Alberta gophers/peak season

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys, being an Ontarian who likes to over-think these sorts of things...I have a question for all the Albertans on CGN; What is the peak season/preferred season for gopher-blasting in your fair province? :) My buddy in Calgary has invited me out to hunt some gophers on some private land this spring/summer and while he tells me spring can be the best from a visibility POV, it seems the biggest #s he got were later on in mid-summer. It's a cattle farm he hunts on mostly, so it depends a little on what areas have been chewed-down of course, but if you consider one time to be better than another, please don't hesitate to chime in.

Gun-wise, I have 2 rifles planned for the trip, my Savage .22WMR and Savage .223..mostly because I like varmint hunting here in Ontario with both. Wondering if I should leave the .223 home in favor of .22lr semi.

Thanks for taking a moment to respond. I'm expecting it to feel strange packing more hunting than fishing gear on this trip. Wish I could move out there..just an awesome place.
 
I'd say mid June is my fav, seems to be good numbers and good visibility then. I'd go with a 22WMR and a 22LR, usually getting within 100yards is no issue and ammo is HECK of a lot cheaper. IMHO, really anytime is good and any gun works.

P.S Thought of bringing a 12G? So much fun out to say 25yards with cheap target loads, I use my tactical 870 for that alone!
 
Adult males come out mid-March. Adult females come out 1-2 weeks later. Females are bred within 2 weeks and go back down. Juvenile squirrels come out end Mar, but usually first part of apr. By end of June all males out fattening up, both male and female juveniles are out eating like crazy, new borns and moms out. That's why numbers are greater, more are out.
 
Rookie has it right on the numbers. Sometimes the gophers screw up the dates when the weather tricks them and they come out early. Nothing like shooting gophers on the snow after a late storm though. If you just want numbers, go for mid to late June. If you really want to help the landowners, go early when every one you euthanise will be the same as doing 8.
 
Some observations.

- it's fun shooting them if there is a blanket of snow on the ground. WAY easier to find.
- killing them early in the season will prevent many births of babies. If you're shooting for pest control - shoot early season. If for fun/practice - later season... more targets!
- Young gophers are stupid, and line up like bowling pins for a reason.
- Hungry gophers have ZERO qualms about eating eachother. I've seen two POUNCE on one i shot within seconds and start noshing on his guts. You could see entrails and whatever hanging from their mouths - right before I ended those bastard cannibals lives. ;) I've never heard of anyone else claiming their cannibalistic tendencies, but I've seen it many many times. Usually in early season when not as lot of stuff is growing in the fields (which would stand to reason).
- If the place you hunt is pasture land or grazing - by early june the grass will be too long to see 90% of the buggers. It's tough later in the season!
- I think females start hibernating in June/July already for the next fall. Crazy.
- A spent .22 shell can make a decent gopher whistle, and can make a few dummies stand still or stand up straight.

I've shot thousands (tens of thousands?) of gophers in the Calgary area over the last ten years.. a .22LR and a brick of ammo is HOURS of fun. :) The real fun comes when you start getting more than 1:1 kill/shot ratios... I've shot 2 with one shot COUNTLESS times, but only 3 with one shot twice. Like I said - bowling pins!
 
Awesome "intel" guys, keep it coming! Feel free to add your preferred rifle/caliber/ammo choice too. I've been really keen on the idea of shooting a pile of them with the .22WMR, and have rounded-up every kind of ammo I can get my hands on to see what it likes best. Here it is, minus the new Boyd's stock that is en route;

Savage93FVTR3.jpg


My Marlin 795 is a pretty accurate .22, that might be better choice to accompany the .22WMR. What's the best .22lr ammo for the job, besides "the cheapest" :)
 
.22LRGUY said:
Awesome "intel" guys, keep it coming! Feel free to add your preferred rifle/caliber/ammo choice too. I've been really keen on the idea of shooting a pile of them with the .22WMR, and have rounded-up every kind of ammo I can get my hands on to see what it likes best. Here it is, minus the new Boyd's stock that is en route;

Savage93FVTR3.jpg


My Marlin 795 is a pretty accurate .22, that might be better choice to accompany the .22WMR. What's the best .22lr ammo for the job, besides "the cheapest" :)
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Pretty much the cheapest lol Anything with a hollowpoint. Yellow jackets light em up pretty good.
 
.22LRGUY said:
What's the best .22lr ammo for the job, besides "the cheapest" :)
Click to expand...

Get something that is accurate, reliable and has a generous hollow point. I have had good accuracy and reailabilty with Federel 525 bulk packs but the hollow point is pretty weak.

Win EXpert is my favorite of the bulk ammo, accurate, top notch expansion but I do get an annoying number of FTF's


Try some CCI Stingers but if you have a 22WMR then I would save the premium rimfire ammo for it. Bring your .22LR and lots of ammo.

If you get in a pasture that has not been shot in for a long time you may be lucky to get lots of shots under 25 yards, thats when lots of .22LR ammo is great to have
 
Caliber of choice is 22LR for the close ones and 17 HMR for the longer range. 22 mag is most excellent as well for about the same price as the 17. If you are in a good spot or driving a good pasture, you will likely shoot a lot more 22 LR. Otherwise it gets pricey in a hurry but there is nothing like blowing them into the air in small pieces with a bigger bang once in a while, just for sh*ts and giggles. Bring a video camera and somebody to load mags.
 
Thanks formerfarmer, toying with the idea of leaving the .223 at home now~we'll see. Here in Ontario, you can put allot of kms on the boots groundhog hunting~up to 6kms per shot taken on a really slow day. Getting my head around the gopher numbers I keep hearing about is difficult! :) I'm now toying with the idea of getting a slightly better/more powerful scope for the .22. The econo 3-9x might be a little tiring on the eyes if I end-up using it allot.

Might bump this thread from time to time, would love to see gopher-hunting photos if anyone has any to share.

Thanks again for the input everyone!
 
canucklehead said:
Some observations.

- it's fun shooting them if there is a blanket of snow on the ground. WAY easier to find.
- killing them early in the season will prevent many births of babies. If you're shooting for pest control - shoot early season. If for fun/practice - later season... more targets!
- Young gophers are stupid, and line up like bowling pins for a reason.
- Hungry gophers have ZERO qualms about eating eachother. I've seen two POUNCE on one i shot within seconds and start noshing on his guts. You could see entrails and whatever hanging from their mouths - right before I ended those bastard cannibals lives. ;) I've never heard of anyone else claiming their cannibalistic tendencies, but I've seen it many many times. Usually in early season when not as lot of stuff is growing in the fields (which would stand to reason).
- If the place you hunt is pasture land or grazing - by early june the grass will be too long to see 90% of the buggers. It's tough later in the season!
- I think females start hibernating in June/July already for the next fall. Crazy.
- A spent .22 shell can make a decent gopher whistle, and can make a few dummies stand still or stand up straight.

I've shot thousands (tens of thousands?) of gophers in the Calgary area over the last ten years.. a .22LR and a brick of ammo is HOURS of fun. :) The real fun comes when you start getting more than 1:1 kill/shot ratios... I've shot 2 with one shot COUNTLESS times, but only 3 with one shot twice. Like I said - bowling pins!
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This here is good info as well.

When I'm doing pest control I run a .17hmr

it gets expensive, but when they are stupid early in the season, you can't miss, they come in close and stand still.

If I'm just plinking for fun I run a semi .22 with CCI stingers.
massive carnage results.

optics are a plus, you'll need to find a field that has been grazed down to reliably spot them.

bring water, lots of ammo, some snacks.

a ground sheet keeps that cacti out of your balls if by chance you are not paying attention.
 
.22LRGUY said:
Thanks formerfarmer, toying with the idea of leaving the .223 at home now~we'll see. Here in Ontario, you can put allot of kms on the boots groundhog hunting~up to 6kms per shot taken on a really slow day. Getting my head around the gopher numbers I keep hearing about is difficult! :) I'm now toying with the idea of getting a slightly better/more powerful scope for the .22. The econo 3-9x might be a little tiring on the eyes if I end-up using it allot.

Might bump this thread from time to time, would love to see gopher-hunting photos if anyone has any to share.

Thanks again for the input everyone!
Click to expand...

I would strongly suggest you pack your 223. Nothing like turning those spring bull gophers into pink steam and launching the remains 6 feet into the air. IMO 22 rimfire sucks for any shots past 75 yards or so. Even the ones that are squarely hit often drag themselves back into a hole and expire. 17 rimfire stuff is great and cheap, but if conditions are a bit windy...which is common, your going to want the 223 and 40 grain V-Max or something along that line.

I shoot a lot of my gophers off a bench with a 222. 17 HMR is the best thing since sliced bread as well. Never owned a 22mag but it would be fine as well. If I had a choice I'd stick with the 17 though. Back to the east in the morning, switch to the other side of the valley/pasture later in the day with my back to the sun in the west. Spot with glasses and shoot all day long. Sunny warm spring days are best gopher days. If its cloudy, cool and windy best just to stay home.
 
Nothing like flying gopher-gut stories to brighten this gray Ontario day for me. :) The cheap side of me thinks it should be a rimfire-only experience, I just think I'd like to light some up with the .223 though. Wish the case held 3 rifles. :)
 
.22LRGUY said:
Nothing like flying gopher-gut stories to brighten this gray Ontario day for me. :) The cheap side of me thinks it should be a rimfire-only experience, I just think I'd like to light some up with the .223 though. Wish the case held 3 rifles. :)
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Prairie Pizzas we call em. 22 centrefires are expensive but only a fraction of the cost you will spend traveling from Ontario to AB. I make a pilgrimage down to south Dakota each September for prairie dogs. Big critters, about the size of a muskrat. I personally bring enough ammo for 400 round/day shoots. That gets expensive!
 
Oh boy! Gopher season coming up! I shoot mostly with my stock 10/22. I also smoke a few with one of my old semi 12ga. shotguns. I use a 58 Sportsman, a Beretta 301, and a Winchester 50.

A box of 50 .22 WMR is $9-12. A brick of Federal 525's is $18.99 right now, on sale at our local Co-op. So, let me see, 50 rounds for about $11, or 525 rounds for around $20. I do have a .22 Mag and intend to use it, as well as a single shot .223, plus a Rossi .38/357, plus all my Savage/Stevens/Springfield "gillers", plus a Winchester 77 and 490, plus, plus, plus.

The main thing is to have fun. Take bug stuff, a good hat, some water. Last summer, I shot in a 50 acre field for four days. Shotgun and .22.

Gophers don't like long grass, and that's good. I have been shooting in the south and west part of Sask. since 2006, and have been in some absolutely marvelous gopher country. I bought a little travel trailer, so now I can park in a field and shoot gophers before breakfast!
 
kjohn said:
Oh boy! Gopher season coming up! I shoot mostly with my stock 10/22. I also smoke a few with one of my old semi 12ga. shotguns. I use a 58 Sportsman, a Beretta 301, and a Winchester 50.

A box of 50 .22 WMR is $9-12. A brick of Federal 525's is $18.99 right now, on sale at our local Co-op. So, let me see, 50 rounds for about $11, or 525 rounds for around $20. I do have a .22 Mag and intend to use it, as well as a single shot .223, plus a Rossi .38/357, plus all my Savage/Stevens/Springfield "gillers", plus a Winchester 77 and 490, plus, plus, plus.

The main thing is to have fun. Take bug stuff, a good hat, some water. Last summer, I shot in a 50 acre field for four days. Shotgun and .22.

Gophers don't like long grass, and that's good. I have been shooting in the south and west part of Sask. since 2006, and have been in some absolutely marvelous gopher country. I bought a little travel trailer, so now I can park in a field and shoot gophers before breakfast!
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That's exactly what I am going to do when I come from the heathen B.C. land I'm from!! ! We are not allowed to shoot gophers on crown land over here and this bugs me to no end!! I sure do miss the good old days of my youth when we could roam the back 40 with the .22's and shoot every damn one we came across!! We had this place behind our house we called the Ol' Mill. It was a youngster's paradise!! An old sawmill that had fallen into disuse and left to fall apart. It held an amazing population of gophers that never failed to "give up the goods" !!
I cant wait for April ! ! ! ! I'm taking a couple of days off and heading to Lethbridge and area . :dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingbanana:
 
If you have the money to do it bring both.

I start with my .22 and then switch up to my .22-250, I always bring both rifles.

It can make a big difference terrain wise. Sometimes we will get into a coolie and won't move for over an hour just cleaning up some hills nice and close. Other times we'll set up 200-300m and and take our time and go for good distance shots.

I normally hunt with a couple of guys and find good referencing makes for better "laughs" when we are all staring at the same beast about to be "JFK'd". Handy we are grey old army types. :)

Typically I'll shoot as much .22-250 as rim fire, is it expensive, sure. Is it worth it, DEFINITELY. That's why I reload.

I shoot 68gr hollow points, which is also my coyote load.
My friend uses 55gr Varmint Grenades. .223
My other friend uses homemade cast for his .222

Enjoy your time out here. I won't even eat when the shooting is good, and like a little kid I need to be called in at the end of the day.

You'll also be sorry if you daylight a badger or see a coyote and all you have is you .22. We once pounded 20 Yellowjackets into a badger and it didn't even slow him down (60m) Has happen to me a couple of times in the past, won't happen again in the future!!!

Now I'm all excited for the summer!!!! :D
 
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