Tell Us About Your Banded Birds

Chromaflage · 11-22-2004, 10:13 PM

This might be fun. Generally speaking, where did you shoot your banded bird? What type was it? Where was it banded?

I'll try to dig one of mine out tomorrow.

ORS

D3smartie · 11-22-2004, 10:27 PM

i shot 2 last year at Toppenish Refuge. Both came from Peace River area of Alberta.
All the bands I have gotten have come off of mallards and all but 1 were banded in Alberta. The other was banded right around where i shot it.

SalmonSeason · 11-22-2004, 10:27 PM

a couple of banded geese I shot were banded in Alaska and killed in Salem

my first band was a bullsprig killed on Sauvie Island 13 years ago...banded Anchorage Alaska it was a juvie bird

second was a greenhead he's proudly displayed on the mantle sent in the information and never recieved any results questioned it and they can not find the record...dangit it was taken in Sherwood

8-guage · 11-22-2004, 11:34 PM

This is my first and only one and I got it off of a really BIG and beautiful drake mallard at Sauvies on Friday Nov.19th............Laurel MD
I know it's not near here but, where is that? :whazzup:

I baked it for 15 min. then broiled it for 5 min. after I basted and cooked it in a sauce made of ruby port, tangerines, maple syrup, ginger and soy sauce! Gamey, wild, a bit crispy and Delicious!
Served it with rice and butter sautee'd carrots.
Sorry, I know this is supposed to only be about the bands. I just had to give some honor to this big beautiful bird. :grin:

billc_sbio · 11-23-2004, 12:41 AM

I have a fair number of Duck Bands, mostly off of Mallards from around here, and a few Goose bands.

The most "interesting" of them came from 3 years ago, when I was out hunting in the Dead Willow Unit on Sauvie's WMA. I shot 2 Mallard Drakes out of the same flock and BOTH were banded!

I turned in the band numbers and the certificates came back that they were both banded by the same bander, up in Alberta, and get this...they were banded 1 year and 1 day apart!

The other "strange" one was a Hen Sprig I shot one time down on Lower Klamath NWR. I mailed in the band data on that one. They called me to verify that the info I sent was correct?!! Turns out that bird had been banded at a Refuge in Jet, Oklahoma a couple of years before and had "Jumped" flyways!

A friend of mine also shot a Drake Mallard one time down in the Klamath Basin and couldn't READ the info on the band it was worn smooth. He called and they had him send the band back. They used CSI etching techniques to bring up the numbers. When all was said and done, it turned out the Mallard had been banded SEVENTEEN (17) years before! (They said)

billc_sbio · 11-23-2004, 12:45 AM

Quote:

This is my first and only one and I got it off of a really BIG and beautiful drake mallard at Sauvies on Friday Nov.19th............Laurel MD
I know it's not near here but, where is that? :whazzup:

Hehe, Laurel, MD is NOT where the bird was banded! (Well could be, they do band some there)

It's where the "National Bird Banding Lab" is...at Patuxent NWR. That's where you used to have to MAIL your data to (before their 1-800 number and online reporting)!

billc_sbio · 11-23-2004, 01:08 AM

Oh yeah, one more! It's all coming back now...

Shot a Mallard Drake one time on Sauvie's WMA out on Aaron Unit.

Almost didn't get it back if it hadn't been for a fantastic retrieve by my Lab, Brandy Duckfinder. She chased that duck all the way over onto the Malarky shoreline and ended up pulling the duck out of some tree roots!

When she got back I noticed it had a GREEN band on its leg. I didn't think much of it at the moment as there were still ducks working.

A while later a friend came over to check on how things were going. I mentioned the Green band and he wanted to see. When I went to show him I saw that it had 2 bands on, one on each leg!

One was the regular silver color and had the normal "Advise..." The Green band said, "Reward $100" on it!

I called the data in and they said they'd send the money along.

About 1 month later a U.S. Treasury Check from S.F. arrived. It looked just like an Income Tax Refund Check.

Funny thing, the very next trip out my waders sprang a leak. That money went towards buying a new pair!

nitrobass · 11-23-2004, 04:29 AM

I've got quite a number of them from Summer Lake that were banded at Summer Lake. Mostly Mallards and gadwalls, also a pretty redhead drake.

Some of the more interesting other ones include a bluebill drake banded 13 years earlier in the Yukon. A pintail hen with a radio collar and leg band that was banded near sacramento. A woodie from Idaho..Mallard from Sacramento.

Years ago my dad shot a canvasback drake on Alsea bay that had a band that came from the Chesapeake Bay.

8-guage · 11-23-2004, 08:43 AM

HAA! I didn't know! I called and they are sending me the info!
Thanks!

CMallardDrake · 11-23-2004, 09:57 AM

In my 30+ years of waterfowling, I've taken four birds with bands. The most unique was 12 years ago. (as I look at the "Certificate of Appreciation" which is nearby my computer.)

My nephew and I were hunting the Lower Columbia at separate spots and I killed the only thing that came within range over a four hour hunt. It was a mallard hen with a band. My nephew killed nothing that day.

The next morning we hunted together and during another slow action hunt, the only thing that came into the decoys...my nephew shot and it was also a mallard hen...with a band.

Mine was a two year old bird banded in Orenco, Oregon (by Brad Bales) and my nephew's was a six year old bird, banded somewhere in California if I recall correctly.

Eight hours of hunting...two shots fired...two birds killed...both banded (years and miles apart). What are the odds of that?

Sled Dog · 11-23-2004, 10:22 AM

I have banded thousands apon thousands apon thousands of waterfowl in the years I summer (during college) banded for state and fedral agencies in multiple western states and Canada. I often wonder how many have been harvested. The hunter gets to know who banded it but the bander does not get to know who harvested it (granted I have not looked into it very hard).
I have also harvested quite a few bands even two teal bands, my favorite being a double leg banded, red neck banded Duskey I shot outside the special permit zone about five years ago. It was banded in central alaska 8 years earlier!!!

blast and cast · 11-23-2004, 11:17 AM

I think I have 10 bands (will check tonight). Nothing to memorable except that the two from the Tualatin 4 years ago. We were jump shoot one of our ponds and I doubled on a drake mallard and a drake pintail, both were banded. I also have 2 goose bands, the one from the Cackler is smaller than any duck band I have.

waterfowlin101 · 11-23-2004, 11:57 AM

Well...this looks like a braggin page so here goes. I've been hunting since age 14, about 11 years.

I've killed 12 mallard bands from both drakes and hens. Bout half and half. They have come from varoius flyways but most are from Canada.

Two years ago I killed a banded-sprig at Sauvie's...Seal unit. That was a real treat.

Then this year I got a banded gadwall at Summer Lake on the opener. I hear they band a bunch down there.

As for geese, I've killed 5 with bands, and four had collars. 2 white-great basins, 1 blue-lesser, and yes 1 red, but outside of the zone, so I'm safe. All were banded in this flyway and two in the valley, they didn't get too far.

But what I really get a kick out of while we're on the subject of bands is how people wear them around their lanyards. I know that it is an ego thing, we all can admit that, but hunters go to all this trouble camoflauging their entire being, only to put a couple feet of reflecting metal around their neck. We wear face camo face masks and even use camo guns, I'm sure some of you guys do too, doesn't it seem silly then to give away your position just to impress a hunter you may run across, or your hunting buddy. I have always been interested in this phenomenon. But I do not participate, I don't need the extra weight around my neck.

BUT...I think I have found a really cool, cheap way to show off ones bands. I have done this with my goose bands...Check back with this forum and I will post a picture of what I have done. I would be very interested in the opinions of my fellow hunters on the display. I will try to get it up tonight.

Thanks
Jon B.

billc_sbio · 11-23-2004, 03:12 PM

I dug around and found this pic taken out in the field.

So, for those who've never seen one of these double banded Reward ducks, here's what one looks like.

Wish I could find more of these!

Oh, and 8 gauge, the "information" they send you is in the form of a nice looking "Certificate". Looks almost like you've graduated from something...maybe you have!

It has info on where the bird was taken (by you), where it was banded, what they could tell about it at the time it was banded, and who banded it.

On the local banding...my galfriend, Miss Lil, wanted to do something "fun" and put back something for wildlife. I'd heard of a project that a postgrad student was doing, working on his graduate degree in conjunction with ODF&W. I contacted Brad Bayles and he hooked her up with the project.

She accompanied the young bio. out on a few banding forrays. They travelled around the local area visiting Duck Traps the bio had put out on various ponds. She helped by writing down information and holding the ducks while the bio attached the bands.

She said some of them were in what she though the most unlikely locations, many of them residential. They included Sauvie Is., Banks, Forest Grove, and Tigard.

Rueben4life · 11-23-2004, 03:41 PM

It has been a while since I have gotten one nearly 6 years, but I have gotten four inlcuding one double banded brant.

I used to live in Humboldt County where summer banding was quite popular and one opening weekend we shot 7 bands and ended up with 20 on the year out of one blind, btw all mallards.

An old neighbor shot a banded brant that was reported to be 30 years old. Similar to what another post read the band was very worn down and the etching technique had to be used.

And the icing on the cake, I've got two buddies that shot 8 banded geese on one hunt, 5 neck collars and 3 leg bands all lessers.

Banded waterfowl aren't where they are, are where they aren't, and are where you find them!

Mrduckman · 11-23-2004, 05:04 PM

I to have killed a double banded mallard, one band was green and worth $100, about 3 years ago at fern ridge on a controlled hunt. I was a guest, the bird came in to the decoys and I gave my partner first shot, after a couple of misses on his part I killed the bird and when my dog brought it back I said you are not going to believe this. I turned in the number, the bird was banded in the northwest territories by a lady doctor, she sent me her personal check and I split the money with my buddy who took me on the hunt.
DM

birdhunter · 11-23-2004, 05:49 PM

In all my waterfowling I've killed one banded bird. A banded and collared goose floating the Clackamas a few years back. Banded 12 years earlier in Lewiston, Idaho.

Gary Miller · 11-23-2004, 07:07 PM

On a scouting trip this past September my hunting partner and I came across this pasture with about 100 honkers in it. We pulled over and scanned the birds and we see several neck collars in the bunch. The farmer was more than happy to let us hunt. In fact, we invited him to join us and a few days later the three of us shot our 15 geese including these banded birds

The geese were all banded on the lower Columbia River. The farmers pet cow was named "Cheese" and spent most of the day within a few feet of our blinds. She kept licking our decoys and sniffing our heads. It was great fun...

billc_sbio · 11-23-2004, 07:38 PM

Quote:

On a scouting trip this past September my hunting partner and I came across this pasture with about 100 honkers in it. We pulled over and scanned the birds and we see several neck collars in the bunch. The farmer was more than happy to let us hunt. In fact, we invited him to join us and a few days later the three of us shot our 15 geese including these banded birds

The geese were all banded on the lower Columbia River. The farmers pet cow was named "Cheese" and spent most of the day within a few feet of our blinds. She kept licking our decoys and sniffing our heads. It was great fun...

Geez...Great Hunt!

(Nice cow too) :grin:

Chromaflage · 11-23-2004, 07:42 PM

Saaawweeeeett!!!!! Love that picture. I guess I'm gong to have to get me a cow to set out amongst the dekes. Great confidence decoy.

Boatdog...if you're reading this, I know where I can get a cow for Saturday...guess you're driving after all.

ORS

8-guage · 11-23-2004, 11:31 PM

Why are the cows knees green?
By the way, I sell cow decoys. Durable, lightweight and comes with a bell.

That is an Amazing hunt! The kind you will laugh about for years and many generations of your genes will be talking about for years!!! I could quit for ever after a hunt like that! Thank you for recording it on digital sharing it here! Made my night!

DukAddict · 11-24-2004, 01:51 PM

I was hunting Sauvies Island with my regular hunting buddy Ed, My dad, and a kid from school. We had almost filled our 4 limits when a pair of mallards drops in. I pull up and taqke the drake, winged him and hes swimming. Everyone fires some shots on the water to finally kill him and when the dog brings him back, he has 2 bands, 1 on each leg. a $100.00 reward band and a regular band. Pretty much made my day. We shot 4 limits and I dropped 2 bands.

Gun Rod Bow · 11-24-2004, 02:02 PM

Heck with the cow Gary, them sure are some purty sheep

Chromaflage · 11-24-2004, 06:34 PM

In all the years I've been duck hunting I've shot one banded bird - mallard drake. I shot it at a club in the Salem area. It was banded in Alberta, Canada.

I used to work at Tektronix in Beaverton. During lunch, I would drive to Beaverton Creek at the park and ride just to listen to the duck conversation. I noticed on several occassions that there was more than one banded duck hangin' out there. These birds were slightly tame, as people would stop by and feed them bread. I always toyed with the idea of bringing a smelt net with me, capturing the duck, and getting the number from the band just to see where it hailed from. Never did....that would be askin for trouble.

ORS