Swans

At the risk of being called insensitive, illiterate, policitally incorrect, or whatever nastiness someone wants to hurl my way, why would I want the government to spend my hard-earned tax dollars on an experiment to increase swan numbers in Arkansas? No, I've never seen a swan and never really care to unless they go good with biscuits and gravy. Otherwise, why should I care?

They are a waterfowl that was part of our ecosystem. Lots of our birdwatches would be excited. You would proabably get excited if the WO caught you taking one to eat.:smack:

MMM MMM, Swan and Dumplin's

bigpiney81 said:

At the risk of being called insensitive, illiterate, policitally incorrect, or whatever nastiness someone wants to hurl my way, why would I want the government to spend my hard-earned tax dollars on an experiment to increase swan numbers in Arkansas? No, I've never seen a swan and never really care to unless they go good with biscuits and gravy. Otherwise, why should I care?

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I won't hurl nastiness your way. I will just say that there is a place for everything in nature. Just because we can't hunt them, doesn't mean they're not important.

flydown said:

I won't hurl nastiness your way. I will just say that there is a place for everything in nature. Just because we can't hunt them, doesn't mean they're not important.

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:clap: :clap: :clap: I spent a lot of years watching those elk before the first hunting season was opened:thumb:

I have seen them in some flooded fields west of Brinkley just north of Hwy. 70. It's been a few yrs. since I've been through there when it was flooded, tho.

I've got ten bucks says at least one or two of them gets shot next waterfowl season! I can hear it now....

"Sure don't look like iny kindar goose I ever shat before."
"Naw, I bet its one a them newfangled New Yarker geeses."
"Yep, that's what ita be!"
"Oh well, we best be gettin' ready to make the gravy."




And this is in no way aimed at where they released the birds. I would find it true for about the whole state...my part of it esp.!

flydown said:

I won't hurl nastiness your way. I will just say that there is a place for everything in nature. Just because we can't hunt them, doesn't mean they're not important.

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Every Animal has a place. right between the potatoes and the corn.:biggrin: But seriosly, Tundra Swans are legal game in many parts of Alaska. The big olderones are TOUGH. The younger ones are grayish in color and more tender. You haven't seen a 75 pound Lab work until she tries to bring one up on the bank when it is hung up in brush.:thumb:

flydown said:

I won't hurl nastiness your way. I will just say that there is a place for everything in nature. Just because we can't hunt them, doesn't mean they're not important.

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So, what makes a swan more important than, say, a wolve, mountain lion, prairie chicken, grouse, sage hen, or tree frog? Swans place in nature seems to be doing pretty well without spending tax dollars to bring them back to Arkansas. Swans may be important, but are they important enough to justify spending tax money on a minimal and useless relocation project?

Well maybe they got so many tax dollars they can't find something more needed to spend it on......if that be the case then I'm all for it..... :wink:

If we took that approch we wouldnt have turkey, deer, bear, trout or elk here in arkansas. All of these animals were brought back to arkansas on the governments (our taxes) bill. The swans are going to bring bird watchers into the areas, bird watchers bring money to local towns, more money means more jobs. Simple as that, just look at what the possibility of the ivory bill did around the white river.

I dont know the specifics of the swans but I would imagine that Arkansas probably just traded for the swans. That is how they brought in the elk.

I just dont see why they wont go ahead and put buffalo along the buffalo river :razz:

Alot of people would say that trout are useless in Arkansas. They have to be constantly stocked which takes tax money. The majority of Arkansas citizens have never gone trout fishing so why should thier tax dollar go to stock a fish in a creek that is just going to die off because they arent ment to be there.

Good way to look at it. I don't think swans would pose as much of a threat as say the mountain lion or grey wolf........

fish said:

How many have ever seen a Swan? I saw a pair on Nimrod Lake today.

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There is about 40 or 50 that hang out between the Old River and David D Terry L & D every winter. Them suckers are a lot bigger than you think they are when you get close to 'em.

I have seen three pairs in a small lake (big pond) around Cord lately. Those things are HUGE.

JR1 said:

I've got ten bucks says at least one or two of them gets shot next waterfowl season! I can hear it now....

"Sure don't look like iny kindar goose I ever shat before."
"Naw, I bet its one a them newfangled New Yarker geeses."
"Yep, that's what ita be!"
"Oh well, we best be gettin' ready to make the gravy."




And this is in no way aimed at where they released the birds. I would find it true for about the whole state...my part of it esp.!

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True for Louisiana too. :biggrin: I think the people you are talking about are my relatives.

jbadams said:

If we took that approch... The swans are going to bring bird watchers into the areas, bird watchers bring money to local towns, more money means more jobs.

Alot of people would say that trout are useless in Arkansas. They have to be constantly stocked which takes tax money. The majority of Arkansas citizens have never gone trout fishing so why should thier tax dollar go to stock a fish in a creek that is just going to die off because they arent ment to be there.

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What do you mean by "that" approach? Still doesn't answer the question as to why swans are more important than any other possible restocking. If it's about brining money to the state, hunted species/hunting generate several times more money than wildlife watching. The ivory bill thing was an exception.

And I agree with you about trout.

Them swans are huge! I have two big ones and a smaller one in one of my flooded rice fields every day I go by there. the ducks just swim all around them like there not there. pretty cool sight to see.

I wouldnt say that swans are any more important than any other animal. You only have so much money to work with. It just looks like enough people that like swans got togeather and did what it took to bring the birds into the state.

Should we not bring back any animals to the state just because we cant bring them all back at the same time?

As for me, I hope the AGFC starts putting some money towards bringing quail back to the numbers they used to be. Maybe they should take the same approch with the quail as they do with trout. Speaking of trout, its time to start heading north and catch a few.