Evelyn Kubiak holding up her prized double-banded honker with jack Miner band! (Photo courtesy of Evelyn Kubiak.)
April 09, 2025
By Ryan Barnes
Evelyn Kubiak has been hunting since she was 12 years old. Hunting is a family tradition for the Kubiak family, and even though she’s now only 15, the joys of waterfowling run deep. Evelyn enjoys going out with her family and fostering her role as a next generation duck and goose hunter.
She went hunting with her brother, father, and uncle last year. Little did she know she was going to come away with the holy grail of goose hunting: a double-banded honker, sporting a coveted Jack Miner band.
“We set out a couple decoys and hid by a beaver house. We had a successful morning, taking 10 birds by 9 a.m.,” says Evelyn. “Our last two birds of the day were a pair that flew over from behind. I had a clear shot at both and doubled. One fell on land and the other in the water.”
A 15-year-old, smashing doubles on honkers!
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Her uncle went to retrieve the bird that fell on the dry ground, while her father went out by kayak to gather the one that crashed into the water. As her father pulled the bird from the lake, he shouted over to the group, “Who shot these birds?” After looking around at the others, it was determined that Evelyn had been the only one to pull the trigger. “Well, looks like these are yours then,” her dad shouted back with excitement in his voice.
As Evelyn’s dad paddled back with the geese, she soon saw the two bands. The first, a federal band, and the second—that band that every goose hunter has burned into their brain—a Jack Miner, with the Mark 11 Bible verse and all!
“To be able to shoot a double-banded bird with a Jack Miner band was an incredible experience, especially doing it with my family. It was a great way to end the season and I’m already looking forward to next year,” says Evelyn.
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