It's location, location, location, and luck! I have a buddy who hunts in Battle Creek MI and has a lanyard full of bands. But yet I shoot as many or more birds every year as him. It's just that in Battle Creek their are a couple golf courses where they band geese, and Kellogg bird sanctuary where they band ducks & geese. Plus more ducks move the middle of the state then the west side in MI....At least usually it's that way. He has numerous hunting areas close to those locations. He's got 3 Miner bands, a teal band, 3 collars, and about 50 duck & goose bands. Then I sit with 6 duck bands,8 goose bands, and no collar bands! But at the same time when you get bands at random when not hunting in areas where you shoot a lot on bands. You never know where the bird is banded...I've had Sasketuwan, Minnesota, South Dakota, etc...Makes it a little more rewarding.