# Lets talk bands on snows/blues



## lookin4abuck (Feb 23, 2010)

I am wondering about the frequency. For example if you have shot 150 geese and had 1 bad you are 1/150.........a buddy of mine claims that snow goose bands are rare compared to canada goose bands.

I'll start........1/135


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

0/alot


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## the professor (Oct 13, 2006)

0/a few


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## winchestersx3 (Feb 3, 2010)

I got lucky on my last hunt last week. I had off school so decided to try em. I was by myself and shot 20 and my first band. 
1/20


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## teamextrema (Jan 27, 2008)

2/1500 for the Past Three Years... Before that it seemed we would snag a band about every 3rd hunt with a couple of collars to.


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## wtrfowl14 (Dec 21, 2007)

Snows = 1 per every 160
Canadas = 1 per every 229


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## greengoblin (Feb 16, 2010)

1 in 15 but its all luck i guess


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## Horker23 (Mar 2, 2006)

1/Alot


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## kruger08k (Feb 9, 2008)

Had 4 out of 15 one day, pure luck...


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## WhiteRockDecoys (Dec 29, 2009)

I have found a good avg. in the spring about 1/350, dry spells on the Canadian prairies (fall) where it will be 1/500 or more. On the breeding grounds 1/100  In the end its all about luck.


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## Snowgooseman__SD (Jan 22, 2010)

1/845


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## Feather Freeks 2 (Jan 13, 2009)

1/90


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## ValleyCityHunter2008 (Jan 13, 2008)

0/70


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## lynxx69 (Mar 21, 2004)

7/alot for snows
2/about 200
Where you are hunting depends on alot for if you are shooting alot of bands or not. That is for Canada goose hunting, snows for most of us is completly luck.


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## WhiteRockDecoys (Dec 29, 2009)

lynxx69 said:


> 7/alot for snows
> 2/about 200
> Where you are hunting depends on alot for if you are shooting alot of bands or not. That is for Canada goose hunting, snows for most of us is completly luck.


I would have to disagree. In the spring there has not only been a banding effort on the tundra in the summer but now also a banding effort on the wintering grounds. The flocks become less segregated on the large refuges like Mound and the Rainwater Basin and the colony's that don't get banded get intermingled with colony's that do get banded on the breeding grounds.

In the fall in SK you sometimes end up hunting entire colony's that don't get banded on the breeding grounds and there are a very low percent of bands.



JAnglin said:


> I'm a little shocked that you guys actually count how many birds you kill. Keeping score....I guess that's what it's all about these days.


Its actual not that complicated and less about counting kills than recording information. We keep a hunting journal with date/conditions/location/bird #'s/kills/species/any other important info. A lot of it help you see trends over the years and improve your hunting success. In Canada you have to keep track for the border and that info goes right into the hunting journal.


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## SnoStackerz (Jun 28, 2004)

1/150 is average for a band
1/500 for band and reward


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## Horker23 (Mar 2, 2006)

Do they still band snows and blues anymore? I thought i heard somewhere that they dont


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## greenhead61 (Feb 15, 2007)

1 out of several hundred. But A buddy of mine went out last weekend an cowed a couple flocks and got 8 bands out of around 70 snows. Its pure luck. Im just never the lucky one! :******:


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## Horker23 (Mar 2, 2006)

were they this years?


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## JAnglin (Aug 3, 2006)

WhiteRock......you said,"Its actual not that complicated and less about counting kills than recording information. We keep a hunting journal with date/conditions/location/bird #'s/kills/species/any other important info. A lot of it help you see trends over the years and improve your hunting success. In Canada you have to keep track for the border and that info goes right into the hunting journal."
....very legit obviously and I should have been clearer. I'm sure that you aren't the only one.

That said, I wonder if the "score cards" I see under signatures are the result of the journals? I doubt that most guys are that motivated to keep track for themselves and much more interested in showing everybody else how many birds they've killed. I can assure you that I don't question this out of jealousy or for a lack of killing birds. Unless you're talking snows of course...and then I'm real jealous because I won't be making it out this spring. Killed one mounter blue in Indiana this past season.

In any case, getting way off the subject! Back to the bands.....


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## WhiteRockDecoys (Dec 29, 2009)

Horker23 said:


> Do they still band snows and blues anymore? I thought i heard somewhere that they dont


Yes, the geese are banded every summer and winter in there perspective locations. The USGS claims neck colors are no longer put on snows, but not leg bands.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

The canadian wildlife service states on their website that hey are still collaring snows and Ross geese.


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

I am a band and collar magnet.Everytime I hunt snows and blues everyone with me gets a band or collar.I never get them myself but that doesnt matter as long as my partners are getting them.Next time you find a big feed, give me a call, set the decoys and I'll be there at shooting time. You will get lots of bands.


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## ILGreenhead (Apr 13, 2008)

Old Hunter said:


> I am a band and collar magnet.Everytime I hunt snows and blues everyone with me gets a band or collar.I never get them myself but that doesnt matter as long as my partners are getting them.Next time you find a big feed, give me a call, set the decoys and I'll be there at shooting time. You will get lots of bands.


Why ya gotta be like that on all the forums old?????


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

I never lie ask the webmaster


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

Old Hunter said:


> I am a band and collar magnet.Everytime I hunt snows and blues everyone with me gets a band or collar.I never get them myself but that doesnt matter as long as my partners are getting them.Next time you find a big feed, give me a call, set the decoys and I'll be there at shooting time. You will get lots of bands.


Greg all these years I thought it was me!


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

3 bands out of 900+ snows. funny thing is my friend and i hunted the same bunch of birds 3 days in a row (the only big feed in our area that week) and got 3 bands! makes me wonder if the geese have a 
"bling club"! :lol: i got one the first day and the second, he got one the third. all were mature blues. my only other "snow" band was also a mature blue. in central wyo. canada goose bands are just as hard to come by since they quit banding here over 15 yrs. ago.


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## lader (Feb 3, 2010)

Snows- 1 for 700+ no joke!!!

Canadas- 0 for 600

Kind of depressing!!!!!!!


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I would say there are defiantly more neck collars on Snows/ross than Canadas.


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## Zekeland (Oct 6, 2005)

Last spring started with a snow goose band on my first bird harvested, and only one that day actually, very front edge hunting...that was April 13, a little later than most years. A week later my clients from England finished off a 3 day hunt with a double bander snow on the last bird.

Bands have been coming more frequent since I started targeting the whities mainly in fall, and the odd Canada hunt.....


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## mudhunter (Dec 10, 2007)

Saturday had a young man from Clay Center in our spread. Gave him the go ahead to take a single snow that came in on the deck. When the dog retrieved the live goose, I dispatched it. Then we noticed the leg band. Then another leg band and a reward. I would say that is pretty rare. Congrats Steven.


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## SDOutdoorsman (Mar 9, 2009)

Last Sunday hunted down in Nebraska. Only shot two birds and both had leg bands. Before that I was 0/approximetly 300+


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## teamshakeandbake (Oct 14, 2008)

well i would take 2 birds with bands on them rather than 25 without ha


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

teamshakeandbake said:


> well i would take 2 birds with bands on them rather than 25 without ha


I would take 2 with over 250 without. Less cleaning. :beer:


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

Now I know some jumpers that can kill the crap out of bands and my assumption is that they take a large chunk out of one flock (a large sample) as compared to the decoyer that takes a smaller number of dumb birds out of each group. Are banded birds smarter? I'd assume that the collared geese around still must be smarter to have survived this long. My ratio is probably 1 in 300 or so.

Canadas- the key to getting canada bands is hunting as close to Minnesota as possible if not within its borders. My ratio is probably 1 in 100. Last two years have maybe been less. Nothing compared to a Lillehoff 1 in 3. Hunt nodak for numbers and Minnesota for bands.


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## FullClip (Jan 22, 2007)

goosebusters said:


> Now I know some jumpers that can kill the crap out of bands and my assumption is that they take a large chunk out of one flock (a large sample) as compared to the decoyer that takes a smaller number of dumb birds out of each group. Are banded birds smarter? I'd assume that the collared geese around still must be smarter to have survived this long. My ratio is probably 1 in 300 or so.
> 
> Canadas- the key to getting canada bands is hunting as close to Minnesota as possible if not within its borders. My ratio is probably 1 in 100. Last two years have maybe been less. Nothing compared to a Lillehoff 1 in 3. Hunt nodak for numbers and Minnesota for bands.


HA, I hope thats a joke.


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## snowgoosedestroyer (Dec 16, 2009)

snows I think we got 2 out of 1500 or more

canadas we shot 45 this year and got 7 bands. Do the math :rock:


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

[quote="goosebusters"
Nothing compared to a Lillehoff 1 in 3. [/quote]

E Bay :down:


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## potous (Mar 6, 2010)

3 for 400 1 reward band 1 neck collar


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## markb (Sep 4, 2005)

0 / 550 Decoyed birds, depressing.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Whats a band...??????????????????


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