Talk About Town: Will You Get A Permit to Kill Mute Swans?

It's a hot topic, especially in communities with a lot of lakefront property, how do you take care of a mute swan problem?

In response to the growing mute swan population in Michigan, the state Department of Natural Resources is now advertising a permit that will allow residents to kill mute swans. A practice that is upsetting some Brighton residents in the area.

"I heard that swans are mean, but maybe just worry about the problem areas, not all over," Brighton Patch Char Shosey said. "Killing them just doesn't seem right."

According to an article appearing on the Great Lakes Echo, the DNR is asking residents to help shoot and kill 13,500 mute swans. Michigan, the article states, has the largest mute swan population in North America with 15,500, according to the DNR.

Mute swans were brought to the United States from Europe in the late 1800s. The mute swan population in Michigan originated from one pair introduced in Charlevoix County in 1919. The swans are called mute swans because, overall, they don't make very much noise, especially when comparing them to other native swans such as trumpeter swans according to the DNR.

For many, the swans are a beautiful bird. There are several Brighton residents who have stated they enjoy seeing the birds on the lakes, along with the geese, and that they are against the killing of the birds.

Candace Streng said that swans in their natural habitat take precedence over boating on lakes.

Others state that the mute swans are an invasive species and can cause havoc when they attack boaters, swimmers and other native waterfowl species.

Brighton Patch reader Melinda Tappen said that she was actually attacked by a swan while kayaking. 

"I had to use a paddle to protect myself from an assault in the middle of the lake," she said. "I would say that the decision to help control them wasn't made lightly."

Brighton Patch reader Dan Loiselle said he has been attacked and has witnessed attacks on people by swans.

"A friend of mine on Sylvan Lake's kid was nearly drowned by a swan," he said. "It knocked him off his jet ski and it kept pounding on him, keeping him underwater. Somebody came by with another jet ski and ran it over - killing the swan - but that was the only way the swan would get off of the kid."

Loiselle is a member of the Organization of Woodland Lake - a homeowners association that deals with concerns regarding the water and land surrounding Woodland Lake.

"They're dangerous and invasive," he said. "You don't want them around your property, you don't want them around your kids, you don't want to be within 50 feet of these things. They're highly dangerous. When I'm in my boat, I stay clear of them. These things hit like Mike Tyson. They come after you and they keep at it. When one attacked me, I was nowhere near its nest. I was on my boat in front of my house in wide open water. They're just aggressive animals."

Loiselle said that mute swans eat back all of the vegetation on the lakes, which driving away other birds because they cannot reach food under the water.

Adrienne Dree said that the swans on Woodland Lake are ridiculous.

"We live across from a small island where they nest and witness attacks daily," Dree said. "Any passersby, kayakers, paddle-boaters, kids swimming, even our dog in her own yard. I'm all for nature, but when it attacks you in your own back yard without being provoked.....that's where I draw the line."

Permits to shoot the mute swans, along with permits to destroy mute swan nests and eggs, are available here through the DNR. You must have a permit to shoot the swans.

So, Brighton Patch wants to know:

Will you be applying for a permit to kill mute swans on your lake? Does the plan to kill off most of the invasive mute swan species in Michigan upset you?