The kayak idea is much better. Do not try to capture him from the kayak or you will be paddling all day long. The best thing is to ease him up on the bank into an area with a pen or some type of obstruction (house patio) etc. which you can then surround him for capture. Be careful or he will flail away at you and anyone else trying to capture him. This flailing may injure you but may also cause him to injure himself if his wings strike something hard such as concrete, etc.

You will need to secure him in a structure so that he does not attempt to fly or run around the horse trailer resulting in a severe injury to his legs or wings. We utilized a playpen. You will not need a horse trailer for this, but the back of your car or van. DO NOT PLACE HIM IN THE BACK OF AN OPEN TRUCK!!!

Place him in a playpen lined with towels. Then, take a cloth or plastic netting and secure via bungees or ties over the top of the pen. This mode of transportation securely holds swans from getting injured by flailing around and also allows them the room to stand and stretch, especially during long hauls. Just make sure that the netting over the top of the playpen is securely fastened so he cannot try to get out or entangle himself between the netting and the playpen. The Regal Swan