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Today I got invited to go duck hunting with Justin and Riley. Riley is one of my puppies from Nellie & Tiny’s 09 litter. Riley had a rough start in life as when she was 3 days old she broke her little hip. I didn’t know anything was wrong until she started walking at 3 weeks. When I looked back at the videos I took I then noticed a problem when she was crawling at 3 days old. Poor girl, she had physical therapy until 12 weeks of age and it was a miracle that her hip joined her femur again and looked perfect. I couldn’t sell her as she had a defect so she went to live with my friend Justin who also has a guide business All Seasons Adventures near our home so I knew she was in a good home that would spoil her with tons of ducks.

Today was overcast and cool, the ducks weren’t flying like they should have. The dogs (Riley and Gambler only got 4 ducks and 1 goose). It was a fun time nonetheless. Whenever your hunting with your best fur friend it is a good day.

Unfortunately Gambler got hurt. Sometime in the beginning of the hunt when he went out for a retrieve and came back into the boat he stepped on something that punctured the bottom of his paw. He was holding it up then the swelling started in. He is feeling a wee bit sorry for himself limping around on three legs. Tomorrow he will go to work with me to get some medication for his paw. Hopefully he will heal up soon so he can go out again on a hunt.

Swollen paw

Tripod

Feeling sorry for myself

The hunt

 

Sunday was a very rainy day. I am a fair weather hunter so I didn’t want to go hunting ducks even know ducks love water I don’t! John said he was going to go and take Gambler with him so we loaded up the canoe and I drove them around the block to the river where he could put his canoe in and float down the river to the other road where I could pick him up. This would be John’s first duck hunt since he has been back from Canada and also Gamblers with John. Have way down the river I get a phone call from John telling me he wished he had the video camera or the regular camera as Gambler made him proud. He said a group of mallards got up, he shot 3 times and got 4 birds. He released Gambler and away he went to retrieve the birds. He grabbed one bird and was fooling around and not coming back when called so he got a nick on the collar, he then came swimming back and passed another duck on the way and scooped that one up in his mouth also so now he is swimming back with 2 ducks in his mouth. He jumps into the canoe and John takes the birds from him and notices that the hen and drake each had a band on their legs. How cool is that he thought! He then sent Gambler back for the other 2 birds. What a great day of hunting, it’s quite a honor to get one banded bird but to get 2 with one retrieve will probably never happen again.

2 Banded Birds

A little information about bird bands.

The North American Bird Banding Program

Bird banding is important for studying the movement, survival and behavior of birds. About 60 million birds representing hundreds of species have been banded in North America since 1904. About 4 million bands have been recovered and reported.

Data from banded birds are used in monitoring populations, setting hunting regulations, restoring endangered species, studying effects of environmental contaminants, and addressing such issues as Avian Influenza, bird hazards at airports, and crop depredations. Results from banding studies support national and international bird conservation programs such as Partners in Flight, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and Wetlands for the Americas.

The North American Bird Banding Program is under the general direction of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Cooperators include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mexico’s National Commission for the Knowlege and Use of Biodiversity and Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources; other federal, state and provincial conservation agencies; universities; amateur ornithologists; bird observatories; nature centers; nongovernmental organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and the National Audubon Society; environmental consulting firms and other private sector businesses. However, the most important partner in this cooperative venture is you, the person who voluntarily reported a recovered band. Thank you for your help.

U.S. Geological Survey
Canadian Wildlife Service

Please Report Bands at
www.reportband.gov
or
call 1-800-327-BAND

This is what was printed on one of the certificates that was awarded with the band.

CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION
AWARDED TO JOHN STANCER

Banding Data
Band Number 1837-81394 Banded 09/03/2009
Species MALLARD Sex MALE
Age of Bird HATCHED IN 2008 OR EARLIER

Location
GRAND RIVER MARSH WA- 5 MI W OF KINGSTON, GREEN LAKE COUNTY,
WISCONSIN, USA

Bander
RICHARD KAHL
WISCONSIN DEPT NATURAL RESOURCES
SCIENCE OPERATIONS CENTER
2801 PROGRESS ROAD
MADISON WI 53716

Encounter Data
Location 5 mi S of DALTON, GREEN LAKE COUNTY, Encountered 10/14/2012
WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES