SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 6, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resource wants hunters to be aware that the swan hunting season has closed two days early and starting tomorrow, Saturday, hunters are prohibited from killing any swan in the state.
The federal quota of 20 trumpeter swans was met Friday, a DWR news release said.
The swan hunting season opened Oct. 5 and was set to run until Sunday, Dec. 8, but the 20th trumpeter swan was harvested Friday.
The previous limit was 10 swans, but that number was increased for 2019, the news release states.
“There was a higher number of trumpeter swans harvested this year because there were more migrating through Utah than in previous years,” said Blair Stringham, coordinater of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources migratory game bird program, in the news release.
“We also increased the number of swan permits in Utah from 2,000 to 2,700 this year, which meant more hunters were targeting swans than in past years.”
The news release goes on to say that “Utah’s swan hunt requires a permit, which is only available through a hunt drawing. Hunters with a permit can legally take one trumpeter or tundra swan; however, hunters are discouraged from harvesting trumpeter swans.
“Utah is one of only nine states in the U.S. that allows hunting for swans. Due to the low population size of trumpeter swans in the Greater Yellowstone area, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sets an annual harvest quota for the number of trumpeter swans that can be harvested in Utah.”
“There was a really high harvest of trumpeter swans this year, and while all the permit holders may not have harvested a swan, we appreciate their understanding in helping to protect the trumpeter swan population,” Stringham said.
Hunters who harvested any species of swan are required to check the bird in at a DWR office or the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge office within 72 hours of harvest, according to the news release.
Hunters who didn’t harvest a swan before the season was closed will not be refunded the permit fee or have their preference points reinstated
