# Band Data - Stories



## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

I know some guys got some bands already from the earlier posts. Some getting their firsts even - Congrats Horseman!

Want to share your recovery information? (always thought it was interesting stuff).

my mallard from PEI is "no information yet available" i.e.: banded this year (probably right there!)

the Mani band was from a two year old goose banded up by Churchill, MB


What's the story on that Miner duck band I remember someone posted up earlier?!


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## mallardtone-man (Nov 20, 2002)

Branta, I thought I remebered Shane saying something about you being on a sea duck hunt recently? Does my memory serve me well? If so, how did it go?


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

I'll sum it up as "time spent with good friends in a beautiful locale"

reading between the lines: the hunting sucked - worst it's ever been. (Relative term though: was a better week of hunting than I've had here!)

check out my posts from yesterday - there's some pics.


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## Hunter333 (Jan 19, 2000)

First season duck hunting. Second time out, I got one with a band  First time out, gtmgooser got one  I got the info back: hatched 1997 and banded that year in WI. Gooser hasnt gotten his info back yet.


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## UPwannabe (Feb 18, 2004)

Got my first band on opening day on Harsens. Still waiting for the certificate, will post again when it shows up.


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## Huntin Horseman (Nov 2, 2002)

Thanks Russ. My Drake mallard was banded near Thunder bay, Ont. and was hatched in 2002 or earlier.


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## Kevlar (Jul 21, 2004)

Here 's the info back on the banded Hen Mallard I shot on 10/ 19/ 04.

Hatched in 2000 or eariler, banded Near Mayvile WI.

Banded at Horicon NWR (national wildlife refuge)
by: Patti A Meyers
w4279 Headquarters Rd.
Mayville, Wi 53050

Take at Fish Point Field # 1

Kevlar


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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

The banded goose I got in Jackson county was banded in 2003 near Hickory Corners, MI. It was noted that the bird was to young to fly when banded. 
My buddy who got the Jack Miner band hasn't got results back yet.


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## Duke (Oct 6, 2000)

Took a banded goose from Isabella county on October 1. We were into a group of what we were calling migrators, small 7-9 lbders as opposed to the giant locals from the early season. Was surprised to find that the little goose, amongst all of his little friends, was hatched in Grand Rapids (Michigan) in 2003. We were totally expecting that to be a Canuck goose, and that a Grand Rapids born goose would be a giant 12+ lbder. Guess its not quite that cut and dry eh? Anybody with similar goose data?


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## UPwannabe (Feb 18, 2004)

The certificate for my mallard from opening day showed up today. Pretty much what I expected, hatched 2004, banded on 9/5/04 and I shot it on 10/9/04. Didn't wear it very long. Here is what I found unusual, it was banded near Linesville, Pennsylvania and I shot it at Harsen's Island a month later.


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## stacemo (Oct 23, 2003)

UPwannabe said:


> The certificate for my mallard from opening day showed up today. Pretty much what I expected, hatched 2004, banded on 9/5/04 and I shot it on 10/9/04. Didn't wear it very long. Here is what I found unusual, it was banded near Linesville, Pennsylvania and I shot it at Harsen's Island a month later.


Pennsylvania. That is cool. Maybe they follow the lakes over here?


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## Hunter333 (Jan 19, 2000)

Not tooting my horn here as I have no idea how rare or unrare it is to shoot a banded bird, I just started duck hunting last month ...... What is the "life expectancy" of a mallard in the MI area? Is it not common to shoot banded birds? Like I said, I have no idea how many birds are banded nor do I know how common it is to shoot one.


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## UPwannabe (Feb 18, 2004)

Hunter333, 

I have been hunting duck since 1991, including making trips to ND for the last 7 years where we shoot more birds in a week than we do in a season here and this is the first banded duck that myself or my 3 hunting buddies has shot. Some guys have quite a few, just luck I guess, but it is still pretty rare.


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## UPwannabe (Feb 18, 2004)

stacemo said:


> Pennsylvania. That is cool. Maybe they follow the lakes over here?


I was thinking that with all the hurricanes this fall, maybe it got blown over here in the aftermath of one of them. Who knows, but seems plausable to me.


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## Chasin (Jun 25, 2002)

I've gotten two banded birds so far this year.

First was a canada goose shot in late september. The bird was banded in London ontario in 2003 when it was still too young to fly.

The second was a drake Mallard taken in North Dakota the end of October.
That bird was banded in South Dakota in 2000 and was hatched in 1999 or sooner.


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

I had the national percentages at one time including what was banded in michigan, but the data is quite old (from late 80's) and I don't remember exactly what it was. But I thought the typical numbers thrown around was less than 1 in a 100 chance.

obviously, this depends on species hunted (>chance for local geese, < chance on divers) but more importantly on where they band and ultimately where you hunt! some locales just band heavy and other pops don't get banded at all. case in point, I have a friend that has lanyard(S) full of bands. he hunts a fair amount and hunts a "rich" area for the bling. In terms of skill, my other buddy is probably twice the goose HUNTER/scouter/killer he is and he's still bandless on geese (though he did finally get his first duck band EVER last year or the year before). the short of it, his locals are not banded and his migrants aren't either.

it's really about location, location, location.


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## Big Frank 25 (Feb 21, 2002)

My youngest son 15 years old shot his banded bird the last day of the goose season. The bird was banded in Clinton, Mi. when it was too young to fly. Retrieved just west of New Haven, Mi.

When time came to report the band, he wanted me to call it in using my name. I told him that with his experience of banding birds with the MDNR and seeing thousands of birds banded, he was thinking his collecting one no big deal. I then told him to wait and see how long it is before getting his next one! :lol:


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

As for average life expectancy, I want to say it's about 3yrs for ducks. (one of the reasons why it's such a prize to get an old band. just imagine how many miles, how many shooting galleries, the storms, the preds this bird had to go through to get to the ripe old age of 9 or 12 or even older?!!! kind of amazing when you stop and think of it!

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I've even felt a little remorse when I got the cert. back. Poor bird made just one fatal mistake one day in it's 11 year existence!


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## bvd7 (Oct 22, 2004)

Hunter333 said:


> Not tooting my horn here as I have no idea how rare or unrare it is to shoot a banded bird, I just started duck hunting last month ...... What is the "life expectancy" of a mallard in the MI area? Is it not common to shoot banded birds? Like I said, I have no idea how many birds are banded nor do I know how common it is to shoot one.


 
I have been hunting ducks and geese since about 94. I am yet to bag a banded bird. I know one person that has shot a band in all the people that I hunt with. He shot the banded goose this year. It was his first sesaon, first time out. I know of a couple hunters that have hunted their entire life with no bands.


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## Hunter333 (Jan 19, 2000)

From people replies, I should consider myself pretty darn lucky to get one so soon into the sport  I think I will have to get that certificate into a frame and on the wall!!


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## sprigdog (Jan 29, 2004)

200,000 ducks and 100,000 geese are banded per year.
80,000 are recovered (submitted) yearly, nationwide.
About 60,000 duck stamps sold in Mi last year. 
basically a few million people trying to get one of those 80,000. Of course you have hold overs, then those that die by "other than hunter" methods.
etc. etc. Just boils down to pure luck, and living in areas where they either do the banding or where the banded birds winter.
I have 6 duck bands and one goose.
5 mallards and a hen pintail that was at least 6 years old when I harvested her.


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## Huntin Horseman (Nov 2, 2002)

MY hunting buddy has waterfowl hunted for close to 20 years he has I think 8 goose bands, 1 goose collar and a duck band. I've hunted for 5 years now and I have one duck band. I think it's a mix between luck and location


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

I saw a double banded canada and 4 other single bands feeding yesterday. they're in trouble if they stick around until 12/4!

and my buddy just emailed me with the band info off a black duck shot on PEI.
-----------------------------------------
I got the results back from the second band I shot this year.

The info is as follows:

Am Black Duck
Female
Hatched in 2003
Banded 2003-08-27
Banded near Carmanville, Nfld.
Recovered 2004-10-20
Recovered near Brackley, PE

Did you find out anything about the band you got on PEI??

----------------------------------------------------


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## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

Been chasin ducks for 40yrs on and off and only have 2 bands.


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## rizutto61 (Jan 7, 2004)

Just got results back from 1st band after 3 yrs. of waiting. Shot in st. clair flats on 10/17/04, other info:

Mallard
Hatched in 2002
Near Elmvale, ON CANADA

Hopefully more to follow.


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## Hunter333 (Jan 19, 2000)

Again, I continue to be reminded how lucky I am to have shot a banded bird at this early stage of my duck hunting career! Now to get a banded goose!


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## WoodchuckSniper (Feb 23, 2002)

I got my band report in the mail yesterday. This is my first duck band in over 20 years of duck hunting.

Drake Mallard taken at Crow Island 10/12/04

Age of Bird: Hatched in 2003 or earlier
Location: Near Saint Paul SC
Banded: 2/7/04
Bander: Santee NWR


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

I just dug into my band file, and found interesting things....

about 75 in total...
blue wing teal
widgeon
canvasbacks
wood ducks
black ducks
mallards
canada geese 

also a woodcock

canada geese with neck bands
a double banded drake mallard, the second band was green, $100 reward
a treasured "Jack Miner band", with religious scripture "Fear God and Give Him Glory" - banded just 12 days prior
a canada goose banded the exact day and place that I helped DNR band 320 geese

got 2 bands in one day three times - once a hen mallard and a canada goose. 
once two canadas the same day, both banded in the same place by the same guy, but banded 6 years apart
got 3 in 7 days twice, 3 in 3 days once
got 6 bands in one season and 23 in 7 years - later went 15 years with only one band

all shot in MI, banding locations were - MN, PA, WI, MI, MD, NC, NY, TN
also Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Kasechewan, an Indian Reservation on Hudson Bay

but the most interesting one - 
crossing the ice in the channel and walking 1.5 miles down the dike to the cornfields, I noticed a carcass. not much left, but the legs were there, black, with a band on one leg. I sent the info in. then I got a call from the USFWS, asking me about the goose band I had turned in, very curious about when and where I shot it.... I explained that I didn't shoot it, took it off a carcass, as I had noted when I sent the band in. only then did she tell me that it was from a double breasted cormorant!


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

I was going thru really old (back to 1993) hunting magazines and newspapers that I found in a closet

in an older Michigan Outdoor News, I noticed an amazing article
something I never heard anyone talking about, so I thought I would share

seems some group planned a waterfowl band contest
4 birds would be banded in each flyway - 16 total
3 of them would have a cash prize - 12 total
1 in each flyway, 4 total, would have a prize of $1,000,000

yes, that is correct, a million dollar band!!!

the article was to share that the organization was cancelling the event after tremendous negative letters from DU, USFWS, DNRs, hunters......not surprising

I think I saved the article, not sure where
googling, there were people who saw the full page announcement of the contest in Mack's Prairie Wings
and lots of incorrect rumors that it was in place and done by Budweiser (it was a group name I had never heard of)


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

TheHighLIfe said:


> all shot in MI, banding locations were - MN, PA, WI, MI, MD, NC, NY, TN
> also Ontario, New Brunswick,


What did you shoot that was banded in New Brunswick? That by far is a bird way out of its flyaway where it was banded. I suspect it's a drake?


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

the band from New Brunswick was actually a rare one for me - hen widgeon
got it at crow island

my son got 2 rare bands a week apart in 2019
the first was a jack miner band with scripture
then he shot a banded drake, the band appeared normal
another hunter looked at the band in the draw shack and pointed out that it was not USFWS
it was an alaska dnr (?) band
the bird looked like a hybrid, but he thought he saw something later on the internet about an alaskan variety
he wishes he would have mounted it
I took pics, one compares it with another drake
note no white neck ring, actually black
no colored spectrum either


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## Mr. 16 gauge (Jan 26, 2000)

the first duck I ever shot was banded...........drake mallard that was banded in Seneca Falls, NY. Odd thing is that my dad served his vicarage in Seneca falls, NY. I shot that duck on 10/28/77, and my dad had passed away on 10/2/77. Even stranger is that 10 years later, to the day (10/28/87), I shot a banded woodcock on the Port Huron SGA. The bird was banded when it was a chick earlier that year, and was banded in Sparlingville, MI.
......I haven't shot another banded bird since.............


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## Tunaman (Apr 17, 2006)

After 40 years of goose hunting I never got a collar while all my friends have. I went to devils lake nd for a spring snow goose hunt with Northern flight outfitters and shot a collard snow goose within 3 hrs of getting there. It was a red collar and our guide said that they never have gotten a red collar before. He wanted that collar real bad. It's on the goose in my trophy room. 9 years old and banded on some river in Northern Nunavut


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## Pat P (Nov 19, 2013)

TheHighLIfe said:


> the band from New Brunswick was actually a rare one for me - hen widgeon
> got it at crow island
> 
> my son got 2 rare bands a week apart in 2019
> ...


Did that mallard have no brown on its chest?


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

Pat P said:


> Did that mallard have no brown on its chest?



very little brown, if I recall, and very blended in to the grey feathers


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