Duck Commander's Phil Robertson shoots a rare double-banded wood duck to end a successful morning on the water.
Duck hunting (and waterfowl hunting in general) is popular all across the United States. In this video, the Duck Commander team (you know, the crazy duck hunters from Louisiana?) takes to the flooded timber to shoot some mallards and wood ducks.
In addition to the thrill of waterfowl hunting, hunters dream of shooting a banded duck. It's an added bonus to the savory taste of waterfowl. However, in this segment Phil Robertson does what most duck hunters will never do while waterfowl hunting, and that's to shoot a double-banded duck.
Watch the video to see this most unusual and rare feat:
When hunters refer to a banded duck it means the duck contains a small metal band strapped to its leg. This allows organizations like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state wildlife management agencies, and other waterfowl conservation groups to keep tabs on waterfowl populations.
When a hunter shoots a bird with a leg band they can report the band number and bird, and state agencies will record the distance that bird has traveled as well as the region it was tagged in. The data helps wildlife agencies and scientists study waterfowl movements and make management decisions for migratory bird seasons. For the hunter, it's a cool little feather in your cap to say you shot a banded duck.
These migratory birds, like the Canada goose, sometimes travel thousands of miles across North America from Canada to Mexico depending on the population, and waterfowl banding gives researchers valuable banding data on these birds.
Like what you see here? Read more hunting articles by Nathan Unger at whitetailguruhunting.com. Nathan is also the host of the Whitetail Guru Hunting Podcast.
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