YARD HOPPER DAY ONE
Small Game
DAY ONE OF SEASON 10 OF THE YARD HOPPER SEASON,
Presented by Paul@thefort and Chase the wonder dog
Up at 6 am this morn. Chase fed, not yet me. Like any first day, anxious to go but only 5 minutes away. The goose decoys are behind the blind: just have to carry the bow and backpack a few hundred yards across the field to the blind near the pond. Because of the neighbors not leaving this winter, I am giving them some space and not setting up near the house or the top of the hill where have had more action but it was ok where I set up and will hunt and we agreed on that. Not as many geese around as last week. There was a flock of 35 on the neighbors lawn and a few flying but we hope to at least bring one in to the spread and start the new season with a "bang". So here we go and out the door in 15 minutes. Sunrise at 7:20 am.
Good luck Paul. It's chilly up here in Cheyenne this morning also.
Brrrr ! Good luck Paul, and don’t let Chase down.....
Looking fwd to a pic of deceased geese.
I shot another type of yard hopper yesterday Paul. Good luck to you and Chase
WELL AN INTERESTING MORNING FOR SURE. Chase and I are in the blind and decoys out by 7:30am and the first and very few geese are flying over head during the next hour and none are intending to land but fly east to other greener pastures. At 9:15, I elect to call it a morning and pack up half of the 20 decoys behind the blind. I was just starting to pick up the rest when I hear close by geese and see a small flock coming my way. I call, they see the decoys, do a couple of passes but then fly to another area. Oh well and I remember during the past 9 years, there was only a few times I killed a goose the first time out and this first day was looking that way.
So maybe I should stay another half hour which we did... I dive into the blind, More geese over head and wait, a flock just landed 30 yards away. I take their picture, range find the closest one at 31 yards, adjusted the single pin sight, bow up, pin on the goose, release the arrow, a few white feathers are left behind as all of the geese take wing. Damm a miss.
I walk out and find the arrow and see it has a little blood on the vanes. Well I sort of hit him. Later I take up the other decoys, leave the blind and walk towards the path and direction the geese went when on wing. Maybe I might find the goose, dead just over the hill. I looked, no goose. As I circled the house, I noticed 15 geese behind the barn and near the highway. Maybe a stalk. I range the geese at 71 yards. NO, too far and I head back to the truck but then maybe one of those geese was wounded and if I approach them and one stays, the wounded one, maybe I can recover it. Approach the geese and they all fly away seemingly unhurt.
So now I am driving down the drive way and turn on the state highway and as I glance towards the big lake across the highway, I see a strange dark mount on the ice. I wonder. I grab the bios and find a recent dead goose 70 yards out on the ice, and around the goose is red blood , ie, a recent wound. Hell yes, the goose I had wounded was dead on the ice, but the lake is on private property.
Now, as luck would have it Jim and his Golden Retriever had walked past on a private trail just inside the four wire fence as I pulled up to sight the goose. I stood there next to the truck and waited for him to return as he only went past 200 yards and then was heading back. I explained the situation and hunting geese across the highway on private property but needed permission to enter this private property. He said sure, go for it. I got Chase out the truck, went to the bank, lined him up, stated, Dead Bird and fetch. Off he went, out 70 yards, pickup the goose and was back within a few minutes. I thanked Jim and headed home with the DAY ONE prize.
Sometime one never knows how a hunt will end, but this first goose hunt of the season ended, JUST FINE! Paul and Chase the wonder dog.
That is awesome Paul! Congrats to you and many treats to Chase the wonder dog!
Very cool. And it’s always nice to work the dog
THE END
THE END
Nice way to start off your season.
Chase is looking proud of his work in the last picture. Congrats to both of you.
Nice way to start off your season.
As if having a dog isn’t good enough. Having them as a hunting partner is just something special.
Great start to the season, congrats Paul and Chase!
Congrats on the great start for both of you!
Did that broadhead have Coues buck DNA on it?
Great start to another wonderful season for both of you!
He looks hungry, where's his treat??
Off to a great start! Do you think the owner of the property where you recovered the goose would let you hunt there?
Here we go, another season of "Yard Hoppers" -- one of my favorite threads, outstanding!
well done guys! Glad ya found your goose Paul.
Rob, the lake/ice Chase retrieved the goose off of is mostly surrounded by houses and the lake is very private. So NO. Actually there is no reason to hunt there as the property where I do hunt has yielded nearly 100 geese in the past 9 years.
Always look forward to this! The geese are in T-R-O-U-B-L-E....
Awesome, off to a great start. Forrest
"Dam, a miss", I stated. Well apparently not and while cleaning the goose I discovered this. The three blade NAP Shock Force passed though from behind one thigh, through the body, just missing the gut pocket, and then out in front of the other thigh creating a channel of destruction. The goose was still able to gain its wings and fly 400 yards before in crashed dead on the ice.
Hey Rod, Coues DNA on the arrow? It sure could have and maybe some elk DNA from last season. My best, Paul
Congrats Paul now where's are blood trail challenge?
Nice work for the hunter and his companion for sure. Glad you found your goose.
Persistence pays! Nice start and Chase got his treat:)
Batting 100%.......good start. Looks like a mild winter so far over there Paul?
A good start to Season 10 ! This story has it all, mystery, intrigue, and a cliffhanger at the end. Topped off with a successful blind retrieve ! Pulitzer candidate !
(At least a pork chop for Chase)
Matt, typical Ft. Collins Front Range weather. Not much snow at all but "cool" in the morning. 18 degrees at 7 am this morn. A few "storms" coming but they usually drop the snow higher in the mountains west of here, before it gets here to the foot hills. We get most snow in March and April and if a "up slope" wind and moisture comes from easterly, it can drop a foot of snow. We surely need the moisture as pictured a few years ago.
Hey Don, got to entertain you guys and what a great way to do it. The temp just dropped to 16 degrees this early morn. Glad I am not in the goose blind but will be there on Friday.
Great start. Congrats to you and Chase.
Great recovery, Paul...Good boy, Chase!!!
Great start to the season, Paul! Hopefully you’re packin Chase’s favorite flavor of treats!
ice thickness, 4 inches solid.
Great start Paul. I just got back from my hunt in Arizona. Very happy to see another Yard Hopper thread to follow! Keep after em Chase.
Once again, goose with a stick is awesome on a stick...... Congrats! Correction above: half blind retrieve. Atta boy Chase! Smart bugga too... noticed he picks em up from the back, less chance of getting your head dented.... =D
Thanks Paul! Looking forward to the rest.... how long is the season?
until Feb 14th. dark goose season
