casts_by_fly Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 Hi All, Another thread piqued my curiosity and rather than derail it I thought I'd start a new topic on it. I understand shooting swans is illegal (thus why we don't) but should it be? There are plenty of swans. In many places there are too many swans and they are a nuissance. There is no ecological reason that should prevent shooting them. They are used as food in many places and I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be happy to eat them. Calling/decoying in a flight of swans is quite a challenge. Yes, they are big birds but they fly at some height usually (and if they were hunted they would start to fly higher) so more than sporting. Now I understand that shooting swans is not the done thing here, but in a lot of places it is perfectly fine. So it is just the royal protection (and associated cultural issues) which prevent us from hunting swans or is there another reason I'm overlooking? Thanks, Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 royalty at a guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e2000e2000e Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 Not all Swans belong to the Queen, it was on QI, it is only mutes, I think, hoopers and bewicks aren't the Queens, but are obviously still currently protected. I guess the Queen could sell swan tags to, help with the upkeep of the Corgis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 (edited) Could be argued that they are an alien species like Canadas, as they are not an historical native species to the British Isles and were introduced at some point. I believe there is a time cut off though to be considered since introduction, 150, 200yrs?? I'd like to see Brent returned, but it'll never happen. Hi All, Another thread piqued my curiosity and rather than derail it I thought I'd start a new topic on it. I understand shooting swans is illegal (thus why we don't) but should it be? There are plenty of swans. In many places there are too many swans and they are a nuissance. There is no ecological reason that should prevent shooting them. They are used as food in many places and I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be happy to eat them. Calling/decoying in a flight of swans is quite a challenge. Yes, they are big birds but they fly at some height usually (and if they were hunted they would start to fly higher) so more than sporting. Now I understand that shooting swans is not the done thing here, but in a lot of places it is perfectly fine. So it is just the royal protection (and associated cultural issues) which prevent us from hunting swans or is there another reason I'm overlooking? Thanks, Rick Edited July 17, 2013 by Penelope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 The only other private owner other than the queen I believe is is Mrs Charlotte Townshend from Abbotsbury http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbotsbury_Swannery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malik Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 "Now I understand that shooting swans is not the done thing here, but in a lot of places it is perfectly fine" Where do people shoot swans??? Why would you want to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 North Carolina. For sport and food. No different from shooting any other bird in principle. "Now I understand that shooting swans is not the done thing here, but in a lot of places it is perfectly fine"Where do people shoot swans??? Why would you want to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 They shoot black swans in Australia and New Zealand as a pest control exercise. Many years ago an Australian member posted pictures of heaps of dead swans from such a hunt. I can remember some of the members were taking bets as to whether I would remove the pictures, but we left them on view as it is a legitimate activity in that country, thereby surprising a few of the said members. In the UK swans cause a lot of agricultural damage on young rape and cereal crops. They have only seemed to start eating rape in recent years, they once ignored it. Some damage is eating the crop, but mainly its "puddling" the ground and destroying the crop, much the same as geese. I would imagine there is no chance at all of ever getting swans on the General Licence, they are the avian version of dolphins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 They cause problems on parts of the Hants Avon, fouling and enriching the water with their droppings. They shoot black swans in Australia and New Zealand as a pest control exercise. Many years ago an Australian member posted pictures of heaps of dead swans from such a hunt. I can remember some of the members were taking bets as to whether I would remove the pictures, but we left them on view as it is a legitimate activity in that country, thereby surprising a few of said members. In the UK swans cause a lot of agricultural damage on young rape and cereal crops. They have only seemed to start eating rape in recent years, they once ignored it. Some damage is eating the crop, but mainly its "puddling" the ground and destroying the crop, much the same as geese. I would imagine there is no chance at all of ever getting swans on the General Licence, they are the avian version of dolphins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1979 Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 badgers with wings?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 Taste awful and require serious effort to cook so I am told. Y bother, there's enough to shoot as it is. not to mention the legal issues unless u belong to a certain uni. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 I have eaten swan in Bulgaria prepared as a roast, with vegetables and it tasted very nice, drier than goose, but very acceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 I have eaten swan in Bulgaria prepared as a roast, with vegetables and it tasted very nice, drier than goose, but very acceptable. Nah, it was probably the brick that you ate, the swan being in the dustbin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bi9johnny Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 I have eaten swan in Bulgaria prepared as a roast, with vegetables and it tasted very nice, drier than goose, but very acceptable. i seem to recall someone saying once that the queen can issue a sort of release for swan to be killed and eaten and she did on charlie and di's wedding and it was the grosvenor hotel in chester who ate it as part of the wedding celebrations......this could also be the mumblings of a daft 50yr old who's heard too many loud bangs in his life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 Whilst shooting in the Eden valley in Cumbria many years ago a swan rose from the river and flew into some 22,000 volt cables. The birds wing was broken and the keeper put it out of it's misery. The subsequent meal of swan breast was very good, if a little dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guineapig Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 here in the fens around welney thousands of swans trample and **** on hundreds of acres of wheat and oilseed rape crops causing untold damage but I doubt anyone would get a licence to cull even if you could but I reckon it would cause more uproar than the badger cull and I for one would not want to be putting myself at risk. atb tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malik Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 Interesting topic. You learn something new everyday. Although i assume Black swan is illegal to shoot in aussie land now? http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/game-hunting/game/australian-water-fowl/other-waterfowl-found-in-victoria/black-swan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traztaz Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 Here in Germany the mute swan can be hunted. Most people opt for a young swan if they are going to shoot one and the breast when smoked is bloody marvelous!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washerboy Posted July 18, 2013 Report Share Posted July 18, 2013 A goose with less meat and wasn't very nice. Watched one come down after hitting an electric pylon. Took it home and my mother cooked it as she would a goose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted July 18, 2013 Report Share Posted July 18, 2013 those who eat them just be very careful what you do with the carcass and feathers etc as breast one and put it in the bin it could be a nightmare if spotted and you have to try and demonstrate it died in an accident. I hasten to add I would try one but I would have pictures of what happened to it first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinggun Posted July 18, 2013 Report Share Posted July 18, 2013 There was a video on here of the Americans decoying them and shooting them a while ago I believe, I would give it a go if I was somewhere where it was legal , the same as shooting other species im sure its fun to try if given the chance. They wind me up when im fishing always come in close and get tangled in the line usually making me cut the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted July 18, 2013 Report Share Posted July 18, 2013 Apparently eastern europeans are eating a few in notts. (A fishing baliff told me, but he also said he had 260lb of bream from the trent in 3 hours) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mace1966 Posted July 18, 2013 Report Share Posted July 18, 2013 polish have been taking them off our canals and lakes and eating them for yrs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted July 19, 2013 Report Share Posted July 19, 2013 The shooting of swans would be a publicity disaster for shooting. The swan is on a par with the robin in the publics eye and to start shooting them would turn a large section of the public against us. And to make matters worse you can be sure some **** would shoot an excessive bag that the press would get wind of. We have to accept that some species like mute swans and brent geese are not suilably quarry in this country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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