Adirondack Hunter

i dont know about you but i had the best season of my life, even though its only the 4th it was still the best haha. i just bought a new benelli sbe2 this year and man ill tell you what iuts worth every penny, i ended up getting a goose, and 6 ducks, which is great for me.

so how did everyone else do?

SwampCollie

It was a good season. Most everyone in my part of the world was carrying on about how terrible it was and so on and so forth, but I thought it was better than average. I got to hunt 23 days for ducks, and 3 times just for geese. Ended up with 71 ducks and 22 geese, along with 86 doves (it was the absolute best dove year I've ever had, and I've been at that game almost 20 years now). Shot 5 deer in the interim (which was way fewer than the year before, but I didn't deer hunt as much, or in an area with crop damage tags either). A few things got broken, a cell phone now lives in the swamp, Dutch (the swamp collie) did great on his second season, Rebecca's black lab got to pick up a few birds too, nobody got hurt, everybody had fun.

Labs4Mallard

Had another wonderful season! My dad and I finished off with 200 ducks and 30 geese. Just went out every weekend we could. Shot about 5 banded geese and I shot my first and only banded duck(Woodie Drake). Had a great season. I hope it is good this year too. I'm more accurat this year than I ever could be. Just ask all the pigeons..hehe..

Hunter

mike2355

had a AMAZING season, best hunt was when me and my buddy shot 5 jack miner duck bands the one morning. I doubled on two mallards that came in, both with bands, then i shot another one. So i got 3 that day. Shot about 60 ducks and 60 geese (in our small group) with 11 bands. 9 were miner bands, and 2 federal bands. ! of the federals was on a goose i shot and the other on a black which was banded in quebec in 03

SwampCollie

Y'all must live nearby Miner's place! The odds of that anywhere else are almost beyond figuring!

mike2355

haha yup, i live about 5 minutes from it, but we hunted about 25 minutes away in the neighbouring town. I have pics, some are on the contest photo section on the top sticky.. there in there somewhere

SwampCollie

Yeah that definately improves your odds!

I had a friend harvest a Miner duck in Saskatchewan in 2003. I have personally seen one goose that had a Miner band that our group caught during a summer goose banding. What it was doing in Virginia... I'll never know.... but it'll be a lucky hunter that gets that bird, as he has a Miner band, and a Fed band on him now! Also spoken with one hunter from the Eastern Shore of MD that has taken one on his place several years ago. I think the letter that they send with the birds information to the hunter is very well done, and something worth putting in a hunter's scrap book for sure.

mike2355

ya they send a nice package out and certificate. I helped band at miners about 4 or 5 times this year. We did over 1000 ducks and about 500 geese. We caught alot of pre miner banded ones which we just released but also some fed banded ones. We put a miner band on their opposite leg. There were about 15 or so which we double banded. Also we caught one orange neck collared goose. I was the one to pick him up and band him. So he has a neck collar, fed band and also a miner band. I dont think you can get any luckier in the waterfowl world, if you shot that goose. I would definately mount him if i got him.

kingvjack

I shot more and saw more geese this year than I ever have before....

Bow_hunter15

Had an awesome year most ducks and geese i ever seen ended up with
89 ducks
61 geese
2 bands goose and duck(mergenser)50$ reward band too
My buddy shot a 17 year old goose the band was worn down like a razor in spots