Goose'n The Longbow

Here in Maryland the season started Monday with squirrel, dove, and resident goose.

My brother and I try to get out and goose hunt this week before deer (and usually a western elk trip) to have a little fun body booting for geese on the Susquehanna flats. The weather and water is warm this time of year so wading without fear of hypothermia is a bonus! The last several years I have been trying to do it with the bow.

Mike Mongelli and I were hunting today with our Howard Hill longbows, and my brother and friend Tom were backing us up with the shotguns. We would have first crack at any birds that entered into range. They would mop up afterwards and assist if we had an arrowed bird that would not go down or wanted to swim off.

We got out and set up the decoys before shooting light...but we had to get up at 230 and drive 2 hours to get there to do it.

Once the dekes were in the water my brother anchored the boat near an island about 1/4 mile away and started the long wade back to the set.

All ready as the day began! ......and we soon heard honks in the distance........

 

Lots of action the water at this hour. There were several eagles and osprey all around as well as gulls, ducks (mallard and bufflehead), and a ton of comoranths to scare us every now and then. These invasive fish eaters can look an aweful lot like a goose sometimes.

It was quite a show and worth the lack of sleep even without the geese thus far....what a sunrise!

 

The group approached heading right for Mike.





Hearts pounding as Tom's calls from behind and the geese honking from in front started to reach the same volume and wing beats could be heard. At the last second they veered off to our right and passed out of range of our bows as we tracked them. we saw Chris shoulder and briefly fumble with his safety as he regained his composure and dusted the goose as it passed just on the edge of his effective range. The sharp sounding shot was heard...then a second after a deep boom as the sound waves bounced off the treeline on land and echoed back across the water. Great shot!

We had our first bird.

Soon after we retrieved that goose more were heard approaching. Tom and Chris started calling and here they come!

This time there were several small groups of 2 and 4. One group was passing similar to the first our of range to the right, one group was coming out of range to the left...but the middle three were coming right for us!


These were going to pass just off my port bow and I hunched up in the shadow of the box ready to draw. I picked out the closest bird and drew as it appeared and the arrow was on its way! I heard something odd and saw my arrow waggle oddly as it sailed a bit high and behind the bird. Dang, the lower limb hit the water....doh!...I was prepared to cant in order to clear the surface but as I followed the bird across the angle was too acute.

I never saw Mike's arrow as thunder erupted behind me as I struggled to get another arrow on the string and another bird was tumbling down to the surface from the shotgun blasts. Tom scored us more meat.

As it turned out, Mike was too busy watching the action as I shot and never cut loose his arrow.

Later my brother commented on how cool it looked from behind to watch my white arrow streak up into the flock as they past.

So it went for the next hour or so. Most of the small flocks would come in out bow range and the gunners would get some shots.

What a show it was just to be there and have an opportunity or two.

Our best shot opportunity came as the morning wore on. A loner came in from the side and was heading a little high but straight toward both Mike and I. I watched as Mike's arrow soared up and across the goose who waggled slightly in the air as the shaft passed by.....I had the bow really canted at this point and tried to pick a spot. As I released I felt the string hit my water logged and sagging shirt at the bicep (it was hanging low heavy with water)....dang! The gunners opened up but no hits this time.

I waded out to retrieve our arrows, picked up one, and I heard the guys say here it comes again! The goose circled back despite being shot at and it was going to pass right above me. I had no cover so I hunkered down in the water with just my head and my bow horizontal above the surface. This time I knew I would not screw up the shot. I saw the bird accelerate a little as Mike's arrows passed it again, but that was unknown to me as I was dead focused on good form this time and tracking the bird. The arrow was away and passed inches in front of the goose. It was our closest one yet and I could hear my brother OOOOOOOWH just before the guns opened up again. Bird number 3 was down and Mike and I had grins from ear to ear!

 

We ended up the day with Mike having 3 shots, I had 4 shots, and 3 dead geese by the shotgun. We both struggled at times to keep the longbow tips clear of the water on some of those opportunities and had some good practice at how to prevent it in the future. Man did we have some fun.

There were no other hunters out there that we saw.....I would bet we were the only bow hunters....and I know we had the most fun!