headed to the coast for my first swan hunt, Im taking the recurve and have never been just wondering how many arrows you guys take and any tips. I am a pretty good shot and have been pheasant hunting once and did good, how would pheasant compare to swan difficulty wise. Also If anyone has any junk arrows or broadheads they would be willing to sell cheap let me know thanks.

[Pete McMiller]

Oh boy that should be fun.  I would think that picking a spot is going to be a challenge haha.  You hunting over decoys?  Take pictures!!

[Doc Nock]

They hunted trumpeter swans by permit draw in MT when I lived there...

they are big birds! And they look slow in flight, but the guys said they shot behind them a lot because of the illusion! And that was NOT with a bow!

Good luck! Some ramin dowel arrows might not be a bad thing to make up...cheap and might float...

Guys had surf rods there to cast out with big trebble hooks thru a bobber to snag their birds if they didn't have a healthy retriever who could handle such big critters!

[hunt it]

Buy a slow cooker and shoot straight. Have fun.

[TejasNW]

Good luck with your hunt!  Sounds like a blast.

I have always wanted to hunt geese with a bow.  Geese are big tough birds; but swans make a goose look like a weak sister.  I too have pondered what tips/points would do best on a big bird.

I have always cringed at the idea of my arrow flying off in a goose for destinations unknown; and seeing yet another public outcry over a bird in the park with an arrow sticking through it.  How does one ensure a clean kill and recovery on such big birds?

A swan can easily fly off with a heavy hardwood arrow in it.  A blunt to the body would not be enough to stop it.  I have often wondered if a fine thread set up like a bowfishing rig would not be the best answer.  A 20z plastic beverage bottle filled with water (or sand) on one end of a light thread or mono filiment line and a broadhead on the other.

Years ago Traditional Bowunter magazine had a home made coke bottle bow rig for carp.  The line wrapped around the outside of the bottle and spooled off cleanly.  The cap end pressed into a rubber furniture leg protector attached to the bow.  However, the bottle could just be set at one's feet in the bilnd as long as there was nothing to foul the line.  Even a goose would struggle to maintain lift with an extra 2 pounds or so dragging behind them.

The only other option would be 'bird points', but that would require a head shot on a bird that size.  Not a high percentage shot on the wing for most of us; or at least me.

[TejasNW]

I had to see if my memory served me correctly.  Gotta love youtube.

 

Obviously one would not be using 200# test for geese.  Something more along the lines of 8# fishing line to not interfere with the flight of the arrow.

[bkbk12]

WE are hunting a huge whaet fieild, yeah I couldnt not stand to loose arrows out in a lake from what I hear you shoot then go pick up and then try it again LOL.

[Bill Turner]

Love that video on the bow fishing reel. Great combination, easy and cheap. On top of that it appears to work just fine. Good luck on your swan hunt. My suggestions, read the "Witchery of Archery" before going on your hunt, shoot straight, and have fun.    

[stalkin4elk]

Brooks Johnson of Double Bull Archery did a field swan hunt with his recurve for the ARROW AFFLICTION show some time ago. From memory he only had 18 BH arrows, none fluflus, and he held up his frinds that had 5 gallon bucket quivers of BH arrows(100+) because they retrieved arrows after a shooter ran out. Some swans glided a ways after being hit. He started taking much closer shots.Looked like a blast!
Maybe the show could be Googled?