Unusual Waterfowl Bands

[Jim Cloninger]

I thought it would be interesting to hear about unusual waterfowl bands collected while hunting by members. I have quite a few bands, mainly because I have hunted a long time. The most common bands I have are Mallard and Pintail because they are the most common ducks in the Pacific Flyway and the most common ducks banded. I have 2 that I think are unusual, a banded Northern Shoveler and a banded Cinnamon Teal. Also, the trio of geese taken as bonuses while duck hunting, a Canada, Whitefront and Snow. Let's hear about the unusual waterfowl bands you have recovered.
Jim

[fox-admin]

I have a band from a wigeon, Maryland Duck Stamp band, and band from a duck shot in Argentina banded in Brazil.

[Mother ducker]

I shot a "banded" redhead in Maryland, it had a small blue Tyrap on it's leg ,my friends and I all looked at it and agreed that someone had to put it on! Got brant, $100 geese, $50 blackduck

[Jeff S]

Nothing exciting for me. While I enjoy duck hunting, I'm not exactly in a major "flyway". During the course of 46 duck hunting seasons, I have collected one (that's 1) band. It was on a hen mallard. It hatched in 1997 at Luther Lake, Ontario, and I shot it during October, 2000 in Greenville, MI. While studying the duck hunting pictures other members, I've noticed that some of you have pretty nice collections of bands on your lanyards.

[Jim Cloninger]

Craig, the band from a duck shot in Argentina banded in Brazil is very unusual. Did it have Spanish or Portuguese words on it? Hey Ducker, I have never got a "reward" band. Is it the USF&WS that offers the reward?
Jim

[OH Osthaus]

one odd one-off a widgeon - took a while to figure it out -


turns out the Genesee Country Village Museum in Mumford NY did a banding on their nature center

[Mother ducker]

Yep, check in the mail. For a while we had a lot of "rewards" flying around like 6 or7 years ago. They did a big study on brant about the same time, we almost had a band a trip for a while. This year a friend shot one with no visible numbers,all worn off.

[jolly bill]

one odd one-off a widgeon - took a while to figure it out -


turns out the Genesee Country Village Museum in Mumford NY did a banding on their nature center

DSC_0160.JPG

For those not familiar with the area, the Genesee Country Museum in Mumford, NY is just a little southwest of Rochester, NY and maybe just about 15 - 20 miles west of Rick's house.

It wasn't one of their barn yard ducks was it Rick? No, those would have been Moscovy's. (Just kiddin'!)

Jolly

[Jim Cloninger]

Ducker, there is a way to get the numbers off a worn band by the band people at the USF&WS.

[OH Osthaus]

one odd one-off a widgeon - took a while to figure it out -


turns out the Genesee Country Village Museum in Mumford NY did a banding on their nature center

DSC_0160.JPG

For those not familiar with the area, the Genesee Country Museum in Mumford, NY is just a little southwest of Rochester, NY and maybe just about 15 - 20 miles west of Rick's house.

It wasn't one of their barn yard ducks was it Rick? No, those would have been Moscovy's. (Just kiddin'!)

Jolly

if anyone has any interest in history and are in the area - you should visit - one of the largest living history museums there is

Bill - shot the widgeon on the state marsh at Tonawanda back in the late 80's-

haven't shot a banded moscovy yet - give me time

[Fowlgunner]

I am like Mr. Cloniger in that I have been fortunate to have hunted a lot and in areas of higher than average band returns.

The most unusual bands I have came during a study period where a Latvian Biologist, Peter Blum, was studying wood duck duckling mortality and plastiline filled leg band retention on day old wood ducklings. He would candle eggs and band them the morning of the hatch and as the ducks would grow they would wear a little of the plastiline lining from inside the band until they were fully grown and the band unable to slip off.

In retention studies versus web tagged ducklings there were actually birds that would have the experimental band and two web tags. I was fortunate enough to have gotten one of those birds that had been subsequently recaptured and banded on the other leg with a normal USFWS band, a regular gypsy if you will.

Will

[Jim Cloninger]

Will, I do think you are in a good area for bands because migrating ducks funnel thru east Arkansas and west Tennesee. I have hunted that part of Arkansas 1 time for 4 days and killed a drake Mallard banded in Alberta. Jim

[Fowlgunner]

Jim,

They say back in the late sixties and seventies were the "Hey Days" for bands as most of the area NWR's had winter banding programs in full swing. As they defined certain breeding areas correlated to wintering grounds they shifted focus to pre-season banding and scaled the wintering programs way back.

I have seen the Band/Mallard harvested ratio go from about 1 per 100 to about 1 per 350 over the years in this part of the country.

Will

[fox-admin]

In 45 years of serious duck hunting I have collected 24 bands, Will your correct I estimate about 100 ducks shot per band here on the Atlantic FW. Most of my bands came Montezuma Refuge just a few miles south and the Canadian lakes region north of the St Lawrence River.

[Mother ducker]

If you have an unreadable band you can send it in, pretty sure they X-ray them to get the numbers back????