What Would You Do?

[Porter]

Many of you on here know I kill a lot of ducks and geese, and some of you know the story about my struggles to kill a banded bird. If you don't, the cliff notes version is this is my 19th season of really chasing the web footed suckers and some have given me the nickname anti-band. I've been there the day before, the day after, given up my spot and had a buddy kill one.... Well, you get the idea. Not only have I never killed a banded bird, but I've never even been on a hunt where one was killed. I've seen THOUSANDS of birds hit the fields and water over the years but not one with a piece of jewelry.

Until this past weekend.......

Here's the scenario: 6 of us on a friend's place (also a member on this forum) including his 13 year old boy the day after his birthday. We smashed the birds! His boy killed his first greenhead! So we're down to needing 2 birds to fill out our limit and a group of 4 ring necks hit the edge of the dekes. I tell my buddy's boy to shoot and it looked like he missed so myself and one of my friends follow up when the birds are nearly out of range. 1 of the birds gets winged and flies a couple hundred yards out onto the ice and lands. At this point we are going to have to get the boat to go retrieve it and do some serious ice breaking. Before we have the chance, the bird picks up and flies low right at us. As soon as it hit the dekes I crushed it. About that time the last bird to fill out the limit comes in and we're done.

Here's where things get interesting. When we went out to pick up the birds, the first one was banded. Seriously? A banded ring neck? 19 years and I finally saw a band hit the water and it was a blackjack. LOL. So in the excitement my friends boy says "That's the one I shot!". Oh sh$% I thought to myself. I've been chasing a band for 19 seasons and now it's my word against my friend's boy who's just getting started in the sport. In my initial reaction I said "You know we have to draw for the band". But after that he got really quiet and I could tell he really wanted the band. I was completely torn. It sounds silly to most people who would just say give the kid the band, but I didn't know what to do. This is something that I've worked for years and years to accomplish and it's finally come to fruition and now I'm about to give it away.

And that's what I did. I told him to put it on his lanyard and I was happy for him. Yeah, I've had a couple of dreams about it since Saturday, but it was the right thing to do. I thought about my kid and hoped someone would do the same for her some day.

 

[Okie4570]

You did the right thing................I wouldn't have wanted my first banded bird to be a ringneck either...........if it were a mallard, I would have told the kid "Sorry about your luck!" LOL, just kidding of course, you did the right thing, 19 years.......whats a few more? Who knows, maybe next week there will be another banded ringneck!

Somewhat similar to yours, we unloaded on a flock of snows one afternoon, dropped several. As they were flying off we saw one fall about 500 yards away. It was muddy and nasty conditions. So my friend who's my age tells the kid who's hunting with us to go get the one that fell, and we'll gather up the ones around us. He walks out to get the bird........and runs all the way back. My friend and I are looking at each other trying to figure out why he's running through 5" deep mud.............sure enough, that one was banded, and he kept it, and deserved it.

 

[264Magnum]

Wait a couple weeks and steal it from him. By then he'll forget about it anyway.

I may or may not be kidding.

 

[makeithappen]

Oh wow, that would be an internal struggle for sure, but in the long run, you did what's best. I've never gotten a band either, but at the same time, getting a young person a little more interested in the sport is definitely worth it. Congrats on your band

 

[caojyn]

One to the hip

 

[WNM]

You did good. I've been duck hunting since I was 12, and I'm 31 now. I too have been bandless for all these years. About 5 years ago I took two 17 year old kids that played baseball for my brother out on their first duck hunt. We had a good time, and much of the same situation happened to me.

We had a group of mallards come in, I was letting the boys take all the first shots and I was playing clean up. Well one of them wings a nice mallard and then I folded him up. Sure enough it has a band on it. The kid starts going on and on about it, and I said well "you hit it first, so the band is yours."

He still has that band on his lanyard and is an accomplished duck hunter now. Whenever we have new people hunt with us he tells that story, and then points to me and says "And that man right there is why I'm a duck hunter." To me, knowing I was instrumental in introducing a young man to a lifelong pursuit of waterfowl is gratification enough. The hunt for a band continues...

 

[imhntn]

You might not have the band but you have the integrity and you can tell the story and say you have shot a banded bird now. I would be proud to hunt with you Jason.

 

[ripnbst]

Whatever you want, give it away.

 

[indi]

Hats of to you my friend. That was nice of you. I hope every duck you ever shoot from today till your last shot has a band.

 

[Sticky Stokes]

I agree with most everyone else, you did the right thing. Hell your already obviously an accomplished, serious duck hunter, you don't need a band to verify that! It would have been cool to have but that boy will be wearing that thing like a badge of honor. Well done Porter....well done!