DNR issues emergency order allowing hunting of nuisance species

People not troubled by mute swans generally think of them as graceful, fairy-tale creatures.

But many Hoosiers know otherwise. Mute swans are aggressive birds that often exclude (and sometimes kill) native waterfowl from wetlands. They can be hostile toward humans, sometimes causing injury. Ecologically, mute swans can damage wetland habitats by overgrazing aquatic vegetation, leaving inadequate food and habitat for native wetland inhabitants.

For these reasons, a new emergency order signed by DNR Director Kyle Hupfer allows homeowners and licensed nuisance wild animal control operators to kill nuisance mute swans that are causing -- or threatening to cause -- damage to property, or that are posing a health or safety threat to persons or domestic animals.

Before doing so, however, residents must obtain from the DNR division of fish and wildlife a free nuisance wild animal control permit. The permit will allow for the removal of mute swans and their eggs and nests by legal means.

Hupfer was authorized to take this action due to the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act, signed into law in late 2004, which removed the mute swan from the list of birds protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They were removed from protection, along with many other non-native species, because they are not native to the United States or its territories and not present as a result of natural biological or ecological processes.

Indiana's laws still protect native swan species, such as tundra swans and trumpeter swans. Questions should be directed to the DNR division of fish and wildlife at 317-232-4080.

Nesting populations of mute swans have become established in portions of northern Indiana. Native to Eurasia, free-flying mute swans were first noted in Indiana during the 1950s, and feral pairs have been reported since the 1970s. Intentional releases in Michigan are believed responsible for Indiana populations, along with escapes from waterfowl hobbyists and landowners.

The nesting population of feral mute swans is fairly small (several hundred pairs have been documented in northeast and northwest Indiana), but numbers increase substantially during fall migration and wintering periods.

Some mute swans live in southern Indiana, and hundreds of nesting pairs have been documented in northern Indiana.

Mute swans use a variety of aquatic habitats, including rivers and ponds, and shallow areas of lakes, reservoirs, canals and marshes.