Black gophers....ever see one?
- Thread starter Pickles
- Start date
- Location
- Sudbury, On
Ninja gophers!!!! 
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
Sometime when they get turned inside out gophers have a bit of a blackish-green tinge.
blacksheep
Member
I saw one last week on the way to whitehorse near Jake's corner. I asked a few guys if I was "seeing things" when I got there. I was told that others have seen black gophers in the same area. Kind of a coincidence to see a post about it just after I saw one.Pretty cool to see.
Ditchdogger
CGN frequent flyer
I have never seen a black gopher / richardson ground squirel, Was under the impression they did not exist north of the peace river. The one in the picture looks much more like a dark wood chuck.
But I did notice some strange behavior much like humans, one day in a gopher patch near the folks place. It was early spring and I had the 22-250 on the bipod resting on the box cover of the truck watching the gophers chase each other around. But it did not seem to be playful but much more vicious and territorial. Well after watching for a while I noticed that the was 2 distinct gophers in that field on the north side of the field all the Gophers had very distinct black tails. The ones on the south side of the field looked like regular ground squirels and it was like there was this imaginary line in the field. They would forray from one side of the field to the other and start a fight and be run off by the other side. It was fairly amuseing so after a while I figured I would play the UN role and just shoot anybody that crossed the border.
But I did notice some strange behavior much like humans, one day in a gopher patch near the folks place. It was early spring and I had the 22-250 on the bipod resting on the box cover of the truck watching the gophers chase each other around. But it did not seem to be playful but much more vicious and territorial. Well after watching for a while I noticed that the was 2 distinct gophers in that field on the north side of the field all the Gophers had very distinct black tails. The ones on the south side of the field looked like regular ground squirels and it was like there was this imaginary line in the field. They would forray from one side of the field to the other and start a fight and be run off by the other side. It was fairly amuseing so after a while I figured I would play the UN role and just shoot anybody that crossed the border.
I recall reading that there about 30 different species of ground squirrels in North America - I've seen them on the banks of the Mackenzie River north of Norman Wells, but never 'gopher types' north of (roughly) Onoway in Alberta....not counting chipmunks, of course. I always thought their population had something to do with frost penetration, but maybe it's more related to soil types and the ease of digging. I've never seen a black ground squirrel, although I have seen (and shot) a pure black ground hog.
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canucklehead
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
I've shot untold THOUSANDS of RGS's, and never have seen a black one.
That being said, I have seen them resort to cannibalism early in the season if there is not enough grass. They devour eachother as fast as I can drop them! Three at a hole, plug one, and the other two are gorging themselves literally within SECONDS. Sick.
That being said, I have seen them resort to cannibalism early in the season if there is not enough grass. They devour eachother as fast as I can drop them! Three at a hole, plug one, and the other two are gorging themselves literally within SECONDS. Sick.
There are actually quite a few in that area. We see them there quite often.
The ones up here are black as coal, no brown at all.
Ted
