I’m Vince Huff- I’ve been an avid waterfowl hunter since the Fall of 1996. I started BL Call Company in the Fall of 2014.I hunt everywhere that interests me and can not wait to have my kids join me in the field!
Here are 5 tips that just might help you take banded birds
1. Hunt with one partner, and make sure you and that partner are on the same page and agree that you are taking turns on ‘goes’, or shooting your exact lanes. Splitting ‘goes’ always helps keep things cut and clear on who took what. Hunting alone is even better for numbers but is a lot more work.
2. Hunt refuges and W.M.A.’s. Banding projects are typically located in these areas and local birds are there for the taking.
3. Finish birds. Get them close and keep your eyes open! Scout hard and maybe even locate a banded bird before a hunt. Take advantage of the X and your hard scouting!
4. Study migrations. If you talk to other hunters, read articles, look at social media or even do it right and ask your elders, you can find that waterfowl are creatures of habit and their migrations are very similar year in year out. If you find where banded birds were taken and hunt those areas you might just find your own bands as well.
5. Take high average birds. Birds like mallards, large Canadas, wood ducks, black ducks and snow geese are your most commonly banded birds. Shooting birds like teal, wigeon, gadwall, shovelers, and divers- you will bump into a band here or there but those are much more uncommon.
