Why Do We Love Waterfowl Bands?

by
posted on October 13, 2009
dogs_ah2015_fs.jpg

I was plucking a drake mallard Saturday night when my girlfriend arrived. "How was duck hunting?" she asked.

"It was a little slow," I said, "but we each got a mallard and as an added bonus Eric got a wood duck with a band on its leg."

"Why is a banded duck considered a bonus?"

Good question. Why do we love the little pieces of metal that biologists use to study migration patterns and mortality rates? For me, it's a little personal. You see, I've been hunting ducks since I was 13 years old. In that time I've managed to take a few ducks and yet I still do not have a single band to my name. Meanwhile the two guys I hunt with only recently took up the sport, yet they've taken a total of three banded birds. So to some degree I just want to shoot a banded bird to be able to say I did.

Plus lanyards full of bands look cool. My lanyard looks naked, aside from a few expensive acrylic calls (which I'm able to blow just as poorly as my cheap polycarbonates).

Then there are the rewards offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the No. 1 bander of migratory birds in America (many state agencies also band wildlife). If you report a band to the USFWS, you'll receive a certificate with your name and the band's number—a nice memento. You might even collect a 25 to 100 dollar cash reward if you kill a bird wearing a "money band".

Still, does a little bling around your neck and the slight chance of a cash reward constitute our love of leg bands? It doesn't hurt, but I think there's something larger at work: Duck bands spark old-fashioned imagination and childlike wonder. The fact that ducks and geese migrate long distances to reach our hometowns adds greatly to the adventure of waterfowl hunting. They arrive in droves every year during what old-timers refer to as the "grand passage"—the waterfowl migration's glorious peak.

It's one of nature's most magical events, and every time I kill a duck, I can't help but wonder where it was hatched,where it wintered and summered, and what it encountered along the way. When one of us takesa banded duck, we know that at some point the bird was caught and banded by a human—a fascinating event in itself—and when we report the band number, we're able to learn where the bird was banded and in some cases its age. This causes further wonderment while unraveling some of the mystery behind the duck's journey.To me, if you love ducks, if you love learning about ducks and you can't stop thinking about ducks, you can't help but love duck bands.

Latest

LEDE Barnesharvest
LEDE Barnesharvest

First Look: Barnes Harvest Collection Ammunition

Barnes has debuted its Harvest Collection line of ammunition, targeted squarely at American whitetail hunters. Topped with the venerable Sierra Tipped GameKing (TGK) bullet, Barnes Harvest Collection is designed for maximal lethality on thin-skinned game, combining near match-grade accuracy with impressive terminal performance.

First Look: BANISH 30-V2

New from Banish Suppressors, the Banish 30-V2 is an upgraded version of the company’s popular Banish 30 suppressor that is shorter, lighter, quieter and more versatile than ever.

First Look: Hornady 3-in-1 High Speed Power Case Trimmer

The ideal tool for high-volume handloaders, the new Hornady 3-in-1 High Speed Power Case Trimmer brings three case preparation steps into one space-saving tool.

First Look: Kifaru New 44 Mag Pack

Kifaru has announced the highly anticipated relaunch of the 44 Mag pack. First introduced in 2019, the original pack was popular for its versatility and size. While it was still a traditional top-loading pack, the capacity and organization made it a great option for single- or multi-day trips. 

First Look: Trijicon New MRO SD

The next generation of Trijicon’s Miniature Rifle Optic is optimized for use with a magnifier.

Revolver Build: Fink's Custom Taurus Raging Hunter .44 Magnum

This big bore revolver is tricked out for handgun hunting, defense against dangerous game and personal protection. 

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.