"Banding" Together

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• Canon XHA-1 HD Video Camera


• Kodak ZD 8612 IS Digital camera


• Wired Outdoors T-shirt and hat

Every June for the past 5 years, Don, Jimmy, Bob Miller and I have helped the Pennsylvania Game Commission Band Geese. This is an experience that we as hunters do in order to appreciate not only the game birds more but the Biologists that help to manage these birds.

Jimmy Bob and I waiting to start the day.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service uses data reported from leg bands to track the flight paths of migratory birds. Bands are useful in determining harvest information and life span of specific bird species. Each band has a unique number that identifies the species of bird which is tied to the life history. When you call in a band number, an operator will ask you a few simple questions like the date and location of where the bird was harvested. You will then receive a certificate in the mail containing your name and information on the banded bird. You can also report your band online now and it will give you the information immediately.  You can either then print out your certificate or have one mailed to you. Nicknames among waterfowl hunters for leg bands are; jewelry, leg irons, and bling-bling are just a few.

John Dunn, supervisor for the PGC Game Bird Division, records data on newly banded birds and any recaptures at each location.

This year we headed out once again in a neighboring County with Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Justin Vreeland, Wyatt Knepp, John Dunn, Chief Supervisor Game Bird Biologist, and Mary Jo Casalena, Game Bird Biologist.  The goal is to band approximately 150 birds per regions. Our first stop was a private owned bed and breakfast that acts as a waterfowl sanctuary and holds a great deal of birds.  Scouting reports indicated that there were approximately 150 birds there. So IF the birds cooperated this could be our only stop for the day.  This place was beautiful but HUGE. There were so many ponds with grass walkways in between this would be tricky in penning these birds.

Meeting of the minds...Mary Jo, John, Justin and Cary Stultz come up with a game plan on gathering the birds.

So after John, Cary Stultz (volunteer), Mary Jo, and Justin came up with a plan, we headed to our posts to start the slow push to get the geese on land. Needless to say…it didn’t work as planned.

Me, Jimmy and a few other volunteers from PGC Food & Cover wait with the panels to corral the geese.

The geese didn’t want to come out on the grass where we were set up.  After several failed attempts and a few hours later we were lucky enough to band 46 birds. On to the next location…a Wal-Mart retaining pond. There again the birds weren’t as cooperative and it took some effort to corral and band a few birds there.

Me holding a juvenile to be banded.

Adam and Grace Rucosky were helping out that day.

Jimmy getting ready to release a newly banded gosling.

Bob with a banded adult.

Regrouping we decided to head to another part of the County where some smaller flocks with sufficient goslings were scouted.  Our first stop another private company pond the geese here were actually across the street from the pond and we figured it may be more difficult than expected. However, this was probably one of the easiest locations. Justin, Bob, Don, Cary and Mary Jo drove down by the road and the birds all gathered in a cluster and walked up to the top of the bank by the water where John, Jimmy, Wyatt and I were waiting. We were able to close in the panels with no escape geese right under a nice shaded tree. There we noticed a couple recaptures. These are birds that are already banded. These numbers are again recorded by the Biologists for data. This helps to create a history of the bird’s life. Perhaps they migrated here, where they were banded as to where they were recaptured and etc. One recapture was a nice big gander with a double band.

Justin holding the double banded goose.

Along with regular bands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service puts ‘reward bands’ on some birds. Usually they put these leg bands on adult birds. John Dunn explained that the reward bands are typically worth 100 dollars. In studies they showed that the $100 price actually was enough incentive for a hunter to take the time and report the band. The government sends you a check only after you report the information regarding the band. I was fortunate enough to harvest a banded bird the first year I hunted waterfowl.  Actually my third time out.  It was like getting paid to hunt!  Bob Miller jokes around and says that was what got me hooked and they haven’t been able to get rid of me since. But I was hooked the first time laying in the blind and seeing a flock headed right for us. The sounds of honks, the wing beats over my head….my heart was pumping mad!! That is what got me hooked!

John Dunn banding a goose.

Don holding a juvenile to be banded.

We headed off to two other locations and banded a total of 142 geese for the day.  Not too bad after the way the day had started.

Geese are banded in June while in their flightless stage. Geese will molt their feathers at the same time the young are growing theirs.

Adult goose with molting wings. Geese loose old feathers and regrow new ones.

In banding the geese we spread out strategically and slowly walk, almost like a drive and round up the geese to the area where other volunteers have panels (the panels are soft webbed nylon with aluminum rounded edges) that we surround the geese and corral them in. Mary Jo and John have kayaks that they use quite often in the waterways we band at to push the geese to the offshore location we are waiting at.

John and Mary Jo try to use the kayaks to get the geese to move off the water onto land and our waiting position.

At that point the Biologists will enter the pen with the geese, separate the goslings from the adults, sex them male or female and hand the birds to the volunteers to take to other PGC Biologists or certified handlers to then band the geese.

Justin seperating the goslings into the gosling pen.

Above,Goslings in the gosling pen waiting to be banded. Below, all the birds corraled into the panels.

Mary Jo sexing the goose before banding.

We then turn the geese back to the water, field, etc. Holding the geese can also be tricky.  Those that are familiar with a Canada goose know how powerful their wings are. Just because they are molting doesn’t make it any different!  You need to hold the wings close to the “shoulder” of the birds.  Also hold their feet. Which do have slight claws at the end of the webbing and oh yes…they scratch!  The goslings and juveniles really don’t have much of a clue as to what is going on. They don’t know any better and are more cooperative. But the older ones…now that is another story. They hiss, flap those powerful wings as fast as the can, and yes, they may even bite.

To expect to come home without feathers and goose droppings on you would be a total misconception.   So why do we do this?  Simply for the love of the animals we pursue. We as hunters usually only are able to have one of these magnificent birds in hand AFTER we have shot them out of the sky. So to be able to hold one of these powerful, elusive birds while they are alive is a thrill in itself. Not to mention how much we have learned about the life of geese from the Biologists that we are helping. Then there is the whole conservation aspect. It allows me as a hunter to have hands on opportunity in helping this literally continent wide effort to better understand our waterfowl in helping with its conservation through the North America Banding Program.

Above, a leg band being placed on a goose.

The day was full of laughs, and more memories made with friends, family and our partners in the PA Game Commission “banding” together to help towards the conservation of waterfowl.

My opinion every waterfowl hunter should volunteer at least once towards this effort. To see the hard work, time and effort put into banding the geese puts a whole new respect and understanding to those involved in managing our game birds. I didn’t get a banded bird last year, but I know whenever I am lucky enough to harvest a bird with a little jewelry on it’s leg, I have more appreciation towards what went on at the time the leg iron was placed on that bird in hand. Makes the hunt all that more rewarding. It’s full circle!