# Leg bands on ducks



## Aredlon (Sep 28, 2005)

I am relatively new to the duck hunting scene. I am wondering how often, for people that shoot alot of ducks, actually get one with a leg band. I understand that the geese bands are less rare. I understand its never a guarentee. Just looking for your experiences with this. Thanks.


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## Curtis (May 5, 2005)

I shoot lots of ducks of every specie, and lots of canada geese- 10 years- nothing- my farthers been hunting 30 years nothing.

The guys in the south seem to shoot a lot more bands-

One day hopefully I'll be lucky enough to get one.

Curtis


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## SDNDhtr (Apr 29, 2005)

ive shot my share in ducks and 0 for me....ive never been with someone who has shot one either


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## tb (Jul 26, 2002)

It's a purely random thing. I have a number of bands but am in the middle of a long drought, even though I have shot a lot of ducks and geese the last few years. It has nothing at all to do with skill, its a total luck deal.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Luck is all it is... I usually get one duck band a year. I would say the average is about one out of every 2-300.


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## Roughrider (Apr 12, 2005)

I have shot hundreds and hundreds of ducks and geese and never gotten a band. My youngest brother who has been hunting for only a couple years has gotten two geese in the past two years with neck and leg bands. My other younger brother shot two ducks with bands last year. My father who has hunted longer than my brothers and me combined has never gotten a band either. All luck. I heard one time that about 1 in 400 ducks has a band.


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## Labsroc01 (Mar 23, 2004)

Ended up shooting a drake in ND, which was banded in Maine! Weird or what? The bird came from a totally different flyway. It would be interesting to know all of this mallards travels. This guy makes a total of 4 duck bands for myself.


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

two of my five bands came while jump shooting ducks while coming or going antelope hunting in Bowman. I hunt ducks every chance I get for the short season and barely see one then I take a trip to the end of the world and get two in seven trips


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I heard it's like 1 in 150 drake mallards are banded. My experience has been about 1 in 300 geese. Snows probably less, although they did stop neck collaring snows this past year.


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## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

I have zero bands. I don't hunt a lot of waterfowl, but you would think over the years I would get lucky once.

I hunt 90 percent upland and would love to have a pheasant band even more. I hunt a lot for doves in the fall too and know they have been banding them as well, but I don't think it's in this part of the state. Those dove bands must be really tiny!

Does anyone know if they band sharptail grouse?


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## OTDRSMN (May 17, 2005)

I've been lucky enough to get 4 bands in about 8 years of waterfowling, all here in the Atlantic flyway, all in PA A woodie, a mallard, a black, and a goose.


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## scauphunter73 (Sep 23, 2004)

I've got three in about 18 years of hunting. None here in MN, one in ND and two Sask. It seems to be pretty rare for most duck hunters, I feel very lucky. Based on my experience there seem to be more around in the central flyway than northern MN. That could also be because I shoot way more birds in ND and Sask than I ever do at home. :beer:


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## scauphunter73 (Sep 23, 2004)

I've got three in about 18 years of hunting. None here in MN, one in ND and two Sask. It seems to be pretty rare for most duck hunters, I feel very lucky. Based on my experience there seem to be more around in the central flyway than northern MN. That could also be because I shoot way more birds in ND and Sask than I ever do at home. :beer:


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## jb (Feb 8, 2005)

I have one band that I shot around home that was banded in WI about 5yrs ago and have not shot one since. I have been on several hunts where others have shot some heck last year 4 of us hunting we got two bands in one day (not me of course  ) heck one guy it was only his second time hunting ducks. One of my brothers only hunts around 4-5 times a year and I bet he has 10 bands its all just luck. Makes you wonder if all the call makers that try to look like a rapper and have all the bands are the guys that buy them off ebay 8) I always seem to pick the wrong bird to shoot I saw 5 bands last year 4 on ducks and 1 blue goose with a red collar oh well maybe this year


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## yotebuster (Dec 3, 2004)

Ive been duck hunting for since i was 9 (11 years), and no one in our party has ever got a band. Luckily i changed that on saturday mornin....hehehe....pulled one down with a little bling. Hes in the freezer now waitin to go to the taxidermist. The band said Laurel MD on it, im not sure if that is where it was banded or what. I cant wait to get the info back on him. :beer:


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## Quackkills9 (Oct 25, 2004)

I had two duck bands but they're gone and both said Laurel, MD also but thats not where they are from I dont think, just where the bands were made.


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## Bandcollector02 (Oct 4, 2005)

I've hunted ducks and geese for around 5 years now. I've turned into a die hard. Last year I hunted ducks every weekend except for deer hunting. I got my first band last year only about 10 miles from my house. It was a nice Giant Canadian from Illinois (I shot it in MN). The bird was banded in 2002. Pretty cool I thought. Out of about 6 or 7 guys that I frequently hunt with, we are all in the ages of 21-24, if I'm counting right, I would say we've gotton 6 banded birds (ducks and geese). If anyone wants a lot of good info on bird banding go to http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/default.htm
it has all the facts and data about bird banding. Here's a little info from the sight:
For the calendar year 2001, 1,049,646 birds were banded in the United States and Canada, and 97,204 recoveries were reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory. These included birds from the following groups:

Ducks 222,006 banded; 48,576 recovered 
Geese (includes Brant) 132,295 banded; 39,766 recovered 
Swans 1,063 banded; 555 recovered 
Doves 4,329 banded; 156 recovered 
Woodcock 934 banded; 94 recovered 
Nongame 689,019 banded; 8057 recovered 
Included in Nongame birds are hawks and owls, most (non-waterfowl) endangered species, wading birds, and songbirds (including neotropical migrants) as well as other birds that are not eaten as game.


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## Bandcollector02 (Oct 4, 2005)

I forgot to mention a friend of mine just shot a banded goose a couple weeks ago during Minnesota's early goose season. It's his second banded Canadian. Lucky little bastard.


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