Hi, it is the season, so share your colorful stories from gopher hunts. I had something happen to me last weekend that I had not seen before. I got two with one shot, not all that uncommon for this time of year. Except for the fact that I got 2 that were about 3 feet apart and not in perfect alignment. They were probably about 8-10" out of alignment. I shot the front one and the rear one fell too. I just looked through my scope for a second or two and couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. Probably never happen again but realy cool to see. What does everyone else have to share for stories? Later.
Gopher hunt stories
- Thread starter 10mark22
- Start date
Shooting two with one shot when they aren't right beside each other has happened to me a few times too. You're right, it's hard to believe it can happen!
The most memerable gopher kill for me was one that my buddy shot with a 22-250... the gopher went about 20 feet into the air. I've never seen a gopher launch so high and I've shot a lot of them over the years.
Farlsincharge
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
So there I was, on the ground and dazed. Unsure of where I was or why I tried to get my bearings. I got to my knees and then immediatly fell back. I was surrounded, had they seen me? they must have. I started to formulate a plan as to how I could escape. I slowly raised my head and had a look around, there must have been a hundred of em. There was a narrow grid road about 200 yards away on my 5 o'clock position, which at this point I could only assume was west. As I panned some more I noticed that even though there were a lot of em, they seemed highly disorganized. I might just have a chance. I reached around and gathered some rocks, then I waited for my opportunity. While I was waiting I remembered a documentary on gophers I had seen as a kid, the host had mentioned that they were more scared of you than you are of them. This gave me the courage to begin my retreat. I scrambled up from my position and began running and throwing rocks at anything that moved, the whole time screaming in a language unbeknownst to me. I managed to make it to the road and I still don't know to this day how many I killed, but the memories of that day will stay with me for the rest of my life. I only hope I am better prepared if I am to ever find myself in a similar situation again.
Seriously though, I grew up on the praries and kill anywhere from 1-5000 a year depending on time. I have hit them with my .223 and had them go about 5ft. I hope one day to see one go 20 that would be awesome. I think the best would have to be clearing 3 or 4 babies off a mound with the 12 gauge. They should sell that experience to city people as a stress reliever.
Seriously though, I grew up on the praries and kill anywhere from 1-5000 a year depending on time. I have hit them with my .223 and had them go about 5ft. I hope one day to see one go 20 that would be awesome. I think the best would have to be clearing 3 or 4 babies off a mound with the 12 gauge. They should sell that experience to city people as a stress reliever.
I've hit a few with my .223 that have hit the 6 foot mark in height, but never 20!
The other day I was out with my .22 using CCI Blasers and I had not one but 3 double kills, and each time the second one hit was about 5 degrees left or right of the first gopher hit.
I have a friend who took 2 deer with one shot from his .270 once. He has a few witnesses too believe it or not. Unbelievable, eh?
Next on my list of gopher assault is M1 Garand vs. gopher and 303 Lee Enfield with 174 gra HP bullets vs. gopher.
The other day I was out with my .22 using CCI Blasers and I had not one but 3 double kills, and each time the second one hit was about 5 degrees left or right of the first gopher hit.
I have a friend who took 2 deer with one shot from his .270 once. He has a few witnesses too believe it or not. Unbelievable, eh?
Next on my list of gopher assault is M1 Garand vs. gopher and 303 Lee Enfield with 174 gra HP bullets vs. gopher.
I met the toughest gopher in the world today.
Shot it once at 50 yards with the 22.
He fell down, band flop style....i started walking towards him to see if there were any others around him, he got up and started running down my tire tracks, so i shouldered my 10/22 and nailed him again on the run...wow...tough mother ****** i thought....got within 10 yards, he got up again! this time running towards me, i scream like a girl and stomp on him...he must be dead by now....no. poor fella so i shot him about 3 inches away in the body...he tried to get up again!! this thing was super gopher. took 4 40gr HPs from the 10/22 to kill it...
All in all it was a good afternoon, grass is damn tall though....need to find some cattle fields...
Shot it once at 50 yards with the 22.
He fell down, band flop style....i started walking towards him to see if there were any others around him, he got up and started running down my tire tracks, so i shouldered my 10/22 and nailed him again on the run...wow...tough mother ****** i thought....got within 10 yards, he got up again! this time running towards me, i scream like a girl and stomp on him...he must be dead by now....no. poor fella so i shot him about 3 inches away in the body...he tried to get up again!! this thing was super gopher. took 4 40gr HPs from the 10/22 to kill it...
All in all it was a good afternoon, grass is damn tall though....need to find some cattle fields...
Sounds like you were using Velocitors - and that's shocking, too. Confirm/deny?
Gopher Hunting
Southern Manitoba.........two miles west of town.
I noticed a few gophers around a dug out, and kept it in mind. The dug out is surrounded by a fence, and the area is 125 yards by 120 yards.
Just for the heck of it, I kept score on this one shooting PD town. Since this spring, the number is 187 gophers, and there are always more when I come by it. I shoot it once a week, then leave it rest.
There are areas in south western Saskatchewan where the farmers can not get crop insurance because of the Gophers. Many of the farmers would provide ammunition and a place to camp if you wanted. I spent three days over there this year, and went through almost five cartons of ammo. This was on a friend's farm, and he provided a bed and meals, so I figured I could afford to supply the ammo.
Only drawback was that he later told me there was a heck of a smell of decaying gophers for about four days after I left.
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Southern Manitoba.........two miles west of town.
I noticed a few gophers around a dug out, and kept it in mind. The dug out is surrounded by a fence, and the area is 125 yards by 120 yards.
Just for the heck of it, I kept score on this one shooting PD town. Since this spring, the number is 187 gophers, and there are always more when I come by it. I shoot it once a week, then leave it rest.
There are areas in south western Saskatchewan where the farmers can not get crop insurance because of the Gophers. Many of the farmers would provide ammunition and a place to camp if you wanted. I spent three days over there this year, and went through almost five cartons of ammo. This was on a friend's farm, and he provided a bed and meals, so I figured I could afford to supply the ammo.
Only drawback was that he later told me there was a heck of a smell of decaying gophers for about four days after I left.
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I was out one time with my Marlin lever 357 mag. I hit a fatty at 50 yards next to a fence post. My friend was video taping and the gopher launched 2 feet above the fence post. So I guess that would be close to 8 feet in the air.
Another time while shooting a 223, I watched a friend line up 2 gophers on a mound chowing down on thier brother (bait) who we recently killed. The bullet smacked the first and second gopher very well and then the shrapnel nailed a 3rd gopher who just so happen to be an innocent bystander.
Another time while shooting a 223, I watched a friend line up 2 gophers on a mound chowing down on thier brother (bait) who we recently killed. The bullet smacked the first and second gopher very well and then the shrapnel nailed a 3rd gopher who just so happen to be an innocent bystander.
and then the shrapnel nailed a 3rd gopher who just so happen to be an innocent bystander.
Is there such a thing, by gophers?
on saturday we were nailing them out to 150 with a 10/22 with just a regular 2.5-10 power scope. i shot one a few years ago with my 7 mag, 100 gr hollow point, 76.5 gr RL 22 shot at less than 10 yds and it got to be twice as high as my jeep tj so gotta be close to 14 feet
About 10 years ago we had a canola field that was absolutely over run. They actually cleared a strip about 50 yards wide and half a mile long. Anywhere it bordered the pasture. I ran a custom crop sprayer at the time and was on a sort of modified night shift to stay out of the wind. as such I had really nothing better to do most days than shoot gophers. By mid July it was actually getting boring. If it was under 150 yards, and I pulled the trigger on my 10/22, a gopher (or two) died. Pure and simple.
One day I honest to god missed at about 40 feet,, but the gopher was absolutely ripped apart!
It took me a minute to realize what had happened.
I missed the gopher, but hit a rock and "bounced" the bullet into the now very dead gopher.
I thought "Cool! I wonder If I can do that again?" So I spent the rest of that summer waiting for gophers to line up just so with rocks. After a while you could guess pretty well if you would hit it, if the rock was within 3 feet or so of it...
That was my "Summer of 12,000 rounds"... God I miss the farm sometimes!
One day I honest to god missed at about 40 feet,, but the gopher was absolutely ripped apart!
It took me a minute to realize what had happened.
I missed the gopher, but hit a rock and "bounced" the bullet into the now very dead gopher.
I thought "Cool! I wonder If I can do that again?" So I spent the rest of that summer waiting for gophers to line up just so with rocks. After a while you could guess pretty well if you would hit it, if the rock was within 3 feet or so of it...
That was my "Summer of 12,000 rounds"... God I miss the farm sometimes!
Farlsincharge
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Striped Gophers, when I was a kid I always wanted one as a pet.
