Every Bird Was Banded!

Carl

Carl

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Too bad we were at the Florida Aquarium! It was pretty cool to get photos of some from less than 1 foot away. The drake redhead almost let me touch him before he gave me a snap of the bill. The drake ruddy was stunning I?ve never seen one during the season with breeding colors. Cool aquarium, a little expensive but we got in almost for free due to my daughter getting on honor roll first quarter in a Hillsborough County school.


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They had both black-bellies and fulvous whistlers. Said their was a pair of pintails too but I didn?t see them.
On the way home we did see a huge raft of divers out on Hillsborough Bay. This area is surrounded by condos and homes, even though it?s very wide and you could easily get 500 yards from any house, I?m not sure anyone hunts the area. You would need a big water layout boat. And would most likely draw a lot complaints. I?m still.working on a title for my trailer and getting my fuel system cleaned out.



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There is a shopping mall in Colonial Heights Virginia that has a bunch of grass and ponds that attract a good population of resident Canada geese. The geese are a nuisance and get netted and relocated but keep coming back. Most of the geese there have bands.

About 20 years ago we used to hunt along a marsh in Goochland Co.VA that had large amounts of geese using it. During the day they would hang out near an office complex and generated a lot of complaints. The USDA nuisance wildlife trapper captured a couple hundred of them. He put a USDA band on one leg and a FWS band on the other. Then they got a yellow neck band.

The geese were transported to Pennsylvania from Virginia and released. In no time at all they had all returned wearing all that bling.

A local golf course located about a quarter mile from the marsh went out of business and we noticed the geese passed over it when they left the marsh in the morning to go to the business complex. We got permission to hunt there. A few friends and I would line up along the edge of the golf course at a wood line and wait for the flocks to fly over. I would pick one out with a neck band and open fire.

It was a rare day we did not kill at least one banded bird apiece and often bagged two. By the end of the season I had a lanyard full of shiny bands and looked like the Duck Commander.

Carl, there isn't a golf course by the zoo by any chance?
 
Nope, no closed golf courses nearby!!

Great story, I bet y?all had to come up with a bunch of goose recipes that year!
 
Carl said:
On the way home we did see a huge raft of divers out on Hillsborough Bay. This area is surrounded by condos and homes, even though it?s very wide and you could easily get 500 yards from any house, I?m not sure anyone hunts the area. You would need a big water layout boat. And would most likely draw a lot complaints. I?m still.working on a title for my trailer and getting my fuel system cleaned out.
Click to expand...

Still no help on the duck hunting front huh? Hillsbough Bay and that portion that covers the spoils islands are off limit due to McDill air force base. You have to go East my friend.
 
Carl, it is always fun to dream about some of those "what ifs"---
Al

One day I had 4 drake widgeons on the strap. While I was wondering what I might shoot next, all of a sudden I had a flock of about 20 ducks coming right over the top of me. It was made up of widgeons, gadwall, and mallards. I picked out a greenhead on the right side and dropped it. Then I saw another greenhead on the left side of the flock and shot him.

Chili came back with the first mallard and I could already see that the bird had a band on its leg. I sent her after the 2nd drake and proceeded to check out the band on that first bird. It was then that I happened to see Chili standing by the left side of my chair with the bird in her mouth and it was also banded. If I remember correctly one was banded in Colorado and the other in New Mexico. I darn near had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. That was my lucky season and very first year that I hunted after I had retired in 03. I hunted 74 days that year.





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From what i have seen, there are no restricted areas in Hillborough Bay except the McDill AFB one. The spoil islands are off limits but the waters around them are OK.

I plan to concentrate on Old Tampa Bay in Hillborough County was well as some places over around Alafia Bay. Its going to be a learning year.

The number of divers out on Hillborough Bay seems to go up every morning, has to be at least 2-3K out there now. Cant really tell what they are, too far out. But I assume they are lessers.
 
Sounds like your doing your home work. I hope you get some gunning in this year. Cockroach Bay is another place to look at. I think we already talked about that area. Good luck Carl and congrats to your daughter.

Raining here at a pretty good clip this morning. Think I'll work on work on some old decoys today.
 
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