[mou] Swan-watchers' Guide to Pool 8, Miss. R. (Houston Co. MN, Vernon Co. WI)

[fred lesher]

Nov. 30, 5,000-6,000 Tundra Swans remained on Pool 8,
plus tens of thousands of ducks and geese. Best viewed
from Hwy 26 south of LaCrescent, MN.

South of Brownsville, MN between milemarkers 12 and 9
(driving from north to south), best and safest views
are as follows:
1.Mailbox labelled "The See's", fire number 12304
2."The Shellhorn" Bar & Grill, fire # 12668
3.Railroad marker (off highway on RR track) # 147,
near milemarker #11. Swans close to shore.
4.Clear Creek pulloff (unmarked), west side of hwy.
Look for DNR pipe gate and information signs-"No
Camping, No Vehicles except snowmobiles", etc. Swans
close.
5.Wide shoulder fire number 14476. Swans close.
6.Not so wide pull-off, fire # 14700. Mailbox "Hakes".
7.Viewing deck opposite fire # 14830.
8.Wide gravel pull-off east side of road, unmarked but
known locally as "Paradise Point". Fire # 15587.

Other waterfowl include Canada Geese, Gadwall,
Am.Wigeon,Am. Black D.,Mallard,Canvasback,Redhead
(few),Ring-n.Duck,L. Scaup,Bufflehead,C. Goldeneye,C.
Merganser.

On private property was a Winter Wren.

At Wildcat Landing south of Brownsville from Hwy 26
was one Killdeer.

Highway 26 is poorly designed and constructed for
river watching. Be careful. There is no blacktop
shoulder outside the white line.

A large percentage of the world's Tundra Swans stops
on Pool 8 these recent years, maybe 20,000 of 200,000
birds. It is an aesthetic and avian delight to see
them and hear them. Dozens of cars stop to watch on a
day.

The ducks are mid-river and require time & scope to
sort them out. There should be scoters & Long-t. Ducks
but I have not found them.

South of Brownsville the state line follows an old
raft channel, not the current navigation channel,
which at Brownsville takes a nearly right angle turn
east and crosses to the Wisconsin shore along Hwy 35
in Vernon Co., WI. The state line remains the old raft
channel which along this stretch of river is yards
from the west bank, so most of these birds are
technically in Wisconsin, even though the mainland is
a mile east at least. For your state list keeping.

Two years of summer drawdowns on Pool 8 likely
encouraged growth of vegetation, food for swans and
ducks.

The area is closed to hunting, but not to boating. A
kayaker last week cruised along the west bank, driving
the swans further east to mid-river.

There is pressure from hunters to open a swan-hunt in
Wisconsin because their numbers supposedly permit a
harvest without damage to the population.
Biologically, there is apparent justification to have
a swan hunting season.

Fred Lesher, LaCrosse

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