Gopher talk

I went out scouting my spot in between Wainwright and Edmonton today. Last fall there were massive numbers of the critters prior to some of the locals poisoning them. I was able to hear some today but never saw any. I hope some made it.
 
krchov said:
last year in west central Saskatchewan gophers were very scarce
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Where is your west central area. I shot one pasture up for 4 days 4 hours at a time last summer and I still know of a bunch of farmers that gave me the ok to shoot for this year. Got new guns and a bunch of ammo ready to go. Even the 22-250 will come out this year thanks to Prophet for the ammo at a great price.
 
Hey at least you westerners have a chance at shooting these little varmints... Near to where I live I can shoot big fat Groundhogs, but usually it's maybe one or two per trip. Best day was six, but that'll probably never happen again.

'Went for a day of prairie dog hunting last August in Colorado...
In four hours I took 95 shots.

Talk about a target rich enviroment

Here's a pic of a field near where I was in CO.
'Notice all the lighter colored dots... Each one of those dots is a prairie dog mound...
I bet that one field was teaming with hundreds of targets.

 
Last year I shot a dozen gophers on a small property using CCi Segmented HP. They really are effective, just be aware that the bullet breaks into three pieces and those pieces can and will fly a long way. I shot a few gophers at 25 yards and 100 yards away segments came rolling off the barn roof. I use them now only in wide open spaces.
 
We have a family ranch in sask where I go for wakeboarding and gopher shooting. We shot 100 gophers in half an hour there once (on one hill). Good times. Unfortunately I will be stuck on van island for the summer so I won't be shooting any gophers this year :(
 
I would give a lot to have some good-ole gopher shootin times again! Hot summer day, not a sound except for the constant whistling and the bang bang bang of 3 semi-autos. Best day- 3 guys, 2 hours, death toll-140. That was about 10 years ago. Now? Not a chance. A handful at most. I can't even run them over on the road any more. Even that was entertaining. Sigh.
 
I think my best shooting was about 60 rds in a couple hrs. We've never really had THAT many gophers on our land.

That was 60 rds of 22-250, some shots had multiple kills too.

I don't like shooting gophers with other people. Most people I know have semi-autos and they think the object is to rapid fire until they hit something. Then they brag about being the one who hit it........sorry, I don't think any of you hit it, but just scared it away.

I want quiet so I can test my longer range abilities.
 
ssapach said:
I think my best shooting was about 60 rds in a couple hrs. We've never really had THAT many gophers on our land.

That was 60 rds of 22-250, some shots had multiple kills too.

I don't like shooting gophers with other people. Most people I know have semi-autos and they think the object is to rapid fire until they hit something. Then they brag about being the one who hit it........sorry, I don't think any of you hit it, but just scared it away.

I want quiet so I can test my longer range abilities.
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I go back and forth about going out alone or going with buddies (actually, usually cousins). Some days, I just want to wander around all day under the prairie sun taking shots here and there. I can be quite a "zen" sorta thing.

Other days, there's something to be said about parking the truck in the middle of the field with a cousin you've been out shooting with for 35+ years, and giving each other the gears about every missed shot when both of you have your favorite, most accurate .22, or the pair of you going full retard together and mag dumping semi-autos and not hitting much, and laughing like heck about it. Or pulling out centerfire hunting rifles to blast the little turds to kingdom come, and burning through $100 worth of ammo in short order, because it's just that kinda day.

Gophers were put on this earth so that us rednecks would have something to do on a hot summer day.
 
Last couple of years my pal and I shot over 400 gophers (between the 2 of us) sitting in lawn chairs in one afternoon at a Rancher friend's place. Actually have 3 spots to go to this year, all over an hours drive out of town. They should be coming out very soon as its like 15 degrees all week and no snow. Have to start making phone calls. No. I'm not sharing. Sorry. Is that a double negative?
 
Brocolt said:
since we are talking gophers. what is a good bullet to use on gophers for rimfire .22lr that will help turn them inside out? or are you guys using anything you can get these days?
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i like a 300 WinMag ... Then I don't have to go pick them up, they sort of evaporate ... But to keep costs u dear Congol ... Use a 22 when possible
 
Was out yesterday. Windy as ####, gophers were keeping a low profile, hard to see in the dead grass. Got just over 20, lots of moving around on the quarter. Using 555, some blow out the exit, some don't. Going to try some Waltz die modded hp's next time.
 
I'm heading back to beautiful Alberta a month early so i won't miss out on gopher hunting.... This year i'm going to be trying out my new Savage b-mag .17 WSM on those little b*stards...

Here's a pic of one that was the first kill ever for my Mini 14 stainless 582 last year...

 
if anyone around the Saskatoon area needs some help taking out gophers, I would gladly help. haven't gone shooting in three or four years. my marlin has been ignored for far too long
 
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