Delaware hunters may find GPS transmitters, bands or other human-created additions on migratory gamebirds they encounter during hunting seasons. Harvesting such gamebirds is legal, but hunters should report what they find to state and federal biologists.

Migratory gamebird hunters should be aware of specially marked ducks, geese and swans in Delaware. These birds are part of wildlife studies conducted by state and federal agencies. Reporting the harvest of such birds is often essential for those studies to be complete and effective.

Hunters should treat waterfowl with transmitters and leg bands as they would an unmarked bird. In order for biologists to accurately evaluate survival, hunters should not target marked birds or refrain from harvesting marked birds if they can tell they are banded prior to harvest as this will influence research results.

If a marked bird is legal for harvest, then it may be harvested.

All hunters who harvest a federal-banded bird or a specially marked species (examples below) should report it to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory and to the contact listed on the special marker.

Hunters might encounter:

• Mallard hens with GPS enabled backpacks or with yellow plastic tarsal bands fitted with geolocators
• Canada Geese or Tundra Swans with GPS neck collars and field readable collars
• Atlantic Brant with plastic tarsal bands and GPS backpacks
• Wood Duck hens with GPS enabled backpacks
• Grown Wood ducks fitted with prong and suture nanotags and antennae when they were ducklings

Reporting the harvest does not necessarily mean forfeiting the marker from the harvested bird. In some cases, biologists only need to recover information from the device.

For some of the special markers, hunters may be able to keep the specific unit attached to their harvest. When transmitters do need to be collected, a replicant “dummy” unit may be available to the hunter as a replacement.

Examples

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Yellow Plastic Tarsal Bands

Yellow plastic tarsal bands are used to attach a geolocator light-level sensor to the left leg of hen Mallards.

Hunters who harvest a mallard with a yellow tarsal band should contact easternmallards@gmail.com and report the federal metal band to the Bird Banding Laboratory or contact the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife at 302-735-3600.

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GPS Collars on Canada Geese

Some members of the Atlantic population of Canada Geese are fitted with GPS-enabled collars.

Hunters who harvest a Canada Goose with a GPS neck collar should use the contact info on the transmitter or contact the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife 302-735-3600. Hunters should also report the federal metal band to the Bird Banding Laboratory.

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Prong and Suture Transmitters

Hunters may find Wood Ducks fitted with a prong and suture transmitter and antenna. Transmitters are attached to some Wood duck ducklings. Adult birds may still have a transmitter attached and may contain data useful to scientists.

Hunters who encounter Wood Ducks with transmitters should contact the University of Delaware Graduate Research Assistant by email at blakestr@UDel.edu or the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife at 302-735-3600.

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GPS-Enabled Backpacks — Wood Ducks

Hunters who harvest Wood Duck hens with GPS-enabled backpacks should contact the University of Delaware Graduate Research Assistant by email at blakestr@UDel.edu or the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife at 302-735-3600.

Hunters should also report the federal metal band to the Bird Banding Laboratory.

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GPS-Enabled Backpacks — Mallards, American Black Ducks or Atlantic Brant

Those who harvest a Mallard, American Black Duck or Atlantic Brant with GPS-enabled backpacks should use the contact information provided on the transmitter or contact the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Hunters should also report the federal metal band to the Bird Banding Laboratory.

Find more information on these studies atlantic-flyway-waterfowl-gps.weebly.com.

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Tundra Swan Collars

Tundra Swans may be fitted with a GPS-enabled collar or a field-readable neck collar. Hunters should report the federal metal band to the Bird Banding Laboratory and contact the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife at 302-735-3600 if they have harvested a collared swan.

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Related Topics:  conservation, fish and wildlife, gamebirds, hunting, migratory gamebirds, science