# Stealing Bands



## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

First I am putting this here as right now the snow goose forum is getting the most action. This is probably one for the hot topics but..

I would like to say adult waterfowlers we have some work to do but honestly I think a lot of adults are just as guilty. I will be the first to admit that I love it when I pick up a bird and it has some shine on it. And I do love to show it to my buddies. But I am not so driven that I would buy them or steal them. I guess I am confused how all this mess started that you are not a great waterfowler unless you have a lanyard full of bling. People it has gotten to the point of people shooting birds with rifles, sneaking into parks and stealing them off the birds, guys breaking into peoples trucks, buying unreported bands off of E-Bay and screwing up the data as guys give false kill areas and kill dates when they call them in. The below was on the "Fuge". I just cut and pasted it here as I feel we have a lot of level headed waterfowlers on this site. When you read the below ask yourself. Are we really putting that much pressure on each other that we have to steal bands? Do we really have to take a neck collar off a snow and say oh crap I forgot to get a picture of it to post for the world to see so I will put it on a ross? Is there that much demand on them to force ******** to shoot into birds on the ground so they can sell them on E-bay. What did we loose 3 fellow waterfowlers this year from guys shooting into spreads with rifles?? Anyway I read this post and it bothered me. I think we need to reverse the trend and change the message we are giving our youth about bands. I personally don't think this is the route our great sport should be taken. Anyway enough babble:



> Band Man said:
> 
> 
> > I have a friend in colorado (whos name i wont mention). Last year i started noticing alot more bands on his lanyard, but he would never say he was shooting any bands. I knew he wasnt buying them on ebay because we both talked about how horny people are who buy bands on ebay.
> ...


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## boranger (Mar 11, 2008)

Chris,,,you should love this one, south we go!!!!!!!! :beer:


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> He is trying to make his way up the contest calling road, and he is field and pro staffed for a couple of companies.


This is where it all started.. Pro Staffs... :eyeroll:


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

boranger said:


> Chris,,,you should love this one, south we go!!!!!!!! :beer:


Not my intention to give Chris another topic headache. Like I said it probably should be moved to the hot topics but I felt it needs some exposure.

Honestly anyone that denies we have a problem out there with the message we are sending then they need to pull their head out of their stinky crack. I have no problem displaying your bands. It is the unethical ways guys are getting them and some thinking it is perfectly fine.


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## T Shot (Oct 4, 2002)

I really don't understand the fascination with a lanyard full of bands.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Best thing to do would be to stop putting bands on birds. Use another way to ID hem, something that the shooter doesn't want to nor can they keep. Even using radio tp track birds. Unreal what people do to this great "sport" of hunting. Maybe that is the problem, it has become a sport instead of a passion or a pastime. Very Sad!!!!!! :eyeroll:


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## duckp (Mar 13, 2008)

Most will grow out of it.


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

duckp I sure wish that was true but there is a lot of older waterfowlers that are coo coo for bands.


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## shootnmiss09 (Sep 15, 2006)

I think that bands on the birds is a great thing. I have never got one, or have seen a bird with a band. I know that I wouldnt steal or buy bands that just doesnt seem right. To me that wouldnt even be the same, I would MUCH rather earn my own band!


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## boranger (Mar 11, 2008)

I love bands , I have kill 5bird, with bands, I do count the one that the guide said all bands go to the guides,thats in 45years of hunting.when I was with the guide I was just a shooter. that I was not a hunter ,something I learn on here,I think that hurt more than loosing the band ,,,,,,, :beer:


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

I said my thoughts the other week about guides stealing clients bands. I finally put 2+2 together, that is how the wannabes get all those bands--they steal them from hunters they guide for. So no surprise to hear about an idiot stealing bands off of geese in a park. All this in the name to look cool, :roll: what is so ironic is how uncool the really are - they are damned pigs at best.

So no wonder when I see a bunch of bands on a lanyard, my 1st thought is did he steal them or buy them off of Ebay? uke:

BTW, I think the selling of unreported bands should be illegal since it skews the research info. It should be a Federal offense.


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

h2ofwlr said:


> BTW, I think the selling of unreported bands should be illegal since it skews the research info. It should be a Federal offense.


And lets not forget we are paying for that research!

Also go on Ebay and check out the weiner that sells numerous neck collars every year there. You can't tell me that the guy is getting them by jumping or laying in the decoys. Maybe he is a guide that steals them from his clients or maybe he is picking them off with a riffle. Eitherway I think if the Feds are not looking into it then they are not doing their job. Seems awfully suspicious to me!


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## lesserlover1 (Nov 28, 2006)

in two years that guy has sold over 100 unreported neck bands off of snows and blues and ross geese. i would say that he is taking away from the true waterfowler. i wrote the guy and he told me to mind my own business.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I have always wanted to get a band. I live in Fergus Falls, which holds a ton of banded geese and ducks. It would be so easy to go get a fishing net and net the birds, but what would be the fun in that? It should be illegal to sell them bands. Those people are ruining it for the hunters. There is no way that some of those people can get that many bands that fast without doing something illegal.

I have yet to get a band, but I will be trying next hunting season.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Now.. The important question is.. 
How do we get the act of selling Migratory bird bands and collars added to this??
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/intrnltr/treatlaw.html#lacey

In my opinion, this link is must read for all serious waterfowlers...


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

It's truly amazing to see how low some people will go. I blame this on the whole "prostaff" thing. Waterfowling is not a competition, I don't go hunting with the sole intention of bragging about what I shot. I have nothing to prove to anyone else, the people I hunt with know that I know what I'm doing and I know they know what they are doing. I'm out there because I love hunting, if I happen to shoot some birds it makes it better.


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## OhioGooseBuster (Feb 8, 2008)

h2ofwlr said:


> I said my thoughts the other week about guides stealing clients bands. I finally put 2+2 together, that is how the wannabes get all those bands--they steal them from hunters they guide for.
> 
> 
> h2ofwlr said:
> ...


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

I agree we should take the next step and try get it added, I just dont know where to start but, I will stand behind it 100% if anything does get going!


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## SoDakShooter (Mar 17, 2008)

Selling bands on ebay should be against the law. I see them as nothing more then a good management tool and it turns birds into a trophy. I dont have any bands and banded bird I get will be going on the wall. I would not feel right about selling, stealing, or taking away someone elses trophy. Its the same as neighbors stealing a large buck during deer hunting. I dont get it. If you didnt shoot it why would you want to take that away from someone else?


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## boranger (Mar 11, 2008)

this guide does know longer work for the out fitter,the hunt was over after he took the band ,I went to the outfitter and he could not get the band, hesaid he had taken aneck band the week before from agrop , sent him on his way!He said he was the best guide he ever had for getting geese but lossing hunter like no tomorrow!


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## Ima870man (Oct 29, 2003)

I have to comment on this topic. Why would anyone want a band if they did not harvest the bird, witness the bird just to report it, or get lucky and find a dead bird with one on its body. I have witnessed banded birds and harvested a couple -- three or four ducks and a similar amount of geese, including one of the new plasticine bands last year off of a gadwell -- but never found one. I know of some peope who have supposedly stolen bands from someone, and some people who suppposedly bought them off of the web. I for one will never do either of these two above mentioned actions because I just do not believe in it. My bands on my lanyard are the Delta gold bands one gets at their banquets. They represent the bands I have at home, as I do not want to lose any of them treasuring the memories they supply. Bands do not represent who or what you are as a sportsman. Youngsters, do not get caught up in the hype of bands, it drives you the wrong way in our sport. Be patient, and the rewards will be great with the time and memories you will gather in the field. My last two bands these past two years came with a 20 year hiatus, but I still enjoyed tons of hunts in between times. The person who has tons of bands on their lanyard does not mean a whole lot to me. A little envious -- maybe -- but our state only has a couple spots where one would have a higher rate of return for the effort of the hunt. But this effort has left me with enough memories to last a dozen life times in North Dakota.

Ima870man


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## jgat (Oct 27, 2006)

I think the glamorization of waterfowling has hit a new level in the past 5-10 years with all the video's that come out. It's not about the hunting anymore, it's about being part of a "team", whether its the Foiles team, or the Zink team, or the Saunders team. It is pretty juvenile. It goes back to what Chris was saying about the "my jeans are better than your jeans mentality." Anybody who has to buy or steal a band to make themself feel like a hunter has a LONG way to go before they will truly know what a hunter is. I think it is up to us to stop this sort of action. We need to explain to the youthful hunters we take out with us that yes, bands are cool, but what bands are really about is waterfowling research that is way more important than a shiny little souvenir for our lanyard.


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## BeekBuster (Jul 22, 2007)

The thing that busts my chops is that they sell them unreported on ebay, that's the most unethical thing i have heard of.. If people want to pay for a guide to be a shooter and give up there bands, so be it, they are probablly the ones that buy all the collars and bands on ebay.


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

I'm not a pro-staffer advocate at all. I never stole a band, bought a band, shot a bird with a rifle for the band, or even flipped a coin for a band. I never paid to hunt where there were banded birds. I read on here the other day where someone said that if you've got a lot of bands then you must pay to hunt near a banding area. Bull! Maybe you just know how to kill geese or maybe you're just lucky. I suspect the latter.

I just drug mine out of an old dusty box in the garage and counted them, just to see what I have. If I could sell them all for what they are worth on EBay, I could throw down cash on a new Benelli or something equivalent. If I sold them for what they are worth to me.

I keep mine tucked away in the deep recesses of the garage now. I use to hang them on the corner of a couple of goose prints that I bought at DU banquets and they made for a nice conversation piece. They also allowed me to reflect on the all the hunts and people and birds and dogs that I've been on. I'm proud of my bands and the birds that I've taken in fair chase to get them.

I don't understand the obsession. Like Leo, I say that it's nice to get a banded bird and when I'm out with someone and they get one I'm just as happy for them as if I'd of bagged it myself. I can see a guy putting his first goose band on a lanyard but gee, stop with the "pro-staff" mentality while you're ahead. All that will cost you in the end is hunting buddies and fond memories, as no one wants to hunt with a blowhard.

My two pennies worth.

Good luck and let's remember, it's a sport and not a competition :beer: 
Dan


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## theodore (Nov 3, 2007)

Maybe every banding project should have federal oversite. Recovered bands would need to be returned immediately. Possession could be a felony. You could take pictures and laminate them to carry around with you. Problem solved?


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## SoDakShooter (Mar 17, 2008)

A felony :roll: you got to be kidding... Might as well strip the rights of an honest hunter making a mistake. Who needs another hunter gun owner voting. You might as well just turn everyone who owns a shot gun into a felon and outlaw hunting the whole band problem solved.

I should clarify that when i said it should be illegal to sell bands i meant to say "selling unreported bands". Other wise should be able to do what you want with your property. It is supposed to be a free country.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> I should clarify that when i said it should be illegal to sell bands i meant to say "selling unreported bands". Other wise should be able to do what you want with your property. It is supposed to be a free country


If you take a look at the link I posted earlier you would know that it is illegal to sell any part of a migratory bird.

Bands need to be added to this..Reported or not.


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## chester_mallard_molester (Mar 23, 2006)

I myself have never shot a banded bird of any sort, and it doesn't really bother me.. Just last fall my buddies girlfriend shot a banded blue goose and she never went to get it right away as it was the heat of the moment with geese everywhere..Some other guys had went and picked that goose up in the meantime without any of us knowing until she wanted to know where her goose was as it was visible laying in the field from where we were, went and asked the other guys that picked it up and they claimed they shot it..kinda :******: me off..after a few choice words i headed back down the ditch and moments later a guy from there group came down the ditch with her blue, sure enough, banded..may not be a big deal to some people but to a new hunter it sure put a smile on her face.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

I think the whole "competitive" thing in hunting today is across the board, not just to waterfowling.

Look at bowhunting now, a far cry from what it was ten years ago, the same goes for coyote hunting, waterfowling, etc etc etc.

Alot of it is due to the mass marketing of the videos, the calling contests, the decoys, "keeping up with the Jones's". I look at the level of interest in waterfowl calling contests now, as compared to 10-15 years ago, the numbers have skyrocketed. The equipments better, success rates are higher (at least if you dont count snow geese). And alot of "newbies" are trying other types of hunting. Bowhunter and coyote hunter numbers have tripled in ten years!

We've also seen a HUGE increase of hunter A bashing hunter B's tactics and hunting style. You didnt hear to much of that kind of talk 10-15 years ago. And ill admit, I do this as well.

I think its mostly younger guys (mid 30's and lower) trying to break into the "industry", wether it be through calling contests, being a "staffer" in some way, etc. Trying to emulate their "heros", and thinking, "well the avery boys have 20 lbs of bands on their neck and competition call, that must help".

Personaly, I dont think a lanyard full of bands, or a trailer full of Avery's makes you a better hunter. They just prove you have lots of money and available time.

Also, the average waterfowler is one of the cockiest SOB's on the planet.  Again, guilty as charged sometimes. I went to the calling contest at Scheels in Fargo last fall, and man my eyes were sore from doin this all day :eyeroll: , just kinda makes ya chuckle sometimes. And I suppose the mean age there was 25.


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## dash (Apr 30, 2006)

I wish Icould understand why anyone wants a band at all. I'm not bashing, I just don't get it.

I've shot plenty with bands, never bragged about it a or fought about who shot the bird. Shot them with wing flaps, shot them with a radio, even shot a bluebill that they had painted the breast feathers orange when they tagged it . ( poor bird didn't stand a chance. Kind of draws your eyes to that bird. only lasted 2 days from when it was banded) I always thought it was my duty to the birds to send the bands in(which is the way it was done years ago) so we could learn more about them. I can't tell you where any of them are. I run across some in a junk drawer now and then. My dad told me and I've shared it with my sons; It just means that bird has been in human hands before.

I saw my first one on a lanyard about 30 years ago with a guy I used to hunt with. Asked him why he had them by his call and he didn't even know why. For all I know he started the mess.

I just don't get it and I'm sorry to hear that there is so much competition to get them. If I shoot a neck collared goose next week with 3 leg bands and wing flaps to boot....I'd just report it.... as I was taught to do by the last generation of hunters.

Seeing the "flight" is what it's all about.


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

I also have to agree that it should be illegal to sell them. I think the majority would agree also, all we need is a brave soul to actually take action in talking to some people to making this happen


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I think it should be illeagl for wanna be hunters (sportsmen) to compete over anything to do with wildlife. Its just another part of making hunting a sport! Someday you will see your games end and wonder why.


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## WingDinger (Dec 9, 2007)

I dont know if this has been brought up yet. If any of you have subscription to wildfowl you will notice a majority or the advertisements that have a picture of a waterfowl hunter in them have a lanyard full of bands also. It is just getting pounded into everyones head that you are not a true waterfowler until you have ten pounds of bands hanging from your neck. Seems silly my :2cents:


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## BeekBuster (Jul 22, 2007)

Yeh i have noticed the advertisments.. Heres this guy in the middle of a marsh with his face painted in all camo hiding in the weeds with basically a chrome necklace on..


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I only read the first couple of posts, but I'll tell you how much trouble he is in. If he messes up a multi agency, multimillion dollar research project he will be looking at prison time. I know of a couple research projects that the FBI is now involved in. It is related to grizzly bear, but any research project state or federal would look at this very serious. If he gets caught tell him to kiss momma good bye for a couple of years.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

I believe it should be illegal for anyone to turn a profit from hunting. It's kinda hard to explain how I feel about this, but here it goes. I feel that there should be no price put on any game animals head or any other body part. If you want to go buy 5000$ of dekes that's your choice but the only money you HAVE to spend is the license. Bear with me, this all leads back to ebay bands and lack of morals. So with only the gov't getting paid for you to hunt and the money getting put back into OUR resource everyone wins, even the wildlife. Enter guides, paying for access, canned hunts, selling mounts, bird bands, ivory, bear parts, etc, etc... It never stops. The almighty dollar has turned mother nature into a hoe, and our Gov't is the pimp. In the end who has the most to lose? We do. As true hunters and sportsman we are the only ones hurting when the resource is gone. The gov't makes millions from outfitters, the G/O makes a killing from clients(not hunters) and even a scab on ebay makes a few bucks from a bird he may or may not have shot legally. All we are left with is memories of the way it used to be. I don't want to look back and wish things were different 20 yrs from now.

This may make no sense and I apologize. I've been drinking and this topic really gets me going. :beer:


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## honkerhitmen (Jan 20, 2008)

I have delt with the whole band thing i think just about everyone has ya flip a coin, short straw, pick a card its all a bunch of crap. The guys i hunt with most of time, all they care about is where it is from for who ever ends up with it. And giuding stealing bands is a bunch of crap, been there to got my a** chewed for it, the giude not keeping the band from other giudes, WHAT EVER who cares. When im giuding in Rochester and we shoot a band i find the youngest kid in the feild and the best reason some one should have it, wether its there first time or there b-day. And to add to the young generation that is a gung hoe about have a full lanyard dont be calling us out. I am 24 yr old worked very hard for every band that i have shot or gave to some young kid. There are some of us that have tought themselves the way of hunting and the right way too.


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## jeepguy (Nov 7, 2005)

The worst thing I ever heard, in regards to bands...
A guide was guiding a group which consisted of a young girl hunting for her first time. She single handidly shot the band. The "guide" took the band and said it was his. Seriously they are cool but not that cool


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## Hitman_25 (Feb 11, 2006)

i definantly agree that selling bands should not be leagal. But in defence of the guides {i used to do some guiding} they have to have a system to keep guys from fighting over bands if you have 6 guys shooting into a flock of snow how do you figure out wich guy shot the band. and we all know there are alot of guyss that are crazy over bands so i always made every body draw straws to figure out in what order bands would be distributed. I did not keep other peoples bands but that is one way to solve the problem but the guide should be very clear about this policy before the hunt.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

jeepguy said:


> Seriously they are cool but not that cool


Guides are cool? newsflash, no they are just men just like you and I. And some have zero morales.



Hitman_25 said:


> they have to have a system to keep guys from fighting over bands if you have 6 guys shooting into a flock of snow how do you figure out wich guy shot the band. and we all know there are alot of guyss that are crazy over bands so i always made every body draw straws to figure out in what order bands would be distributed. I did not keep other peoples bands but that is one way to solve the problem but the guide should be very clear about this policy before the hunt.


Exactly, another way is flipping coins (heads/tails). But the hunters reatianed the bands VS a guide stealing them.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> But in defence of the guides {i used to do some guiding} they have to have a system to keep guys from fighting over bands if you have 6 guys shooting into a flock of snow how do you figure out wich guy shot the band.


I figure the guide shouldn't get a straw for the draw, but that is a fair way for a group to decide ownership when everyone shot. I know which birds I shot, I am not "spraying and praying" and the dog only brings them back 1 at a time. Anyone except a kid who proudly displays a band that they got through any other means is a first class POS.


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## tb (Jul 26, 2002)

chester_mallard_molester said:


> ...her blue, sure enough, banded..may not be a big deal to some people but to a new hunter it sure put a smile on her face.


That's what its all about.


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## rednek (Dec 29, 2006)

> h2ofwlr Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:04 am Post subject:
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> ...


i think he meant the bands

i like to get bands but im not desprite for them. i like it to be a surprise when i pick up my bird and it has one. i think its funny how people will fight for a piece of alummumin.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

People have been fighting over stupid $hit for years.


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

I'd like to get a line on who sells these unreported bands and see where they all come from. Find out what that persons job is. Maybe they come strait from a refuge where banding takes place and they take them right out of the box or bag or whatever they come to the banding sites in. Sure seems that there is a lot of them and they look in pretty good shape for being on birds for any length of time.

Dan


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

Dan, I think anyone can contact the suppliers of the bands and order their own custom ones or a set of sequentual(sp) serial numbers. I wonder why the gov't isn't doing anything? Seems like an awful waste of money to have the data skewed by posers.


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

headshot said:


> Dan, I think anyone can contact the suppliers of the bands and order their own custom ones or a set of sequentual(sp) serial numbers. I wonder why the gov't isn't doing anything? Seems like an awful waste of money to have the data skewed by posers.


That's what I mean. There are a number of individuals who band as well as gov't. agencies. I'm sure you can order them with anything you want on them. Can't be much as they are just aluminum. Wonder if someone isn't doing that and turning them around on Ebay. They sure wouldn't be reported.

Good hunting,
Dan


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

> I'm sure you can order them with anything you want on them. Can't be much as they are just aluminum. Wonder if someone isn't doing that and turning them around on Ebay. They sure wouldn't be reported


I know there are guys on the site involved with banding projects, hopefully someone will chime in. I would assume that if you bought bands to put on birds you would have to give the info from your banding program to the people that run the banding phone number. How else would you get your data back? I shot a banded crow. When I phoned it in, it was put on by a university student as part of a research program. The lady on the phone took the info and encouraged me to call the researcher directly. I am willing to bet all bands have the same 1-800 number on them.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I love bands, and love shooting them etc. But I would never take a band someone else shot. I feel that is some serious bad band krama. I do however have a mallard band on my lanyard that my buddy shot with me. He doesn't really hunt much anymore and he shot it with me and gave it to me because he says he never cared much for it. I rock it. 8)


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

headshot said:


> > I'm sure you can order them with anything you want on them. Can't be much as they are just aluminum. Wonder if someone isn't doing that and turning them around on Ebay. They sure wouldn't be reported
> 
> 
> I know there are guys on the site involved with banding projects, hopefully someone will chime in. I would assume that if you bought bands to put on birds you would have to give the info from your banding program to the people that run the banding phone number. How else would you get your data back? I shot a banded crow. When I phoned it in, it was put on by a university student as part of a research program. The lady on the phone took the info and encouraged me to call the researcher directly. I am willing to bet all bands have the same 1-800 number on them.


Yeah, all kinds of birds wear the bling. I found a seagull in a Wal Mart parking lot once that had a powder blue plastic band on it. Found a rooster pheasant in Wyoming with the bling too. You may be right about the reporting thing. I'm not sure how it all shakes out with that.

Good hunting,
Dan


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## irish (Jan 18, 2004)

This realy gets me worked up ! If i am hunting with a new group 
i tell them before hand that if there is any dispute, over who 
shot the band then the dog that hauled it in gets the band .
I have always given the band to the dog ! You should see how proud
they are when you put it on there collar . Then when the inevitable 
happens and we loose our friends their collar goes up on the wall 
with a few pics of them in a nice frame , the wife does that part .
We have done this for some of our hunting buddies and they have 
told us that it is one of their best memories (also it never leaves 
a dry eye ) .But the idea above that it goes to the young hunter 
or the first timer is a good one .Only twice has the dog thing not worked the guy just kept pushing that he had to have the band . He got that one he never hunted with us after that . And the next time i was ready 
i had gone to one Du supper in my life and after it was over there were 
bands all over the tables from the raffels i picked up a hand full and i keep them in my blind bag . Then when the next guy made a big deal about the bling i grabed the hand full and tossed them to him and 
said if it was so important that he had to have a band over the dog 
you can have all of them ! Everyone in the group laughed and he 
walked away in shame .But in my 30 some years of hunting twice 
i dont think is to bad . I guess i hunt with a great group no to correct 
that i know i due . 
Well thanks for letting me vent

Irish :beer:


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## fubar (Mar 10, 2008)

i have hunted for 7 years now and have never even seen a banded bird get shot. wish i could get one....but i could never bring myself to paying for a band, its just retarded. i just hope one of these days i can get lucky and get a lil "bling" on my lanyard


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

I know a few years back, there were some people on this site that were PM'ing people trying to buy bands from them. I got a pretty good laugh out of it at the time, thinking why would this shmuck want bands someone else shot. The direction some of these people are taking the sport is pretty dispicable. He was even willing to give me .25 a band. I could have made like $2.50, still kicking myself for not taking that deal. :eyeroll:


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## jmlaport (Mar 6, 2007)

I, like anyone else, like to shoot birds with bands. The first goose I ever killed had a leg band, so it doesn't bother me when people show them off as long as they were taken legally. It makes me sick to see these self indulgent idiots selling them on ebay. uke: 
I sent an e-mail to the FWS asking them about the legalities of this issue. Here is the question I asked and the response I received;

I just wanted to know how it is legal for someone to shoot a snow goose or any other waterfowl with a band, and not report it right away and sell it
on ebay? Is there anyone looking into this? I think this is sending the
wrong message and is giving waterfowlers everywhere a bad name. Not to mention the money spent on the banding and the possability of skewed data.
Please advise.

> Mr. LaPorte,
> 
> Thank you for contacting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We spoke with our bird law experts. While it is requested that someone finding or shooting a bird with a band report the band number, it is not required.
Therefore, it is not illegal to shoot a bird with a band and not report the band number. It would be a violation of wildlife and state laws to shoot a bird out of season. But there are no wildlife laws requiring the reporting of bird bands. A law to make it illegal to not report a bird band would be impossible to enforce, in part because not all birds have been banded.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Customer Service Center - Tier II
> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

I guess I don't understand the part about not all the birds are banded, what does that have to do with it?


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