Swan Seasons & Areas

Swan Controlled Hunt Season and Rules

DAILY BAG LIMIT: 1 | POSSESSION LIMIT: 1 | OCT. 5, 2024 – DEC. 1, 2024

Idaho’s swan controlled hunt season is limited to hunting ONLY in the following Northern Idaho counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, and Kootenai.

Controlled Hunt Information

Controlled Hunt Information

Application Dates & Ways to Apply:

• May 1 – June 5: First application period for Swan Controlled Hunt tags.

• Early July: Drawing Results posted at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, and applicants notified via email if a valid email address is on file.

• August 5 – 25: Second application period for Swan Controlled Hunt tags (if needed).

Applicants may apply anytime online at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, over the phone between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Mountain Time at 1-800-554-8685, or in person during regular business hours at any Idaho Fish and Game office or license vendor location. Applications submitted online and over the phone can be paid for using a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card, and are subject to a credit card fee of 3% of the transaction plus $4.00 for online sales and $6.50 for phone sales.

Fees:

Applicants must pay a nonrefundable application fee (per person) with each application. The fee is $6.25 for residents and $18.00 for nonresidents; an applicant can opt to designate $1 of this fee to the Citizens Against Poaching program during the application process.

Swan Tag Fee: Resident is $22.75 and Nonresident is $74.25

Refunds Of Controlled Hunt Fee: Hunting license fees will not be refunded to unsuccessful applicants. Application fees for controlled hunts are not refundable.

Eligibility to apply:

Any person with a valid Idaho hunting license may apply for a controlled hunt, subject to the following restrictions:

• Holders of a Nongame Hunting License, Hunting Passport, or a Three-Day Nonresident Small Game License may not apply for any controlled hunt.

• Only one application per person or group will be accepted for each species. Additional applications for the same person or group for the same species will result in all applications being declared ineligible.

Group applications: Only one application per person or group will be accepted. No more than two individuals may apply on a swan group application. Applicants that submit a group application will all receive the same results in the draw, whether the application is successful or unsuccessful. If the group application exceeds the number of tags available in a hunt, the application will not be eligible, and nobody on the application is eligible to draw.

Nonresident Permit Limitations: No more than 10 percent of controlled hunt tags may be issued to nonresidents.

Tag Designation to Child or Grandchild: A holder of a controlled hunt tag for swans may designate that tag to the holder’s child or grandchild (under the age of 18) who is otherwise qualified to participate in the hunt. The child or grandchild may be designated only one controlled hunt tag for swans per calendar year. The designation must be made before the opening date of the hunt. Resident adults can only designate tags to resident youth; nonresident adults can only designate tags to nonresident youth. For more information and a form to designate the tag, please contact your nearest Fish and Game office or visit the licensing section of Fish and Game’s website.

Daily Bag Limit: 1 swan

Mandatory Check and Report – any hunter killing a swan must, within three (3) days of the date of kill, present the swan carcass (for measurement and identification) to a conservation officer, regional office or check station, and complete the relevant harvest report. A person may authorize another person to perform the check and report if that person possesses sufficient information to complete the report.

• Swan Controlled Hunt Tag – REQUIRED

• Migratory Bird (HIP) Permit - REQUIRED

• Federal Migratory Bird (Duck) Stamp – REQUIRED

• Shotgun capable of carrying no more than 3 shells – REQUIRED

• Nontoxic Shot – REQUIRED

• Shot Size: No person shall take swans while in possession of shot larger than two tenths (0.2 inches) in diameter (size T)

Swan tag holders are encouraged to take the swan orientation course at: idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/swan

Fall 2024 Controlled Hunts – Swans