| Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley Outdoor Guide- Fishing, Hunting and everything outdoors...... | |
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| Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley Outdoor Guide- Fishing, Hunting and everything outdoors...... | |
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Home Sporting Goods, Bait and Tackle Hunting Stories and Information Fishing
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Ah, the mystery of migration. Where do they go and when do they get there? Thanks to the efforts of several youngsters, some of the questions may one day have an answer. Young ducks and young kids met face to face recently deep in the marshes of the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. Surrounded by mud flats where deer frolicked among the bushes and resident Canada geese strolled like college kids on spring break, hundreds of wood ducks waited beneath a nylon mesh net. In a matter of minutes there would be an encounter of the third kind. Up close and personal. The level of enthusiasm was exceeded only by the uncertain future. Neither the ducks or the kids knew exactly what to expect of each other. Yet a lesson in biology, mixed with some new feathered friends, quickly set the stage for fun and excitement. It was duck banding time and each year area Ducks Unlimited kids, better known as “greenwings”, embark on a mission to help track the migrational habits of waterfowl. Through placement of aluminum leg bands bearing a series of numbers and contact information, the kids become participants in man’s quest to unlock Mother Nature’s vault of mystery. Several hundred woodies huddled beneath the confines of the low tent style net where morsels of crushed corn lured them through funnel-type entrances. Biologist Clayton Ferrell quickly escorted the young brigade through a small door and secured the hatch while instructing the eager beavers to wait and form a line. Designed to funnel the ducks into a series of compartments where vertical doors separate them for easy capture, the young army of waterfowlers wasted no time in adapting to the challenge. However, curiosity and enthusiasm often override the sense of hearing and virtues of patience. Once the ducks squealed and attempted to run or fly, the race was on and the requests to “slow down” or “take it easy” were moot points. Yet the ducks took it in stride as did wildlife biologist Robert Wheat and refuge manager John Taylor. They had extended an invitation to the future wildlife enthusiasts and greeted the observations with a grin. “It’s good to see these kids out here enjoying this,” said Taylor. “Their faces tell the story and the more youngsters we get involved in the outdoors, the better understanding they’ll have of wildlife management. Hopefully they’ll become good stewards of the resources.” Kids were shown how to catch the ducks and hold the wings secure as biologists opened small doors atop compartments. From there each youngster was instructed to deliver the woodie to officials who determined the sex, age as to adult versus juvenile, and then placed the shiny bracelet of data just above the webbed foot. Youngsters learned the different appearance of drakes and hens. And, a few got quick lessons on tail or wing feather observation, which is used to differentiate young of the year from adults. Occasionally, ducks already sporting leg beds were encountered and biologists recorded the number. Some ducks had reentered the net after being banded a week or so prior while others were carrying information from yesteryear. “They love the yellow line of free food,” said Ferrell, referring to the piles of crushed corn that attracts the ducks into the net. “Some just keep coming back for seconds.” With special pliers, biologists crimp the band secure and the two youngsters are ready to say goodbye to each other. A few times the illusive ducks squirmed just right and broke the hold early, thrusting into midair before banding could be completed. Others vaulted at the first opportunity once the door flew open and blue sky presented itself. Either way, it was quite a thrill for the kids who laughed and squealed with every release. Some ducks departed slowly while others took the caps off bystanders in a low decent. Often times the shrill cry of the woodie seemed to say goodbye when released toward the high heavens. Perhaps it was in reply to a wave or word of parting. Seems the kids and the ducks spoke the same language as both appeared to understand this moment in time. Even the shyest of youngsters joined in on the fun once they saw their buddies taking part. The ducks were intriguing and commanded attention. Mystification and curiosity teaming together. By
afternoon’s end the greenwing group introduced themselves to 230 birds, of
which As darkness chased away the sunset, the festivity drew to a close but a barrage of questions was about to get underway. Those “where-do-they-go-at-night” and “how-long do-they-live” type inquiries, tagged with an occasional “wonder-if-we’ll-see-again”. From manmade wood duck boxes to the value of wetlands and estuaries, the outing planted a seed to the extent every sunrise or sunset over a swamp, lake, or beaver pond will beg for a glimpse of a darting woodie. The kids gained a better understanding of how a variety of elements must work together to ensure the balance of nature. On this warm summer afternoon in the backwaters of Kentucky Lake, these youngsters were important ingredients in the recipe for God’s garden. DUCK BANDING TIDBITS…
According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the three oldest band
recoveries came from a canvasback (29 years, 6 months), which is also then
oldest North American waterfowl on record; Black Duck (26 years, 5
months), Geese: Canada goose - all races (28 years, 5 months), lesser snow goose - white phase (26 years, 7 months), lesser snow goose - blue phase (25 years, 6 months), and greater white-fronted goose (25 years, 6 months). The ratio of young to adult varies from year to year on Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. In 2003, 23% of the birds banded were adults with the remaining 77% being immatures. Banding has
been a little slow this year with 633 birds having been banded, but the
refuge met all its quotas. So far, 61 adult females, 36 adult males, 245
immature females, and 291 immature males have been banded. The According to the Bird Banding Lab 1,199,132 wood ducks were banded nationwide between 1914 and 2000. Of those banded 118,181 bands were reported which is a 10% recovery rate. Most wood ducks banded at this refuge are harvested in Tennessee, followed by Louisiana, and Mississippi. Wood ducks are also commonly recovered in Arkansas, Alabama, and east Texas. A duck's average life span is only around 2 years. The most distant recovery of a locally banded woodie came from New Brunswick, Canada. Another interesting one came from Arizona. Source: USFWS Steve McCadams is a professional hunting and fishing guide here in the Paris Landing area. He has also contributed many outdoor oriented articles to various national publications. |
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