2 bands in two days on closing of 2nd split.
 

It was a great weekend of hunting at our blind SW of Kaplan. We retrieved 2 bands in two days.

Let's hope the 2nd split starts like the 1st split ended.....

I have been hunting ducks since I was 12 yo. I am now 45. I have never killed a banded duck in all those years. I see guys with lanyards full of bands. I realize those guides hunt almost daily but dang I'd like to be thrown a bone every now and again!

Most people I know who have killed banded birds have killed VERY few birds. Like, maybe went on one hunt before, can't call and just get lucky killing a banded spec, etc.

Here I am hunting multiple times a week and never got one. Oh well haha.

I feel you about the lack of bands.....I'm 48 and have been blessed with 5 local bands. 2 geese and 3 ducks. All ducks were banded in LA and the geese were were banded in Canada.

Got my first one this year, wasn't as jacked as I thought I'd be. We are disadvantaged when it comes to them. Seems like mallards and geese are banded significantly more than birds we typically harvest. Teal, greys, spoons, etc. My band was a bluewing on opening morning this year.

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I took my wife's uncle on his 5th ever duck hunt last season during teal season. I've been hunting for 30 years. One lone teal lands in the decoys since he's the guest I give him the shot. He kills it I go out to retrieve it and as it flips over I see the reflection of metal on one of his legs. I start hooting and hollering for him getting really exited. I turn back to him show him the band and his reply "did i shoot something illegal, am I in trouble?".

Yeah those are the guys who get the bands. Still after 31 years hunting that's the first one I've ever even seen in the field.

I've been lucky enough to kill four birds with bands. My last on was on a summer mallard that got handed out of Pecan Island. I still get just a fired up as I did with the very first one. I remember hollering loud as hell after my dog pulled her out the grass. I made so much racket my dad called me from the other blind on the lease to make sure nothing was wrong.


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3 in 33 years of hunting. All 3 were wood ducks that were banded and shot in Louisiana.

Its been a few years since I killed a band, went on hot streak for few years where I killed 11. One mallard had 2 bands one of those worth 100 dollars, then I killed 2 specks out a group both were banded 3 years before same day same place 7 numbers apart, and I also killed another speck that was banded 17 years before I killed it. Rest 3 snows/blues 1 teal, 1 mottle, one other speck all in LA.