# 9 year old pintail



## lucky duck (Dec 17, 2008)

I finally made it out for the first time this year, and we could not have picked a better day. We left the parking lot at around 10am and walked out to one of my favorite spots. The hunting was pretty good and there were birds flying. We managed to get a drake shovler and a hen gadwall when we had a drake pintail circle the deeks and come in low and fast, with the one pintail limit I was hesitant to shoot it but it was a full plumage drake and in range so I took the shot and down it went. I walked out to pick up the bird and to my pleasant surprise it was banded! The band looked very worn and much of the writing was gone but the numbers were still readable. I went to the website and entered the information and it came back that this bird was banded at Harold Crane in 2009 and hatched prior to 2008!


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

That's awesome - congrats!


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Good for you. Perfect timing


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Fantastic. That's what I love about banded birds - you get a picture of where it's been and the life it's lived. It's especially cool if they're older or came from a faraway place.

I shot a banded pintail that was 5+ years old a few seasons back, and I thought that was old. 9+ is really something. Thanks for sharing.


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## lucky duck (Dec 17, 2008)

I was quite surprised to learn the age of the bird. But the band definitely shows its age. I'm surprised that any bird could live that long here in the valley, especially with all of the great duck hunters.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Cool!!8)8)


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Amazing.

.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

A little out of date, but an interesting read -

https://flyways.us/surveys-and-monitoring/banding-and-marking-programs/banding-factoids


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## lucky duck (Dec 17, 2008)

That is amazing that birds live that long!


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Congrats! Doesn't surprise me he is so old. Pintails are so wary and hard to bring in. That's really cool. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

awesome. congrats


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

You should have him stuffed band included.....wow I'm officially jealous


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## lucky duck (Dec 17, 2008)

LostLouisianian said:


> You should have him stuffed band included.....wow I'm officially jealous


I would have him stuffed with the band on, but I already have a Pintail from 2006 mounted.................. With a band...........:grin:


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

lucky duck said:


> I would have him stuffed with the band on, but I already have a Pintail from 2006 mounted.................. With a band...........:grin:


Your screen name fits you well. LOL!-O,-


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