TRUMPETS IN THE WEST — MORSE 463 



Kefuge in Oregon has caused trumpeters to seek new habitat in the 

 vicinity. 



When the lakes freeze in the fall, trumpeters move to their ice-free 

 winter areas. Some of these are on the refuge and some on tlie 

 Snake Kiver. A number of swan leave the refuge to whiter on the 

 Snake. Food presents a problem and, as the winter progresses, some 

 artificial feeding of grain is done on Ked Rock Refuge. Measurements 

 made show that 188 wintering swans consume 2.3 bushels of grain a 

 day. Birds wuitering on the Snake River must forage for themselves 

 on river and meadow vegetation. Here they meet a new danger, 

 himters. 



limiting kill along the Snake River is the only measurable loss of 

 trumpeters. It is a good goose-hunting area, and suitable areas are 

 heavily shot over, especially late in the fall. Fog banks hang over 

 the river much of the time and any large bird seen through the fog 

 is usually fired upon. Trumpeters as well as geese fly up and down 

 the river, and so some swans are killed every fall. This kill varies 

 from 10 to 25 a year. Others are killed and never found. Hunters 

 have no excuse ; the snow goose season has been closed for many years 

 in all the counties where trumpeters are found, so no possible reason 

 exists for shooting a wliite bird. Idaho wardens devote a gi^eat deal 

 of their time to swan protection hi the area. The Fish and Wildlife 

 Service recently assigned a game management agent to law enforce- 

 ment in the area during the hunting season. His primary respon- 

 sibility is to prevent shooting of trmnpeter swans. Nesting studies 

 show that less than 16 percent of potential trumpeter cygnets are 

 alive at 10 weeks, and only 10 percent of the potential survive to flight 

 age. Every effort must be made to eliminate hunter kill, for each bird 

 killed is potentially a transplanter and is vitally needed for that 

 purpose. 



Frank Belrose fluoroscoped 103 trumpeters on Red Rock Refuge 

 in 195G. These comprised 65 percent of the refuge nonbreeding flock. 

 Although most were young birds, 15 already carried shotgun pellets 

 in their bodies. Man is still the trumpeter's worst enemy, as well as 

 his best friend. Incidentally, weights on these younger birds average 

 20.98 poimds for males and 17.86 pounds for females. 



As trumpeters are transplanted to other areas, the danger of hunter 

 kills will increase. Snow geese are abundant elsewhere, and a closed 

 season on white birds is not practical. Many whistling swans are shot 

 by ignorant hunters each year, and a trumpeter straying from a Fed- 

 eral refuge will be at least as vulnerable as a whistler. Education and 

 good enforcement can reduce but never eliminate the hunting toll on 

 trumpeters. There is some movement of trumpeters from British 

 Columbia to Red Rock. Two trumpeters, wearing bands from British 



6T9421— 61 -35 



