BLACK Gopher, you need to see this

Wookie316

Wookie316

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Well I have seen something for the first time in my life. Had to shoot it so someone would believe me ;) Me & my bud daddylonglegs were out checking a spot for a bear bait & seen a black gopher :eek: He hit one first but it got down the hole :( I missed one before I got this one. We seen 4 in total.

Anyone else seen one?

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Found this on the net.

http://research.uleth.ca/rgs/description.cfm
 
I haven't seen black ones before...but I have seen a pasture with a lot of gophers in it it and 1/4 to 1/3 of 'em were white :eek:. I originally thought I was seeing white paper or garbage blowing in the wind but on closer inspection they were gophers.
 
AB.boy said:
I haven't seen black ones before...but I have seen a pasture with a lot of gophers in it it and 1/4 to 1/3 of 'em were white :eek:. I originally thought I was seeing white paper or garbage blowing in the wind but on closer inspection they were gophers.
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Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) , google it, thats probably what you saw, seen one at a farm I use to work at, man those things are fast, like you when I first saw it though it was a plastic bag blowing in the wind.
 
Interesting. I've never seen a black one before. I have seen the white ones though.

My weirdest gopher find was a gopher that had been shot with a .22 before. He had an entrance and exit scar, but somehow he lived. The one scar was on the abdomen and the second was above the hip on the other side. The bullet went right through what would be close to its center of mass. It must have been cheap winchester ammo (wildcats I'm guessing), no hollowpoints.

BTW I can guarantee that I'm the one that shot him the first time... it's my pasture.

Anyone else ever find one of these?
 
Hey aren't those black gophers in the same category as the black marmots on Vancouver Island? Close to extinction? It seems to me I read somewhere there are only about 2 dozen left in Sask./Alberta. Well, 22 left now . . .V:I:V:I:
 
Greenhorse six said:
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) , google it, thats probably what you saw, seen one at a farm I use to work at, man those things are fast, like you when I first saw it though it was a plastic bag blowing in the wind.
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Oh I have seen plenty of weasels and these were not weasels. They were definitely gophers. Must have been 20-30 of 'em running around with their normal brown cousins. If I am ever in the area again I should take a drive by there and see if the blood line continues...and have a camera this time....and maybe a .22 :)
 
Black gophers are extremely rare. I've spoken to a local biologist about them, as we had a few living by our place when I grew up, apparently one of the few places in Canada that has them. Apparently the black comes from a double-recessive gene and is getting even more rare.

I'm an avid hunter but I would never shoot one. It's like shooting an albino moose. There area plenty of regular ones to go around...
 
That is really cool! I would skin it just in case they are really rare and vanishing to have the pelt around. Of course, a picture is almost as good and not as messy.
 
Northman999 said:
Black gophers are extremely rare. I've spoken to a local biologist about them, as we had a few living by our place when I grew up, apparently one of the few places in Canada that has them. Apparently the black comes from a double-recessive gene and is getting even more rare.

I'm an avid hunter but I would never shoot one. It's like shooting an albino moose. There area plenty of regular ones to go around...
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I'm of same the same persuasion, let the mysteries and interesting things keep living.
 
Seen Hundreds of them in the Porcupine Hills, there as Black as the soil they dig in. Would have never thought they are endangered, Never shot any, didn't want to scare away any Turkeys.
 
Rugerman said:
Hey aren't those black gophers in the same category as the black marmots on Vancouver Island? Close to extinction? It seems to me I read somewhere there are only about 2 dozen left in Sask./Alberta. Well, 22 left now . . .V:I:V:I:
Click to expand...

That's right! Those are the rare and protected sub-species Blackus Digholecus.

Shooting one of those is good for a hefty fine and/or 2 years in the Drumheller pen!:eek:

If you see a pink one, you get 6 months in Ponoka.
 
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