Each fall, waterfowl hunters across the United States and Canada are asked to report any harvested birds with federal identification leg bands. Doing so assists waterfowl managers when it comes to setting future hunting seasons and bag limits.

But without the dedicated effort to capture and band those birds in the first place, the relatively simple process of reporting a banded bird wouldn't be possible.

In Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources is responsible for banding hundreds of ducks and geese each year, with quotas set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service according to local conditions. But with the recent trend of ever-shrinking budgets, trained volunteers have become an essential part of the process.

"We need a team of at least eight people to band Canada geese," said DNR wildlife technician Bill Rollo, who works out of the Escanaba field office. "Often, there may be only four or five DNR staff available, so the rest of the team is made up of volunteers, often from our local Ducks Unlimited chapter."

In the western Upper Peninsula, the quota is 150 Canada geese each year. To accomplish that goal this summer, Rollo recruited eight DU volunteers, including two junior "Greenwing" members, to assist with the banding project.

"This year, we hit a home run," Rollo said. "We were able to capture and band enough geese to finish in two days, and we had a great turnout of volunteers."

At three sites near Escanaba 173 geese were banded. The data collected helps the DNR determine the percentage of geese that survive from one year to the next, what percentage of geese killed by hunters were produced locally, where the birds came from if migrating, and an estimate of how long they lived.

"I can't thank the volunteers enough for helping us accomplish our goal," said Rollo. "We couldn't have done it without their help."

The western U.P. goose banding project is completed in late June and early July when the adult birds molt their primary (flight) feathers and are unable to fly. The young goslings, which have not yet grown their flight feathers, also are grounded. But the project begins several weeks before with staff scouting the local area for flocks of geese and identifying good banding locations.

Once banding time arrives, this year on July 1-2, the group assembles with canoes, kayaks, small motor boats, snow fencing and, of course, the banding equipment: numbered bands, pliers and clipboards, and GPS units for recording the collected data.

As some DNR staff and volunteers hit the water, others remain on land to set up fencing, which usually is located at a boat landing where the geese can be funneled through a "V" fence until reaching a circular corral that is closed off once the birds are inside.

The crew on the water forms a semi-circle behind the flock and slowly closes in as the geese swim toward the boat landing, where the ground crew is hiding behind trees and bushes.

Once the geese reach shore, the ground crew quietly emerges from their hiding spots and walks silently toward the geese with hands held high and wide, gently herding the birds toward the funnel. After the geese are inside the pen, two or three people remain inside the fence to hand the geese to other workers, who will age, sex and band the geese before releasing them back to the shoreline.

A DNR staffer demonstrates how to determine the age class and sex of a goose.

If the bird is a gosling, it is classified as a "local" bird, since it was hatched that year in the local area. Older, adult geese are classified as "after hatching year."

To determine the sex, the geese are flipped over onto their backs, with their heads tucked neatly under a wing, a technique which DNR wildlife biologist Bill Scullon said almost lulls the bird to sleep. Then, the feathers on the lower body are spread until the bird's cloaca, or common opening, is found. By examining the cloaca, it is possible to determine whether the goose is a male or female.

"If it's a male, you're looking for something no bigger than a grain of rice," Scullon said. "It takes a trained eye, and that's why we take time to make sure each volunteer has some practice at our sides before they do it themselves."

Once the age and sex are recorded, a metal, pre-numbered, federal ID band is placed loosely around the goose's leg and gently pushed closed with a pair of pliers.

"We want to make sure it is done slowly, to ensure the leg is not pinched and that the band doesn't get too tight," Scullon explained. "It's not always easy if you have a wiggling bird, but you pick it up with some practice."

If a captured goose already has a band, its number is recorded and can be traced to determine its age and original banding location. Two of the recaptured geese in Escanaba were local geese that have lived at least 11 years. The longevity record for Canada goose, based on recovered bands, is 33 years of age.

Before the day was out, each volunteer had the chance to try their hand at the entire banding process, from picking up and handing off the geese to actually placing a band around a bird's leg.

"This was a great experience," said volunteer Justin Heizer of Escanaba. "I've been a hunter my whole life. I've reported birds with bands on them before, but I've never had the chance to handle a live bird like this. It's neat to be a part of the process from the very beginning."

Hunters who harvest banded waterfowl are asked to call 800-327-BAND to report the band number and how, where and when the bird was harvested. Hunters will receive a certificate from the National Bird Banding Laboratory for each banded bird they report.

To become a volunteer bander, contact your local DNR office or Ducks Unlimited chapter.