Incredible season so far....

[C-Money]

I been lucky enough to get 7 bands. Closest was banded in Ephrata, Furthest was remarkable. It was an extra large drake mallard, banded in St. Johns Newfoundland. I'd love to know that birds entire trip route. Other bands were Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, California.

[Bucks2Ducks]

I been lucky enough to get 7 bands. Closest was banded in Ephrata, Furthest was remarkable. It was an extra large drake mallard, banded in St. Johns Newfoundland. I'd love to know that birds entire trip route. Other bands were Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, California.

Newfoundland to WA? That's one I haven't heard of, pretty cool

[Stein]

I guess I only shoot the super smart birds that the banding guys can't catch.   

[full choke]

The last banded mallard I shot was near moses lake. He was almost nine years old, banded in Cataldo ID, and he had rice breast.

[Blacktail135]

 I gotta fess up before this thread gets too old or I forget about it. When I posted it I was at work reading about how Wuhan flu numbers were being skewed. So I thought, hmm, I can do that with my duck hunting so far this year. So I posted what I posted knowing that those that know duck hunting would call me out on it. Anyway, my original post of 40% still stands and this is how....I’ve shot 5 ducks so far this year. The first duck of the year was a banded Mallard drake. The last duck was a Eurasian wigeon drake that landed just outside my decoys. Just barely. I told my granddaughter that with #4’s in it was too far. He left and went to the north end of my swamp (275 yds away) and we watched him thru binoculars for 1hr and 20 min. Then he got up and flew right towards us and I shot him. Blind faces north, we had wind and sun at our back. It was almost like slow motion on a duck I thought I may never get. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 😂

[boneaddict]

I been lucky enough to get 7 bands. Closest was banded in Ephrata, Furthest was remarkable. It was an extra large drake mallard, banded in St. Johns Newfoundland. I'd love to know that birds entire trip route. Other bands were Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, California.

I assume these are Washington birds.  If so holy smokes

[duckmen1]

100% of the ducks I've ever taken in the last 17 years were not banded. Up to 120 ducks in a single season. Now think of all those years. No bands.  congrats dude

[Blacktail135]

 Thanks. Numbers of ducks killed mean nothing to me anymore.....used to. Bands are a nice “bonus”. I would like to get mounted all of the ducks available to our flyway and a Eurasian is a good one to get. I see them on my place every year and have finally gotten one. Getting it with my granddaughter was especially special. I could shoot lots of ducks on my place if I really wanted but that’s not important to me anymore. I invite friends over that hunt with their friends and it’s (to me) fun to watch them enjoy a hunt that they normally wouldn’t have.

[Phishead]

Since we’re sharing band stories,about 10 years ago on a field hunt outside Ephrata we shot 13 geese in one go with 5 guys. 13 banded birds. No joke it felt like Christmas morning. All local birds of course but still pretty damn cool.

[Blacktail135]

 That’s a bunch of bands. Did ya’ hear any BB ricochet’a? 😂 Congrats!

[trophyhunt]

Stupid question here from someone who doesn't hunt ducks, why are bands so cool?  Are they rare?

[Stein]

In WA, particularly on the westside they are pretty rare as you can see in this thread.  No reason really, just something different and you can keep the band as a mini trophy to show Instagram how cool you are.  You can look up the band number online and see where the duck was banded, sometimes right next door and sometimes across the continent.

I don't know how many duck's I've shot in WA, maybe 250-300, and haven't got one.

[KopperBuck]

Bands are cool, sometimes. Couple places we hunt they're locally banded. We've had 7 bands in one day, and if we're hunting 3 or more I bet we average a band at least every other trip.

But there's tons of instaflatbrim - "FOR THE PICS!" - dbags out there that specifically target those types of areas to fill up their lanyard. So while I used to think it was neat before, I don't get excited until I see something from out of state or non-mallard. Seems the last 6 or so have been incorrectly sexed. Can't blame em, I ain't good with chickens either.

[wa.hunter]

I was hunting with a friend whom harvested a brant about 6 years ago that was both banded and collared..he was told it was a mature bird when banded 12 years earlier in Russia.

[metlhead]

Why are people that target bands dbags? Sounds like a challenge that some can't handle. Is the person that passes on a raghorn in hopes of a 6x6 a dbag?