Gopher Hunting - Advice Requested

Well if we had as much space as one of your provinces then we probably would have the same scale of problems. I have taken part in a lamping session from a 4wd pick up on a golf course one night. 250 in 2 hours with my mate picking them all by hand. The shooters family owns a butchers shop!
Up on the downs around Beachy head where shooting is banned at night your headlights sweep aound the curves and whole fields of 50 ish acres or more reflect rabbit eyes then get up and move!
 
You guys make me jelious. I have a 40 acre pasture, and have shot 2 all year. My little cousin has shot over 500 in her pasture near Burstal, and you guys are talking about numbers over 1500! We have a nest of hawks and a badger...which brings me to my question: are badgers ok to shoot if they are tearing up a pasture? I'm never sure of which Birds/Preditors/Rodents have seasons and which are good year round. Where can I source this info? Thanks

Edit: The cats love the gophers, but check them for mites/ticks/etc as they carry rabies and you'd hate to have to see one of your animals go through that.

Also, if the "gophers" around here are actualy RGS's, then what are the "sand hill gophers" near burstal? (they have a sort of dimond and stripe patern on their back)

Again thanks for the info
 
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Its a good thing to fully understand and recognise your quarry even if they are agricultural vermin.
Something that is drilled into us here as we shoot a lot of our pests at night!
 
Wilfred said:
We have a nest of hawks and a badger...which brings me to my question: are badgers ok to shoot if they are tearing up a pasture? I'm never sure of which Birds/Preditors/Rodents have seasons and which are good year round. Where can I source this info? Thanks
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You can find out about the season dates / species that you're allowed to hunt in the annual "Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations." It's free at Canadian Tire, etc. Page 52 of the 2006 version is what you're looking for. It' says that you're (an Alberta resident) allowed to hunt (but not trap) badger on privately owned land that you have the right of access to year round. Page 56 has the info on birds that you can hunt with and without a hunting license.
 
We have a rule, 150 yds or less must be rimfire, 150 yds plus whatever your pleasure. Just getting ready for Saturday, 360 rounds of 6Br, 33.5 gr of Varget pushing a 70 gr SMK @ 3400 fps :evil: . We have acess to 300 acres witha good backstop. There is a possibility of 1200 yd shots but the average is 300-400. Last year the furthest was 730 yds:D . This is a great way to spend the weekend.
 
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