Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: hdshot on July 16, 2025, 01:26:33 PM

Title: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: hdshot on July 16, 2025, 01:26:33 PM
Sad to see bird banding could be near the end.

“allows the USFWS to gain information needed to know how to set bag limits”

“Bands are vital to knowing how to properly allow hunters to chase ducks.”

“crucial element in how bag limits and season dates are set“

https://www.wildfowlmag.com/editorial/budget-cuts-bring-the-end-of-bird-banding/528121


“The lab falls under the U. S. Geological Survey’s Ecosystem Mission Area”
“proposed budget would see funding reduced to $29 million, from $293 million.“

https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/hunters-not-happy-with-funding-cuts-to-bird-banding-laboratory/article_c4df0378-9840-49f0-8865-459ad19bc682.amp.html
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: Knocker of rocks on July 16, 2025, 02:10:41 PM
Choices do have consequences
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: BIGINNER on July 16, 2025, 03:15:55 PM
I thought that the funding for this came from the duck stamps and migretory bird validations each hunter has to buy.... 
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: hdshot on July 16, 2025, 03:44:43 PM
I thought that the funding for this came from the duck stamps and migretory bird validations each hunter has to buy....

The migratory bird validation falls under what the state wants hunters to buy. The federal duck stamp mainly covers wetland conservation. 

https://www.fws.gov/program/federal-duck-stamp#:~:text=Since%201934%2C%20sales%20from%20Federal,to%20enjoy%20these%20outdoor%20spaces.

The very basic version, Banding migratory birds such as ducks falls under federal control due to treaties with other countries. 
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: JBG on August 20, 2025, 01:06:00 PM
The alpacas are not going to like this one bit.
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: EnglishSetter on August 20, 2025, 06:19:22 PM
I'm not an avid waterfowler, but I'm not sure what MORE information can be gleaned from banding birds.  We have a lot of historical data.
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: bigtex on August 20, 2025, 08:53:05 PM
I'm not an avid waterfowler, but I'm not sure what MORE information can be gleaned from banding birds.  We have a lot of historical data.
Migration patterns change, populations change, etc. Why do we still have studies on all other species? Don't we know enough about deer, Elk, etc.?

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: EnglishSetter on August 20, 2025, 09:10:09 PM
I'm not an avid waterfowler, but I'm not sure what MORE information can be gleaned from banding birds.  We have a lot of historical data.
Migration patterns change, populations change, etc. Why do we still have studies on all other species? Don't we know enough about deer, Elk, etc.?

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

We don't band  other species (rare exception).  There's a host of other studies in parallel. 

I'm not saying it's useless, but I'm saying there's little real time data.  Very small snapshots in a large population.  So you turn in a band number of a 5 year old bird.  Kinda cool to get the data, but what changes or what stays the same? 
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: ganghis on August 21, 2025, 06:36:12 AM
Bands on waterfowl are used to estimate annual survival rate and hunting mortality rate which directly feed into the adaptive management models used to set harvest regulations.  Basically, good survival --> more hunting, bad survival --> less hunting.  Without those data there's more uncertainty which will typically lead to lower quotas.  Unless they say 'to hell with it, scientists are idiots, let the people hunt all they want'.   That's the way things are headed in this country.   
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: Stein on August 21, 2025, 10:38:36 AM
Except our wildlife commission which says to heck with science, don't let people hunt.
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: hdshot on August 27, 2025, 05:20:26 PM
Bands on waterfowl are used to estimate annual survival rate and hunting mortality rate which directly feed into the adaptive management models used to set harvest regulations.  Basically, good survival --> more hunting, bad survival --> less hunting.  Without those data there's more uncertainty which will typically lead to lower quotas.  Unless they say 'to hell with it, scientists are idiots, let the people hunt all they want'.   That's the way things are headed in this country.

They sure are not saying the hell with it on the new sanctions of our goose seasons and limits this season.  Without these tools to provide data to satisfy migratory treaties our seasons could be in question.  That is why I decided to hold my former hunting partner’s hand doing the work he refused to do and turned his band information in. 
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: mboyle0828 on August 27, 2025, 05:50:57 PM
 :yike:
Title: Re: The end? Bird bands.
Post by: hdshot on August 28, 2025, 09:21:44 AM
:yike:

About my reaction after the news got worse. Word on the street says paying more for less because license fees are going up almost 40%?  They just can’t stop using gas and fire if true.
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal