Greenhead

Mrduckman · 01-16-2003, 07:34 AM

Here is an interesting question for you guy's. Yesterday while hunting at Fern Ridge on a controlled hunt I shot a Drake Mallard, When my dog brought it back I noticed it was banded

, well after further inspection I was suprised to see a second band. This 2nd band said "Reward $100.00" and a serial number. So I took it to the fish and game office located on the area. They had me call the 1-800 band number. After reporting it the person they told me it was banded on 8-12-99 in the Northwest Territories, she then took all my info and said my check is in the mail along with a certificate describing the bird. I thought this was cool, it pretty much made the whole trip. Has this ever happened to anybody else?

DM

Lured In · 01-16-2003, 07:49 AM

Its hasn't happened to me, but my buddy just shot a banded greenhead yesterday on the Columbia. The hen that was with it, was also banded.

skein · 01-16-2003, 07:56 AM

Delta Waterfowl has been instrumental in giving out those certificates and "histories" on the banded birds. They do a lot more, too.

A couple of years ago I got on their site and sent an email describing my frustration with all my support dollars going to habitat restoration and none going to hunter access, basically was I buying birds for the wealthy to shoot, and a biologist from Delta not only answered my email, he called my house and talked to me! Try that with Ducks Unlimited - yeah right!

Needless to say I joined their organization. Take a look.

Delta Waterfowl

Skein

1pump · 01-16-2003, 08:04 AM

About 15 years ago on SI I popped a hen mallard that was banded. Just one band with a serial #, no second band. Turned in the info and a few weeks later got a certificate in the mail stating the bird was banded the year before as a juvenile in Alberta. No check, though. :depressed:

GutshotApe · 01-16-2003, 08:24 AM

Same here. I once shot a drake mallard on a Columbia River island that had a band. Sent in the number to the address on the band and got a nice certificate in the mail indicating the duck was an old one that had been banded on the Skagit Flats 7 years earlier :shocked: .

No $100 check, though :depressed: .

01-16-2003, 09:47 AM

GSA,
But you got a chance to help with waterfoul reasearch.

Crashin' Bait · 01-16-2003, 09:52 AM

I shot one about nine years ago with a $100 band but, didn't get a check because the lady warden said it needed a second band with a serial number to qualify. :depressed:

bigshark · 01-16-2003, 10:38 AM

I can't remember when this all got started but I didn't know it was still going on. If I remember correctly there were different amounts paid for different bands. The top two were $100 and $500. I have heard of the $100 bands being found but not a $500. Did this band have colored metal? I have never seen one but again I was told they are different colors and not the aluminum color we are all familiar with.

[ 01-16-2003, 11:47 AM: Message edited by: bigshark ]

jet · 01-16-2003, 12:43 PM

The money bands start out green, after a while while traveling and bird wear they may end up silver. The one that I got did have green in the numbers and letters.

I heard a cool stat: A hunter gets a banded bird every 300 birds as a average. What do all of you think?

Jet~~~

bigshark · 01-16-2003, 01:42 PM

jet

That is interesting. My guess is that it's high than 1 in 300. I chat with guys at several clubs on the island and I only have heard of one money band retrieved. Some clubs take well over 2000 birds a season. But what the heck, maybe it works like the lotteries do.....seems every winning ticket is from some little town out in the bushes. Or, more likely those birds don't go to places that are really bad for their health. :grin:

Ramstrong · 01-16-2003, 03:57 PM

MrDuckMan,
What they didn't tell you was that since the bird was banded in Canada. They pay in Canadian funds. So your check is for $100 canadian or 37 cents US. :shocked: Hope you don't spend it all in one place

But really, that's kind of cool. I guess they really want the data back.

[ 01-16-2003, 04:58 PM: Message edited by: Ramstrong ]

jet · 01-16-2003, 04:16 PM

Actually what I was saying is 1 in 300 is a regular banded bird, not the money band. I really have no idea on what the number would be for the money bands. 1 in 5000??

Jet~~~

Mrduckman · 01-16-2003, 04:36 PM

When I went to the fish and game office to report it and make my phone call they told me that last year somebody shot a drake mallard with two bands one of them being a money band, so this is not the first time it has happened in our area. The best part is the money will pay for a sturgeon trip.

DM

bigshark · 01-16-2003, 08:37 PM

jet

I would think thats a good number. You ought to start a thread on who gets the band, not this band but those we see each season, the guy who owns the dog that brought it to hand and keeps it or the guy who really shot the bird ? I'm not going down that road as the blood pressure pills aren't strong enough to handle that one.

[ 01-16-2003, 09:41 PM: Message edited by: bigshark ]

Killertraylor · 01-17-2003, 02:49 PM

I've seen the money bands - there's a guy at my club with 2 of them on his lanyard. Both were $100 and I thought the coolest thing was that they send you a check AND you get to keep the band! I've personally only shot 3 banded birds and I'd guess that I've killed close to 1000 birds, so I'd say the 1 in 300 is pretty accurate. I had two of them mounted with the bands on (one a goose, one a mallard) The goose also had a blue collar. I almost got a shot at a yellow collar last week but it was on the outside of the flock farthest away from me. It's been about 6 years since I took the goose class, but I think yellow is cackler isn't it? I can only remember white, blue, red and purple. This yellow collared one was flying with cacklers.

Bounty Hunter · 01-22-2003, 06:08 AM

Yep