# buying bands...



## duckbuster808 (Apr 27, 2004)

what do you guys think about people buying bands on the internet??? i was just wondering because i was looking on ebay and they have tons of bands that people are trying to sell.....i would like to get one to display on my lanyard....i was just wondering what you guys thought about it.....i have been hunting for 2 years and the only band i have ever seen was one that my dad shot when i was not with him. your opinions would be very appreciated.
thanks,

duckbuster808


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## dlip (May 16, 2004)

getting a band will be all the more sweet if you harvest it, and you dont buy it from someone else


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

Displaying a lanyard full of bands that you didn't shoot is about as lame as it gets. You will look like a clown in front of every person you meet when they ask you where you shot the band.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Let's say you love to bowl. You're not going to buy bowling trophies to put on your wall/mantle are you?

Again, marketing at it's best. All the guys in the videos have lanyards full of bands. These guys aren't lucky, they just know where the banding sites are. If you want to up your odds, do some research and find where they are in your state.


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## duckbuster808 (Apr 27, 2004)

i see what you are saying. i live in michigan...do you know where i could find info about the banding sites?? what are the odds of shooting a band??


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Banding sites aren't exactly public information.

They band the geese to gather a lot of flyway information. If they published their banding sites, and let's say 100 hunters went to persue them in an area and shot most of them....it would skew the data that they're trying to collect. They're trying to gather band recoveries naturally, not artificially.

With that being said...you'll have to do some detective work. I've got tips if you want to pm me.


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## Canada_Hunter (Mar 21, 2004)

I think its not fair to shoot banded birds near the banding site...On my side im more impress by a good caller than by a guy full of bling-bling...


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

I personally wouldn't buy bands from e-bay. I get more satisfaction out of the bird, band, and other's I can share the experience with. There is always a story behind a band; wouldn't you want to share it with others? I know I would be hard-pressed to tell a story that I bought my band(s). Bands are kinda like a Fad, it's just looks cool to see your lanyard with a few bands and almost everyone has a few or more. Everyone needs to fit in with a group&#8230; I think having a good call and you know how to blow it is a better prize&#8230;

.2


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## Nodak Duke (Oct 14, 2003)

I like bands as much as the next guy, but the whole band fad is really obnoxious in my opinion.

And to answer your question... Go ahead and buy one if you want. Heck, buy a couple dozen of 'em!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

That is one of the dumbest things i've ever heard. I had no idea it was that big of a deal to people. This ranks right up there with the penis enlargement e*mails i get every 5 minutes.....pathetic. Well ok...maybe not that bad.

I've been hunting waterfowl for 19 years now and have had some days where we slaughted the snows (mostly many years ago...i seem to have lost my hunting jones recently). Best day was 75. Yet I have never been part of a band. Even if I was...why put it on your lanyard? To lose it. Makes no sense to me. Display it with a nice picture of the bird of something in your game room. It seems to me like only people insecure about themselves would have to buy these.

I didn't mean to sound critical.....No offense...these are my opinions for what they are worth.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Hey Hook......I never get those e-mails.......sure they don't know something about you???? :lol: :lol:


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

I know sombody from the site that has bought all the bands on his lanyard............But anyways I would never to it, you only look like a possure.


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## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

I'm not sure...but your girlfriend never seems to complain :wink: :wink:

If your gay, oops. If your married, my bad. I'm doing my best for not knowing you...gimmee a break :lol: :lol:


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

A guy never knows about Dan.... :lol:


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## dlip (May 16, 2004)

> I'm not sure...but your girlfriend never seems to complain


hmmm.... last time i heard that was..... 7th grade!


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## T Shot (Oct 4, 2002)

I want to know why a lanyard full of bands is so coveted. You will not find a single band on my lanyard. In my opinion it looks cheesy. Unless you have hunted very hard for a long time, it is hard to shoot a lanyard full of bands in this area. So why try to fake it by hanging some you bought off ebay around your neck. In my opinion it is a bogus way to judge how much somebody knows about waterfowling. Its not even a fair comparison between people from different areas because some states band far more resident geese than others. Bands are mostly luck and shouldnt be shown off or taken as any indication of skill.


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## dlip (May 16, 2004)

> Bands are mostly luck and shouldnt be shown off or taken as any indication of skill.


i half way agree with that, yes, they are mostly luck, but to say you shouldnt show them off after YOU KILL THE DUCK WITH THE BAND, some people including me would like to put em on a lanyard, because its something that doesnt happen every day, especially down here in oklahoma, any band i get is going on my lanyard


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## T Shot (Oct 4, 2002)

Why do you have to show them off on your lanyard? For everyone else to see? Why not display them for yourself somewhere in your house...say on a mount. Let me assure you, they dont rain out of the sky here either. If you want to put one you shot on your lanyard, more power to you. Its just not my cup of tea.


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

Ten to fifteen years ago bands were not that big of a deal.I have a friend that has his junk droor full of them,I asked him why he dosnt put them on his lanyard,he said "we spend all of this money on camo to blend in,why should I have a necklace full of shiny bands".I have only shot a handfull of banded birds and would never consider buying them.To me the best part of shooting a banded bird is the information you get on it:where it was banded,and how old it is.


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## duckbuster808 (Apr 27, 2004)

yeah i know what you mean about shooting them and the meaning behind them. i just want one not to fit in or not to look cool i just think that they are cool little pieces of metal.i just really want one but i think i will take your guys advice and wait in hopes that i will shoot one around here(MI)
hey mallard tell your friend to send some of his luck my way please.

and if you really get that many of those penis enlargment emails i think that you need help.


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## 870 XPRS (Mar 12, 2003)

every band i've gotten has been @#[email protected]#$#@ awesome. . To shoot a snow with a band is like 1 in 110,000, and I am damn proud of shooting that sob. I got a mllard, a snow, and a honker so far. It's not like shooting them around a banding site, i feel pretty lucky when i shoot one, just like many of the freelancers around this state. ND is the best state of the 50 and i wish i didn't have to move away, but in a few years i feel doom is headed my way, stupid alll mighty dollar.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Hook, Married.........Tyler, Don't make me get that picture of your girlfriend out!!!


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## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

This is a pretty interesting topic, but how many bands has everyone got on this site. Like I said before, I don't know if I hunt the wrong areas, but I have never got one or been on a hunt where a banded bird was taken. But that double bander at the zoo sure would be nice!!! I think we have all seen him.

A couple years ago i followed those birds out of town one night and went out and shot 2 of them the next morning....what a blast. It is a short hunt however as it is one flock and after you shoot at em once the hunt is over.

Personally I would rather shoot a wood duck than a banded bird. I've never bagged one of those either.

ps....Dlip......go pi$$ on a live wire :lol: :lol:


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## bjn (Jul 17, 2003)

IMHO, I feel that each and every band I have has a story behind it. I can remember each and every one of those hunts like it was yesterday. By the way everyone sounds on here, I have been lucky as I have quite a few of them, all fair chase, mostly snows and mallards. Shooting the actual birds with bands on them is luck, but putting in the time and effort to harvest that many birds and actually getting out enough to increase your odds isn't luck at all. I wear all my bands on my lanyard, except the ones on mounts (that were the actual bird, not throwing a band on another bird). I don't see anything wrong with it as long as they were fair chase wild birds.


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## Kansas Kid (Nov 20, 2003)

I have been hunting waterfowl for over 20 years and I only have two bands. I have a friend that has shot probably less than 1/5 the birds that I have in my life and I think he has 5 now. I have both my bands on my lanyard, but my dad sent his back in during the mid 80's to get the $10 reward on it. I wouldn't send mine in for $100. I guess that's how different people look at things.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

my dog wears the bands he fetches on his collar...the ol boy has more bling bling than Mr. T!!!!


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## duckbuster808 (Apr 27, 2004)

i would love to shoot a band in lower mi....it probably wont happen for awhile though considering there arent that many places to hunt around here and most farmers wont allow you to hunt.there are only a few places to hunt that i know of they are shiawasse nianquin and fish point...and fishhook if you want to shoot a wood duck just come on over to michigan and i guarantee you will shoot one or even your limit of two! they are all over the place here.....my friend even shot one that had a band..How rare is that!


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## dlip (May 16, 2004)

thats a good idea 


> my dog wears the bands he fetches on his collar...the ol boy has more bling bling than Mr. T!!!!


now, i gotta get the dog


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

a friend of mine helped out with banding once maybe i'll have to give him a call. :wink:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

to find banding locations I suggest taking a drive and visiting all the NWR's near to where you live...if you ask they would most likely tell ya if they have a banding program going. 8)


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## duckbuster808 (Apr 27, 2004)

ill have to look in to that....thanxs for all the opinions guys.

duckbuster808


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## Schemy (Aug 5, 2004)

To a waterfowl hunter the band is like a right of passage. It doesn't mean you are any better of a hunter than the guy next to you, but rather that you are dedicated to the sport enough and understand the significance of the band. I wouldn't personally buy bands to display on my lanyard, however I may consider buying some if they were to be used in mount or in some other sort of display. A man just shouldn't take credit for another guys hunting by buying the bands on his lanyard.


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## gooseman32 (Aug 15, 2003)

I believe its what part of the country or countries your from. I can vouch for here in Ohio and Michigan and Ontario. Bands are big trophies for most guys. When I go to my place in Sask. no one cares about them.

Back 5-7 years ago when short reeds and ground blinds got real popular the guys pushing them on National basis all had lanyards full of bands.(Grounds, Foils,Zink,ect...) I think that made bands much more popular at a national level. Bands have been around for many, many years but not at the popularity level they are now.

I my self have around 20 bands and ware them on my lanyard. I'm proud of them and I like to show them off. And I like to see other guys bands on there lanyards also.


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