Sequoyah County’s Ducks Unlimited chapter recently helped the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation with its annual banding of giant Canada geese. Each year in early summer, the ODWC bands 800 to 1,500 of the geese at water habitats across the state, allowing wildlife officials to learn more about the fowl. “For about a month starting in mid-June, these geese begin to molt their flight feathers to replace them with new, less-worn feathers,” says state waterfowl biologist Paxton Smith. “This gives us the opportunity to round them up and band them. Band return data gives us insights on how the goose population is doing in Oklahoma and throughout their range. We are able to calculate mortality rates, harvest exposure and their movement dynamics.” Among those on hand for the banding was Broox Knoke.