YARD HOPPER SEASON 10
Contributors to this thread:Small Game
From: paul@thefort
17-Jan-21
Ten years ago I had the opportunity to shoot geese with the bow and the area was only 10 minutes from my house and on private property. No these are not long distant geese from the far north but local geese "yard hoppers" from the surrounding 10-15 mile radius that seem to be very happy living and feeding in the area. If one drives around town geese can be seen on many of the green belts, sidewalks, golf courses and lawns this time of year, and ponds of which there are many lakes and ponds in the area. So the challenge is not so much, finding a place to hunt, setting out 100s of decoys, placing lay out blinds, or pit blinds and then competing with other shot gun hunters in the area as the local goose can get smart and discover what areas are safe and what areas are not.
But the challenge here is using the compound bow or the recurve bow to kill these geese once in a while. The other challenge is to decoy the geese within an effective bow range of 30 yards or less, like 15-20 yards. I have killed over 95 geese with the compound bow and a few with the recurve bow on this property so I seem to have it figured out most days when the geese cooperate. Sometimes they do not.
Now the real star during these hunts has been Chase the Wonder Dog. He was two years old when I first started this and he will be turning 12 years on Feb, 16th. I will be presenting some past pictures of the hunts during the previous 9 years so hang in there. The real thing will begin with in a few days.
From: paul@thefort
17-Jan-21
Chase was two when we started hunting geese
Chase was two when we started hunting geese
most often we hunt from a tent blind
most often we hunt from a tent blind
or the bigger blind with the recurve bow
or the bigger blind with the recurve bow
not my picture
not my picture
From: t-roy
17-Jan-21
Good to see this thread show up, Paul. Hope Chase has his best year ever!! Good luck!
From: paul@thefort
17-Jan-21
and sometimes with snow camo and netting
and sometimes with snow camo and netting
From: paul@thefort
17-Jan-21
I usually place out two groups of 10 big foot decoys spread apart with a landing area in-between
I usually place out two groups of 10 big foot decoys spread apart with a landing area in-between
you got to love it when the geese cooperate
you got to love it when the geese cooperate
From: paul@thefort
17-Jan-21
and land in bow range.
and land in bow range.
and if I shoot straight
and if I shoot straight
Chase gets to do what he does best
Chase gets to do what he does best
We set up the blind near the pond and will start the 10 season in a few days. Stay tuned. Paul
We set up the blind near the pond and will start the 10 season in a few days. Stay tuned. Paul
From: Habitat for Wildlife
17-Jan-21
Love it! Good luck Paul and Chase.
From: Habitat for Wildlife
17-Jan-21
Love it! Good luck Paul and Chase.
From: JTreeman
17-Jan-21
It’s about time...
:)
—Jim
From: paul@thefort
17-Jan-21
Hey Jim, I had to travel to AZ and kill a Coues buck before this goose hunt. Was successful and arrive back for another goose series. Paul
From: BigStriper
17-Jan-21
Will be waiting for the next episode of Paul & Chase, good luck to both of you. Always enjoy your hunts.
Kurt
From: Bowboy
17-Jan-21
Good luck Chase & Paul!
From: Overland
17-Jan-21
I've been looking forward to this as well. Good luck this season!
From: Heat
17-Jan-21
Good deal, bring it on Paul!
From: BigOk
17-Jan-21
Good luck!!! Cant wait to follow this thread.
From: BULELK1
18-Jan-21
Fun reading Paul
A little bit cooler in Colo than your recent Az hunt!
Good luck, Robb
From: dm/wolfskin
18-Jan-21
Yea!
From: Supernaut
18-Jan-21
Love these threads! Best of luck to you and Chase this season Paul and thanks for taking us along!
From: paul@thefort
18-Jan-21
bring them on but do not forget the TREATS, says Chase
bring them on but do not forget the TREATS, says Chase
I will be taking over the decoys and storing them next to the blind this afternoon and then the first hunt will be tomorrow, January 19th. Chase is ready, I am ready for some goose action, if they cooperate like these two did in the past.
From: Shuteye
18-Jan-21
Good luck Paul, I'll be watching your hunts. Give Chase a pat on the head from this old man.
From: Buckeye
18-Jan-21
Best of luck Paul! we enjoy closing out the season with your goose storys. Tell the wonder dog he is a good pup and give him a scratch or two for me.
From: sitO
18-Jan-21
Enjoy the hunts with Chase and have fun Paul!
From: GhostBird
18-Jan-21
Best of luck Paul & Chase.
From: altitude sick
18-Jan-21
Love those Chase pictures
From: paul@thefort
18-Jan-21
Hey Shuteye, Chase being 12 years,, comparing human life with dog life, is now 84 years old. I will be turning 81 years on March 7. I do not know how all of this happen so fast, but so be it. As I have stated and believe, " if you are not moving forward, you are moving backwards". God bless us all, life is sweet but it goes by faster then we realize. Paul
From: Chief 419
18-Jan-21
I look forward to this thread every year. Good luck Paul & Chase!
From: Brotsky
18-Jan-21
Love this thread every year. It has my favorite Bowsiter in it...and Paul. Ha! Good luck tomorrow Paul. I hope Chase gets a chance to earn his treats!
From: Iowa_Archer
18-Jan-21
YES!! Best thread of the year. Have a great season Paul and Chase and thank you for sharing those adventures here with us.
From: Drahthaar
18-Jan-21
Let the fun begin. Forrest
From: deerhunter72
18-Jan-21
Always enjoy this thread. Give Chase a treat for me!
From: Empty Freezer
18-Jan-21
You are 81 and bowhunting geese.. That is quite a motivator for a guy who just turned 60. Good luck and looking forward to your hunt. PS- I got skunked in AZ
From: Percy
18-Jan-21
Really looking forward to season 10 of the Yard Hopper. My favorite thread of the year. Good luck Paul & Chase. Percy
From: Inshart
18-Jan-21
Really looking forward to watching two "gray faced, old geezers" getting goosed. LOL
From: INbowdude
18-Jan-21
Hey Paul, I can't remember if you ever shot 2 or more geese out of the same flock. Can you enlighten me?
From: paul@thefort
18-Jan-21
Mike I have killed two out of the same flock; has happened a few times. Sometimes when two geese come in, I might get two shots off and kill both. This is more likely to happen if the goose dies quickly on the spot or is wounded and then just sets in place. if they flop around a lot, this triggers the other geese to move out of range and/or fly off.
From: Shuteye
18-Jan-21
Paul, have you ever had an eagle or fox run in and grab you flopping goose? We have that problem here with gun shot geese.
From: paul@thefort
18-Jan-21
No but this eagle ate a wounded goose that made it to the near by lake. This fox came by the decoys and last year it was killed on the highway. Chase gets the geese too quickly
No but this eagle ate a wounded goose that made it to the near by lake. This fox came by the decoys and last year it was killed on the highway. Chase gets the geese too quickly
