Year of the band (Updated)

[Anatidae]

[sab316]

[GET-N-RITE]

I do not think that it's intentional, but they do slid up on the leg sometimes. This was found after the hunt when we were cleaning ducks.

[Anatidae]

Thanks - I guarantee I'll pay more attention hereafter to make sure a band didn't slide 'up' over the knuckle.

[Caller1]

Killed drake mallard Dec 15th, that was banded in 2003. It looked like an old band. Been waiting on a banded shoveler or Gadwal! Anyone ever seen a banded Gadwal? As many as get killed I haven't heard of one.

[GET-N-RITE]

Anatidae the possibilities of it happening again are probably slim to none of finding a band that high on the leg, but you never know. PS I always enjoy your waterfowl knowledge and Canada trips and reports.

I have never been on a special gadwall, but I know of one killed about 3 years ago around Leflore county.

[Anatidae]

[GET-N-RITE]

That is an awesome story for sure. I have no idea why some people kill bands and some don't. I hunt directly across from a refuge a federal refuge at that, and I think that plays a big part in it, but the majority of mine have came off public land.

Bands are a special thing, but I think they have lost a lot of the luster so to speak. I know they haven't for me whether I get the band or not, its great to be apart of it. I will never forgot this and I have remembered it to this day. I was hunting with a group of guys, and I was maybe 15. Anyway I was hunting the left end, beside some big wig / expert / duck hunter ( the term waterfowler is only used on people I admire and respect) anyway he had a lanyard absolutely full of bands. We weren't killing much and I thought I would call at some high ducks. Well the man knocked my call out of my mouth and said " I run the show here. Do you see this (points at his bands) Don't call anymore." We killed like 2 ducks and I told my dad and here is one of my favorite quotes.

"Don't judge a man by how many bands he has on his lanyard. Look at his game strap and that should be a good indication on his capabilities."

As I was typing the post one of my good friends who I am going to hunt with in the delta killed a banded Susie. Must be luck.

[teul2]

[Anatidae]

[Hambone]

[davidees]

Yeah.......especially if they "number in the thousands".........

Man, I hope you didn't intend that as a stab at me. If so, I didn't do anything to deserve that, I was just being honest with y'all. Just bad luck, I guess...but 20 years of hunting and averaging as few as 50 ducks a year....it ain't that hard to reach that number. I'd say I've averaged 75 or so a year.

[Anatidae]

[davidees]

Thanks. I will say that back in '96 I took my best friend on the first duck hunt of his life and the very first duck he ever killed was a banded greenhead. He lost that band somewhere before we even made it home that day. I didn't really think much of it then because I figured I'd kill many over the years. Just hasn't happened for me yet. As long as I see and work birds I'm always happy though.

P.S.- that friend is still my best friend today and we've had many great hunts together and he hasn't killed a banded bird since.

[420 racin]

Only band I ever killed was in Padre Island, TX hunting the Laguna Madre,,,banded wigieon...band was so old all the numbers were worn off except one number, and it was so thin it was about to break apart. Still have that band, never seen another one. Always hunt public land....i don't know what a "duck lease" looks like..