Friday, November 14th, 2025

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Friday, November 14th, 2025

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Minnesota Reader Stories: Not just a blue-wing, but a symbol of conservation

Greg Kvale and his son, Pete, harvested a blue-winged teal at the Thief River WMA in Minnesota that bore a leg band. Not only was the bird determined to be more than 10 years old, it also was banded on Big Grass Marsh in Canada, site of a major wetland restoration dating back to 1938. For Kvale, the bird was a true trophy for what it represented in the conservation realm. (Photo courtesy of Greg Kvale)

In 2021, my son, Pete Kvale, and I harvested a banded male blue-winged teal at the Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area in northwestern Minnesota.
The condition of the band on this beautiful male teal was deteriorated and thin, with only two of the nine numbers clearly visible. After acid-etching the numbers, the number 1095 87238 was revealed. I reported the band to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bird-banding office in Laurel, Md., and received an email that stated the teal was at least 10 years old.

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