Tundra Swan

Description: Tundra swans are completely white with very long necks and black legs and bills. They are the largest waterfowl game bird. Average size: 47-58 inches. Average weight: up to 18 ½ pounds.

Science: Tundra swans breed near ponds or small lakes along the far northern coastal tundra of Canada and Alaska. They begin migrating in late September, traveling in small flocks of up to one hundred birds, and winter mostly along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and occasionally in southern Texas and the Rocky Mountain states. They feed on aquatic plants, corn, and grain. Due to management and conservation, their population is stable.

Hunting: Tundra swans can only be hunted in select parts of the United States. In most areas, hunters must apply for permits to shoot a single bird. Techniques include pass-shooting around refuges. Often swans will decoy on white-painted magnum goose decoys. The eating quality is fair: the meat can be tough.