# Fun Year



## Bottomwatcher (Jan 21, 2009)

All in all it was a fun year. I didn't hunt as much this year due to a new little addition to my family and a sad loss to my father in law that makes your priorities to your family come in focus. The times I made it out was still a blast and I love the marsh. This was the first year since 2004 that a banded duck was not shot out of my boat! I know a lot of hunters keep journals on birds harvested and I was wondering how long people have gone in between harvesting a duck with a band. Mine is 376 ducks. Bands are not a sign of success and this is not a I'm better than you statement. I was wondering what others dry spells have ended at or are still sitting at. I know geese are common about 1 in 6 out of my boat, but ducks are a total luck thing. Enjoy what we have in Utah you never know what life will throw at you tomarrow.


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## Labs2 (Dec 15, 2013)

I don't know how many ducks since my last band, but I can tell you ts been 17yrs.:shock:


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## duck jerky (Sep 8, 2007)

About 750 ducks since my last band


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

What's this band everyone is always talking about?


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## carp slayer (May 20, 2013)

It's been around 11-12 years seen my first and last band.


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## Fish2relax (Mar 3, 2011)

Never, and I've hunted for 45+ years and shot hundreds of ducks. I still check every time I drop one though hoping it will happen someday:smile:.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

It happened for the first time for me this year! I didn't even notice it until I got home and starting cleaning them. It was a drake gadwall banded two years ago in Canada. Needless to say, it was a nice surprise!!


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## Goldeneye (Dec 12, 2014)

Bottomwatcher said:


> Enjoy what we have in Utah you never know what life will throw at you tomarrow.


That sentence perfectly summarizes how I feel. It's always a privilege to get out and enjoy the marsh, and you never know when life will take that privilege away from you. Thanks for sharing some of your memories with us.

To answer your question, I probably had to shoot somewhere between 110-130 ducks before a band showed up.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

I have not killed a duck band yet. so it been 22 years and it been a year for a goose band.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

This the only band I saw this year*-band-*Did not shoot it either.:mrgreen:


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## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

I don't keep track of numbers, but the 2 banded ducks I've shot have both been beyond absolute luck. My first one I took an uncle and cousin out for their first hunts and had a single greenhead come right in in the decoys at 10 yards to land, they both unloaded their guns and missed. I stood up and let shot number 7 loose at probably 50 yards or so and connected, that was my first band. That was 10 years ago.


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## brettb (Aug 23, 2009)

4 years and probably 200-250 ducks. All pure luck. But I check every duck and hate losing one in the phrag. 

My buddies dog went into the phrag while setting Decoys a couple of weeks ago, came out with a crippled banded mallard. Lucky for him, unlucky for another hunter.


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## Bottomwatcher (Jan 21, 2009)

I knew that duck bands are a rare thing and some have gone a long time. I feel beyond lucky to have harvested 7 ducks with bands and been there when friends have harvested 6 others. Still a total luck thing. As a side note not one single banded duck has been banded from Utah all are from other states and Canadian provinces.


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## brettb (Aug 23, 2009)

Ducks banded in Alaska, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Montana, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico...and Utah. All shot in Utah

Canada Geese banded in Utah and Wyoming shot in Utah

Snow geese banded in Russia, Alaska, and Northwest Territories shot in utah


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