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Mallardchaser, your story proves how ducks imprint on an area. You might have killed a couple of family members.

Here's another case of 'imprinting'......

1) I killed a snow goose in 1977 near Holmwood LA. It was banded 6 years earlier near Hackberry, LA. That's on opposite sides of Calcasieu Lake about 15 miles apart.

2) My wife and I killed banded birds 8 days apart less that 1/4 mile from each other, in '96. Both birds were banded in Plumas MB, 6 years earlier.....also banded 8 days apart. 255 digits separated her band # and mine.

I shot a banded mallard drake that was 6 years old, and banded in Canada. The rest of mine were younger. I have shot a couple of banded woodies that were banded in Alabama of all palces and migrated straight west!

Do you blame them woodies, I run out of Bama as soon as I could too

All I know is the banded duck I kill is getting older by the day, since I've never killed one.

I wonder what the ratio of ducks killed w/o bands to ducks killed w/ bands. Last year me and my hunting buddy killed 127 birds and none had bands. Though out my short 12 yr duck hunting career I have killed over 500 ducks and still no band.

Banded June,1989 at birth-Ingersoll, Ont

Recovered Dec. 26, 1996-Tennessee river near Decatur,AL

I killed a mallard last year that was banded 12 years prior in Islay Alberta which is north of Montana (1200 miles). A pellet hit one of the digits on the band, so I may have reported the number wrong, but 2 other people looked at the band and guessed the number tha same way I did. I asked this same question last year, and someone reported that banded ducks have been harvested 14 years later.

I killed a bull sprig last year that was banded in 1988 or earlier. 15 years old or older...

Also, the first duck my cousin ever shot was a double banded greenhead. One band was for $5, the other for $10. I bet that has never happened before.

Last yr my uncle killed three mallards one morning two were banded a hen and drake. Drake was double banded with a $100 reward.