By Dave Elwing, Secretary and Development Committee Chair
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s July, 2024 Newsletter edition.
Banding a goose
If February is “Wood Duck Box Clean-out Season” what season are we in now? Some of you are likely to say, “Fishing season, of course.” Others are likely to respond, “Dog training season.” Both of these are “good” answers, but the best “Go to the head of the class” answer is, “It’s Banding Season!”
One of the many things that I really enjoy about being a WWA member is that we, either as chapters or as individuals, can volunteer our services to help this great big thing that we call “CONSERVATION.” Goose banding will have pretty much wrapped up by the time you read this article as it is done during June when adult geese are molting, and juveniles are still too young to fly. It is a pretty simple, but somewhat equipment and manpower intensive, event that usually starts early in the morning and goes throughout the day and can cover several counties. WDNR biologists coordinate the effort by scouting and getting permission to access private and public lands where birds typically rest. On banding day, the team of WDNR professionals and assorted volunteers like us meet and travel to selected locations. The biologists are the organizers, banders, and recorders while volunteers fill in the gaps as goose wranglers, corralling the geese either while on land using lightweight fences made of ½” conduit and mesh, or on water using kayaks. As always, the geese get a vote. Sometimes they cooperate and let themselves be rounded up, sometimes they really make the wranglers work, and sometimes the adults fly away because they have not molted yet. No matter what happens, it’s both fun and educational.
Corralled geese
Several of us helped band birds in Washington, Ozaukee, and Dodge County a few weeks ago. Despite some very uncooperative and highly elusive broods, we managed to band 167 birds. Now that geese are getting their primaries back and their goslings are feathering out with their flight feathers, it is time to start looking at banding ducks. Banding ducks usually occurs in August and September. Unlike goose banding, which takes all day, duck banding calls for rising early and early wrap-ups because “duck shots” are a “one and done” proposition. While we started about 4:00 AM when I helped last year, we wrapped up by 6:15 AM, making it easier for more volunteers that are still in the work force to also have some fun.
The hand-off
Our WDNR biologist partners bait an area beside a watering hole with corn to attract pre-dawn ducks. When a significant number of birds are within the designated area, the lead biologist hits the plunger on a series of mortars that cast a large net over the birds. Once the birds are under the net, the same general procedures are followed as with geese. Because we can generally identify a drake from a hen (it’s tougher with juveniles, though), sexing the birds goes quicker than determining which is a goose and which is a gander. As with geese, the species, sex, age (adult or juvenile), and previous jewelry are recorded before banding and releasing occurs.
Are you interested in helping band ducks? WWA’s volunteer Vice President, Todd Schaller, also heads WWA’s Education Committee and WWA’s Waterfowl Academy. Please reach out to him at tschalt@charter.net if you are interested in banding or if you have other questions. Todd coordinates with our WDNR biologist partners to determine banding opportunities and passes that information onto members who have expressed interest.
I plan to help band ducks in Sheboygan and Collins Marshes in Sheboygan and Manitowoc Counties, respectively during August. I hope to see you there! Just a hint, while we will not be going in the water, I wear my lightweight waders while banding because following banding, our outer gear is sprayed with a bleach solution to avoid the distribution of avian flu viruses. Waders are also great protection because, like changing a toddler’s diapers, ducks and geese get a bit excited when they are handled, which can get a little messy.