# whats all the excitement about bands??



## DodgeLynn (Aug 28, 2008)

What is the significance to the bands??
I had a great couple days of the early goose season and was excited about dropping birds. The guys were all excited that my first goose of the first morning had a band. I always hear all the talk about bands and was wondering what the actual significance was. The second morning hunt we headed out to the water and I knocked down a loner, when my boy Ruger brought me the good sized goose, it was wearing a band. Of course there was nothing but teasing after that. I'm a typical woman I guess..like to bring home the jewelry!! hehe It was funny that I got two bands( and total luck) and it did get me hooked on starting a collection, I admit, but I would like to know the actual reason for the hype and the purpose of the bands. Anyone have any info for me.
:lol: 
Oh, and I tried the recipe suggestions from hear for fresh goose breast!! Mmmm!!


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

The reason people like them is because they are hard to get "in some cases" Other areas darn near every bird that comes in has bling in there foot!

I guess it is just something different!


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

That is the truth, and you feel really lucky when you do shoot a bird with a band. Its really cool when you shoot one from somewhere 1000 miles aways.


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## jgat (Oct 27, 2006)

The purpose of the band is for biologists to be able to study the habits of geese. When they band a bird they document where it was banded, the age of the bird, male or female etc...


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

DodgeLynn said:


> Oh, and I tried the recipe suggestions from hear for fresh goose breast!! Mmmm!!


Where is this recipe that is so fondly spoken of?

I too was looking for a new one this weekend for the football games. Can someone point me to a linky for it?


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

congrats on the bands. I'm jealous. i have been hunting quackheads for 8 or 9 years now and i still don't have one. my hunting buddy did however get a banded green wing last year.

good hunting and stack-em deep.

IF IT FLIES IT DIES CAUSE ITS VIOLATING AIR SPACE.


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## DodgeLynn (Aug 28, 2008)

Look in forum for Crock Pot Goose, there are recipes discussed in there.
:wink: 
They mention using Coke as a marinade in a crock pot with Goose breasts. Interesting.

Thanks, the bands were total luck!! I'm relatively new to the world of waterfowl hunting. I had a blast all weekend, still smiling about it. At one point on a morning hunt we were laying out in the field and the guys called in like 200 geese most of them cupped coming right in at us..it was freaking awesome to unload on!!! They came down heavy!! WOOHOO!! Experiences like that how can I not get addicted. Now I have to start juggling deer and moose hunting with knocking down birds!! 
:lol:


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

To science, bands are a useful tool in monitoring the migration and breeding habits of birds from selected areas. They use this info for countless things, things like deciding where to target conservation efforts, how to set season dates, what effect hunting pressure has on waterfowl and so on.

Hunters like them because they are something cool that they can carry along with them. Sometimes they do it in humble fashion, sometimes they think the whole world should know about it. It's a section of waterfowling that seems to have made a considerable increase in demand over recent years. With the explosion of popularity that waterfowling has experienced as a result of new glamorous and in your face marketing strategies, bands have become something to some that is proof of their waterfowling prominence.


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## BeekBuster (Jul 22, 2007)

> With the explosion of popularity that waterfowling has experienced as a result of new glamorous and in your face marketing strategies, bands have become something to some that is proof of their waterfowling prominence.


Which brings me to my question of why is there bird bands for sale on ebay displayed on the bottom of the page? :eyeroll:


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## DodgeLynn (Aug 28, 2008)

As in anything else, some people want the prestige, without earning it. To each is own, but I think the whole thrill and all the enjoyment would come from the experience of getting them on your own. The bands are such a miniscule reward compared to all the other events in a days hunt, people that buy them are missing that point and that experience. Its sad really, and there wouldn't be any story behind it.
:huh:


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

The bands for sale are not put there by Chris. The bills have to get paid somehow, so the space is rented out to ebay. ebay then scans the page so that it can advertise something relevant to the conversation. It's a necessary evil to keep the site going.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

They might actually stop banding birds, because the information there are getting is tainted. Some people will land the geese and only shoot the bands, people sell/buy bands on ebay, illegal harvesting of bands.

It sucks that it takes a small few to ruin something for everyone.


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## DodgeLynn (Aug 28, 2008)

It is true that something is lost on those people, but, it doesn't change anything about hunting for me and it shouldn't ruin anything for you. I do it because I love it, plain and simple, so if there is a band or not, who cares in the end right.
I saw my dog work hard for some good retrieves and saw the pride in his step; I listened to one of my buddies turn and call in a flock of 100 birds, when only a year ago he sounded like a kazoo when he tried calling; I watched flocks and flocks coming at me feet first; we dropped geese, we missed some geese, we ate geese and shared laughs over cold beers at the end of the day....bands, what bands?? 
eace:


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## DodgeLynn (Aug 28, 2008)

Eh and Ryan, try 
www.wildgamerecipes.org
I have found a bunch of recipes on here for all kinds of game and I have had no complaints from the guys I hunt with and cook for. I will try to find the other site I use that has all really easy recipes for game with four ingredients or less. 
:beer:


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

> They might actually stop banding birds,


I havent heard that, but the day they do is the day I stop hunting cause Im a tool like that.


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## CuttinDaisies (Nov 15, 2007)

DodgeLynn said:


> As in anything else, some people want the prestige, without earning it.


What prestige? You shot a bird that was dumb enough to not only get caught and banded... but then get shot on top of it. Yeah... real prestigous :roll: :roll: :roll: .


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## DodgeLynn (Aug 28, 2008)

To SOME it is prestige, and um proof of waterfowling skills as mentioned earlier, as a result of marketing, not many hunters feel that way. Read the other entries....keep picking your daisies..pansies..whatever it is. 
dd:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Put the band on your dogs collar, he brought it to you. I know where there are a bunch about four feet in the ground, I buried them with the dog that fetched them they were his.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

> What prestige? You shot a bird that was dumb enough to not only get caught and banded... but then get shot on top of it.


Dead on....................................

As much as some guys would like to believe, it takes no exceptional or special hunting skills to kill a banded bird (other than a sharp eye). It's pretty much being at the right spot at the right time.

If 100 birds are banded at the same spot it's a pretty good likelyhood that a majority of them are going to migrate together, increasing the chances of bagging a banded bird from a flock. And since birds generally return to the area they were born and subsequent generations follow similar migration routes, banding from the same area year after year is going to produce "hot spots" in the migration route for banded birds. Guys who hunt these areas are going to collect more bands just due to concentration of banded birds. The few bands I have (tossed in some drawer somewhere) usually came from such groups where I harvested 2 or 3 banded birds from 1 flock.

Other than the scientific significance bands have no special meaning for me.


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

It is an added bonus. I like to have bling on my lanyard. The last few years have been good to me have shot a bunch. If you wanna see a couple guys jump up and down then act like kids in a candy store just shoot a band in our group. BANDS ALSO CAUSE EXTREME JELOUSY AND CLAIMING PROBLEMS IN A GROUP!!!!!!! SO IF YOU SHOOT ONE HAVE A SYSTEM OF DECIDING ON WHO GETS IT BEFORE IT IS SHOT!!! I have lost one hunting partner because we did a drawing and he didnt get the band. I thought it was a bit childish, but the guy hasnt talked to anyone in our group in two years. 20 snows came in 5 guys shot took down 9 one had band! It is sad! :eyeroll:


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## DodgeLynn (Aug 28, 2008)

:box: 
Ah hunting, it ain't what it used to be......for some people.


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## DodgeLynn (Aug 28, 2008)

Eh Buckseye, thats exactly who has the bands, my boy Ruger.
:run:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> Eh Buckseye, thats exactly who has the bands, my boy Ruger.


Good for you, we know who takes a thrashing for us don't we. Good Luck!


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

BeekBuster said:


> Which brings me to my question of why is there bird bands for sale on ebay displayed on the bottom of the page? :eyeroll:


They're a result of Google Ads and a deal they have with Ebay. I'm not going to Ebay direct to advertise...but threads like this will bring them up.


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## BeekBuster (Jul 22, 2007)

Gotcha


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