The Missouri Department of Conservation has a message for hunters: Know what you’re shooting. .
Two men are under arrest in Holt County northwest Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation officials say they killed a trumpeter swan and wounded a tundra swan. Both birds qualify for federal protections.
The release of the suspect names will follow the filing of charges.
Authorities seized the dead swan as evidence. They released the wounded one the next day. Trumpeter swans have an 8-foot (2.5 meters) wingspan. They are the largest waterfowl to fly across Missouri during their annual winter migration. The smaller tundra swans also are a protected species.
Wildlife agent Jade Wright says the hunters likely mistook the birds for snow geese but the law does not consider mistaken identity when charges are filed.