Bands...
04-24-2008, 10:04 PM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 2,862
RE: Bands...
Right now I am averaging 1 band out of every 650 honkers that I harvest. So I'm not overly productive on getting my hands on bands. I'm in a terrible area for shooting banded birds. I've been in on a grand total of 4 honker bands, out of those 4 we had to draw names for 3 of them, didn't know who shot them. I was never lucky enough to draw one of those bands. Then as fate would have it, A loner came in 2 seasons ago on my side of the spread, and I shot it, and when my dog brought it to my blind, I noticed some BLING BLING on it. 
This spring I got my first ever snow goose band by myself as well. I've been in on many snow goose bands/collars, but never killed one by myself (that we know of anyway).
No duck bands for me yet.
This spring I got my first ever snow goose band by myself as well. I've been in on many snow goose bands/collars, but never killed one by myself (that we know of anyway).
No duck bands for me yet.
04-25-2008, 12:37 PM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: El Dorado Kansas
Posts: 1,311
RE: Bands...
Well, reading all of this I'm gonna say its definitely location. These guys that shoot 15 bands a season are near areas they do it... I can go out and kill a slew of ducks... never shot one band.
Either which way I'm with swamp, I don't see where they make you a better hunter in anyway, I think its just location.
Either which way I'm with swamp, I don't see where they make you a better hunter in anyway, I think its just location.
04-25-2008, 03:22 PM
#23
Spike
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location:
Posts: 23
RE: Bands...
Its based mostly on luck. Here in South Florida, where the greenheads never show up, its even more difficult. In my years of hunting, I have only gotten 1 band on a Florida Mottled Duck. Friends have gotten bands on teal and an occasional ringneck.
04-25-2008, 06:41 PM
#24
Inactive
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Eastern - Ontario
Posts: 677
RE: Bands...
I have been hunting waterfowl since 1958. I've hunted east and south western Ontario as well as Saskatchewan and Queces. In all those years i have collected 1 (one) band.
And believe me i have taken my fair share of birds.
Like Swamp collie and others have said, i personally don't feel left out because i don't have a mess of bands.
And believe me i have taken my fair share of birds.
Like Swamp collie and others have said, i personally don't feel left out because i don't have a mess of bands.
04-25-2008, 11:02 PM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: down in a hole
Posts: 1,441
RE: Bands...
Well, I've never shot a band... But today at one of the ponds in my neighborhood was a banded mallard; very pretty. That's the only wild mallard that I've seen in my neighborhood. Every other mallard are wonderbread mallards.
04-26-2008, 05:28 PM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Where the ducks don't come no more
Posts: 4,420
RE: Bands...
ORIGINAL: Rammer
Right now I am averaging 1 band out of every 650 honkers that I harvest. So I'm not overly productive on getting my hands on bands. I'm in a terrible area for shooting banded birds. I've been in on a grand total of 4 honker bands, out of those 4 we had to draw names for 3 of them, didn't know who shot them. I was never lucky enough to draw one of those bands. Then as fate would have it, A loner came in 2 seasons ago on my side of the spread, and I shot it, and when my dog brought it to my blind, I noticed some BLING BLING on it.
This spring I got my first ever snow goose band by myself as well. I've been in on many snow goose bands/collars, but never killed one by myself (that we know of anyway).
No duck bands for me yet.
Right now I am averaging 1 band out of every 650 honkers that I harvest. So I'm not overly productive on getting my hands on bands. I'm in a terrible area for shooting banded birds. I've been in on a grand total of 4 honker bands, out of those 4 we had to draw names for 3 of them, didn't know who shot them. I was never lucky enough to draw one of those bands. Then as fate would have it, A loner came in 2 seasons ago on my side of the spread, and I shot it, and when my dog brought it to my blind, I noticed some BLING BLING on it.
This spring I got my first ever snow goose band by myself as well. I've been in on many snow goose bands/collars, but never killed one by myself (that we know of anyway).
No duck bands for me yet.
Rammer I am very envious of your statisical record keeping abilities... I was proud of myself for keeping track just of how many birds I shot last season... and who knows how many I've shot total... thats impressive and I mean that too brother!
04-27-2008, 03:25 AM
#27
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NYS, but currently serving in Iraq
Posts: 8
RE: Bands...
I used to duck hunt all the time in Upstate NY and i never once saw a banded bird. I duck hunted in Ga in 2004 and i saw one banded bird but it was in a friends yard next to his pond. He said the same wood duck pair had shown up 3 years i a row...he knew the pair because the drake wore the same colored band for the last 3 years. Oh well...better luck in the future.
04-27-2008, 10:13 AM
#28
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 2,862
RE: Bands...
ORIGINAL: SwampCollie
Rammer I am very envious of your statisical record keeping abilities... I was proud of myself for keeping track just of how many birds I shot last season... and who knows how many I've shot total... thats impressive and I mean that too brother!
ORIGINAL: Rammer
Right now I am averaging 1 band out of every 650 honkers that I harvest. So I'm not overly productive on getting my hands on bands. I'm in a terrible area for shooting banded birds. I've been in on a grand total of 4 honker bands, out of those 4 we had to draw names for 3 of them, didn't know who shot them. I was never lucky enough to draw one of those bands. Then as fate would have it, A loner came in 2 seasons ago on my side of the spread, and I shot it, and when my dog brought it to my blind, I noticed some BLING BLING on it.
This spring I got my first ever snow goose band by myself as well. I've been in on many snow goose bands/collars, but never killed one by myself (that we know of anyway).
No duck bands for me yet.
Right now I am averaging 1 band out of every 650 honkers that I harvest. So I'm not overly productive on getting my hands on bands. I'm in a terrible area for shooting banded birds. I've been in on a grand total of 4 honker bands, out of those 4 we had to draw names for 3 of them, didn't know who shot them. I was never lucky enough to draw one of those bands. Then as fate would have it, A loner came in 2 seasons ago on my side of the spread, and I shot it, and when my dog brought it to my blind, I noticed some BLING BLING on it.
This spring I got my first ever snow goose band by myself as well. I've been in on many snow goose bands/collars, but never killed one by myself (that we know of anyway).
No duck bands for me yet.
Rammer I am very envious of your statisical record keeping abilities... I was proud of myself for keeping track just of how many birds I shot last season... and who knows how many I've shot total... thats impressive and I mean that too brother!
So far the tally for '08 (extended honker season at Pierre) on honkers is 47.
spring snow geese - 15 w/ 1 band
My trick to keeping track is taking my digital camera, then when I upload my pics I date the folder and put them into '08 Waterfowl folder, etc.
04-27-2008, 06:31 PM
#29
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Where the ducks don't come no more
Posts: 4,420
RE: Bands...
Thats not a bad way to go about it Rammer.
Being in SD, you can let your waterfowling slip a bit and still be miles ahead of everyone else when it comes to #s... I've been to Arkansas and I've been to MO, but I think if I ever went to Montana or either of the Dakotas I'd never come back east again.
Being in SD, you can let your waterfowling slip a bit and still be miles ahead of everyone else when it comes to #s... I've been to Arkansas and I've been to MO, but I think if I ever went to Montana or either of the Dakotas I'd never come back east again.
04-27-2008, 06:35 PM
#30
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 2,862
RE: Bands...
Yeah, its some mighthy fine hunting here. Only problem is it is getting tougher and tougher to get access to fields. 7 years ago when I got into waterfowl hunting seriously, no one was doing it. Now there are TONS and TONS of people hunting ducks/geese. Its almost a competition to beat the others to the landowners to get permission. Some of the landowners won't even let anyone hunt anymore (places I hunted exclusively for years), they got tired of all the ppl coming to their doors asking permission day in an day out.
If you ever make a SD trip let me know, I'd be glad to hook ya up with some fields!
If you ever make a SD trip let me know, I'd be glad to hook ya up with some fields!