South Alberta Gophers and Small Game 2023

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VIcloseQuarters

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Hi everyone and thank you for reading.

My Fiancé and I just moved to the Lethbridge area so you can probably assume where this is going so I’ll lay it out with as few words as possible.
Fiancé has disabilities but they are not completely debilitating and she gets around fine without aids. She doesn’t work so we are always looking for an excuse to get out of the house.
Not trying to make this a charity case just trying to paint a picture.
I have a scary black 223WYLD and a 17HMR.
We would be honored to meet locals, make friends and participate in privileged hunting on private land.

Please use this thread for small game and pest shooting 2023
 
If you go knock on some doors and tell them you want to kill their gophers, you’ll find many friends. Some of those farmers may even give you a brick of ammo for your troubles. Go now, before seeding starts, in another week or so they won’t want to be bothered again until seeding is done.
 
VIcloseQuarters said:
Hi everyone and thank you for reading.

My Fiancé and I just moved to the Lethbridge area so you can probably assume where this is going so I’ll lay it out with as few words as possible.
Fiancé has disabilities but they are not completely debilitating and she gets around fine without aids. She doesn’t work so we are always looking for an excuse to get out of the house.
Not trying to make this a charity case just trying to paint a picture.
I have a scary black 223WYLD and a 17HMR.
We would be honored to meet locals, make friends and participate in privileged hunting on private land.

Please use this thread for small game and pest shooting 2023
Click to expand...

Shooting gophers is about as much fun as you can possibly have in the shooting sports, at least as far as I'm concerned. I'm in Ontario, but as a visiting gopher-shooter to your beautiful province I can confirm Lethbridge has their share. On a related note, I've never NOT had windy conditions shooting them there. Only issue I'm seeing is the caliber options-they'd both be great, but ammo costs may limit your desire to have extended shoots. While it has it's limitations as well, I'd suggest a good bolt gun in 22LR, figure out what fast hollow-points it likes best, and have at them! If you'd care to talk gophers/22LR more, send me a PM I'll let you know what my experiences have been.

Cheers!
 
When I lived in the Crowsnest Pass, I shot gophers in the Foothill Mountains. Cow and horse pastures are most abundant with gophers, and the big kicker is: gophers are much bigger in the Foothills, than in the Great Plains. Go west young man and you will prosper.......only a one hour drive west of Lethbridge.
 
Consider joining the Lethbridge Fish & Game club. Will also get you into their range etc. Can meet some locals with connections at the monthly meetings. There are always lots of hay growers in the area begging for hunters, some will even provide the ammo.
 
track said:
When I lived in the Crowsnest Pass, I shot gophers in the Foothill Mountains. Cow and horse pastures are most abundant with gophers, and the big kicker is: gophers are much bigger in the Foothills, than in the Great Plains. Go west young man and you will prosper.......only a one hour drive west of Lethbridge.
Click to expand...

Nicer scenery too.
 
I Hunted gophers in southern SK. one time & all farmers I asked said YES please do.
Many offered to pay for all the ammo. Most farmers do not have extra time to hunt them
& are glad to have hunters do it. Same for deer as I found out.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone!

I remember gopher shooting with 22LR when I was a kid in YT. Then I spent 25 years in Vitoria BC so It's a nice feeling being out here. Gofers have to die now.

I picked up a Savage A17 and with the ammo scenario right now I wish I bought the A22. I'll figure it out. No 22LR rifle atm.

Thanks for the advice.
 
coyoteking said:
If you go knock on some doors and tell them you want to kill their gophers, you’ll find many friends. Some of those farmers may even give you a brick of ammo for your troubles. Go now, before seeding starts, in another week or so they won’t want to be bothered again until seeding is done.
Click to expand...

Is it ignorant to say farmers prefer not to be bothered by shooters after seeding?
 
.22LRGUY said:
Shooting gophers is about as much fun as you can possibly have in the shooting sports, at least as far as I'm concerned. I'm in Ontario, but as a visiting gopher-shooter to your beautiful province I can confirm Lethbridge has their share. On a related note, I've never NOT had windy conditions shooting them there. Only issue I'm seeing is the caliber options-they'd both be great, but ammo costs may limit your desire to have extended shoots. While it has it's limitations as well, I'd suggest a good bolt gun in 22LR, figure out what fast hollow-points it likes best, and have at them! If you'd care to talk gophers/22LR more, send me a PM I'll let you know what my experiences have been.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

I don't know exactly why I went with 17hmr. Sad thing is I settled on Savage A17 which is auto liscious. They make a 22wmr..... Maybe I should go to CambodianTire and grab a couple Badgers lol
 
Grain said:
Consider joining the Lethbridge Fish & Game club. Will also get you into their range etc. Can meet some locals with connections at the monthly meetings. There are always lots of hay growers in the area begging for hunters, some will even provide the ammo.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice.
I haven't become a member yet and was surprised to see the standard operations had me driving by keycard gates. Drove out to the Taber Shooting Facility and same thing. Don't get me wrong we wanted to drive around being new in town. I was surprised though as the Victoria Fish and Game is open everyday and you don't need to be an RSO to get access and shoot.
We started to consider the weather compared to the temperate climate we have left. We decided that with my wife's health issues that she would benefit from an indoor shooting range and found one attached to the Claresholm Community Centre.
They are open a couple days a week, first come first serve for a few hours an evening. My wife hasn't figured out rifle shooting yet and prefers her Ruger Mk4 22/45. We haven't made it there yet and I should join Lethbridge Fish and Game regardless.

How would you connect with hay farmers?
 
track said:
When I lived in the Crowsnest Pass, I shot gophers in the Foothill Mountains. Cow and horse pastures are most abundant with gophers, and the big kicker is: gophers are much bigger in the Foothills, than in the Great Plains. Go west young man and you will prosper.......only a one hour drive west of Lethbridge.
Click to expand...

Juicy gophers deserving of 223HP?
Tell me more of your glorious Foothill Mountain carnage adventures?
 
VIcloseQuarters said:
Thanks for the advice.
I haven't become a member yet and was surprised to see the standard operations had me driving by keycard gates. Drove out to the Taber Shooting Facility and same thing. Don't get me wrong we wanted to drive around being new in town. I was surprised though as the Victoria Fish and Game is open everyday and you don't need to be an RSO to get access and shoot.
We started to consider the weather compared to the temperate climate we have left. We decided that with my wife's health issues that she would benefit from an indoor shooting range and found one attached to the Claresholm Community Centre.
They are open a couple days a week, first come first serve for a few hours an evening. My wife hasn't figured out rifle shooting yet and prefers her Ruger Mk4 22/45. We haven't made it there yet and I should join Lethbridge Fish and Game regardless.

How would you connect with hay farmers?
Click to expand...

Claresholm is a great club. The Lethbridge club is always locked, need to be a range officer to get a key card. Good thing is they put on range officer classes usually monthly. To come in contact with hay farmers or farmers with gopher problems; I would talk to the Lethbridge and Claresholm clubs, they often have a list of farmers needing help. Another option would to go to the UFA farm store on the south side, and talk to the staff. Wilbur Ellis has a hay pelleting plant near the airport, they too may know of farmers who need some help.
 
VIcloseQuarters said:
Is it ignorant to say farmers prefer not to be bothered by shooters after seeding?
Click to expand...

After seeding is done they probably won’t mind you coming around. Most farmers have a 3-4 week window where we’re running on very little sleep and a lot of stress, we just don’t have the time to deal with people. After seeding is done I’d be happy to have gopher shooters come around, just don’t drive in the crop!
 
I also have a Savage A17. Fun as heck to shoot gophers with, but I quickly switch back to my regular 22LR. Too expensive to shoot 500 plus rounds, and too noisey. The 22 I can shoot out in a field without ear protection. The 17hmr, not so much.
 
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