Gopher time

[Got Juice?]

As someone from an urban area it interested me. Read they like to make tunnels, so I figured they were a nuisance.

Yes, their tunnels are bad enough... but when a Badger or Wolverine comes in to the field to start killing (and they do go on a spree) the holes they make can be 3 feet across. I have seen new haybines etc wrecked to the tune of 15,000.00 damage from hitting one of those holes wrong.

You better believe farmers/ranchers love us.

I missed one season for a rancher who is most particular on who he allows on his land. And he was literally begging me to come out. I dragged my carcass out, and spent 3 solid days in the fields. 978 the first day, 425 the next, a231 after that, and it really knocks them down... and the next year, i was only picking high 250's out of the field.

Eventually enough pressure was placed on them so they moved to a neighbors place that allows NO FIREARMS on his land at all.

You will never guess who has already called me this year, as his equipment took a disatrous beating last year. Those field mechanic trucks and mechanics ain't cheap when you have to call them in ASAP because your crop has to come off the field.

Love my 'Job' some farmers even kick in a few bucks for ammo costs. But in reality most do not. What they do though, is get me up to the house for a shower and hot meal, and that in itself is reason enough to keep it up

 

[KDX]

If it saves one cow from a broken leg, all is good. Also feeds the scavengers.

They are cannibals and eat their own dead.

 

[Got Juice?]

They are cannibals and eat their own dead.

Zombie Gophers must be treated with extreme prejudice.

 

[Suther]

Y'all make me so jealous. Wish we had those little fkkers around these parts but they don't seem to be a problem west of the Rockies...

 

[Got Juice?]

Y'all make me so jealous. Wish we had those little fkkers around these parts but they don't seem to be a problem west of the Rockies...

They sure are West of the rockies.

Nelson, Balfour, Cranbrook, all the way up until the okanagan where it is very dry.


But you folks do have marmots....

 

[ssapach]

Some areas are horribly overrun, our area isn't so bad. I consider this somewhat lucky and unfortunate at the same time.

The little buggers can sure do a number on a new crop just coming out of the ground. They love canola as well. A small herd of gophers can create quite a bare spot in no time.

They are stupid in the early spring, so stupid I literally reached out and grabbed one on the snow.

 

[deadman]

Some areas are horribly overrun, our area isn't so bad. I consider this somewhat lucky and unfortunate at the same time.

The little buggers can sure do a number on a new crop just coming out of the ground. They love canola as well. A small herd of gophers can create quite a bare spot in no time.

They are stupid in the early spring, so stupid I literally reached out and grabbed one on the snow.

That is a true "WTF" look in his eyes.

 

[surfclod]

I was once told that it takes 8-10 gophers to "eat down" a pasture as much as a single cow. In wet years its not that noticeable but in a dry year it really limits the number of cows a pasture can sustain. Especially considering that gophers stay in one area all season long, never giving the grass a chance to recover. As opposed to cattle being "rotated" in various pastures as they eat one area, the others are recovering.

We never had much problem in crop land back when I was on the home farm but I know some current farmers really notice a huge loss in grain yield in area's with gophers.

At a friends farm one such canola field we were shooting in they wiped out 5-7% of the young plants. Thats a loss of $2-3k on a quarter section, but preventable if you knock down the numbers early in the season.

Its such a real economic thing that when I go visit in the springtime, they give me boxes of HMR ammo (courtesy of the farm).

 

[Got Juice?]

Some areas are horribly overrun, our area isn't so bad. I consider this somewhat lucky and unfortunate at the same time.

The little buggers can sure do a number on a new crop just coming out of the ground. They love canola as well. A small herd of gophers can create quite a bare spot in no time.

They are stupid in the early spring, so stupid I literally reached out and grabbed one on the snow.

That pic is hilarious. He just woke up for a pee, and was nabbed in the act.

 

[grelmar]

Do you guys do it for pest control or for the fun of it?

Bit of both.

They can really do a number on both pastures and crops. I've seen 20-30 acre patches of canola turned into moonscape in just a couple of weeks as an unchecked gopher population moved from an acreager's pasture into a farmer's field next door. There was some lively discussion with the fresh from the city acreager who refused to do pest control and just wanted to "live in harmony" with nature.

Fortunately, the acreager wasn't an idiot, just naive, and allowed other's to varmint on his property after that, and had his own PAL and .22 the next year.

Even on land where people try and keep on top of it, things can get out of hand. One pasture I shoot on annually, had some kind of weird population explosion due to a mild winter and early spring, and possibly some other factors. When I went to work it a few year ago, I sat in one spot, and shot just under 150 of them within a 60 yard radius... In a little over 1 hour. I've hit numbers like that in other places, but not usually someplace that gets worked at least once or twice a year.

As for enjoyment... Well, wandering around the open prairie on a sunny day, doing a bit of what amounts to target practice, and at the same time helping out farmers and ranchers I know or am related too... Yah, that's a pretty nice way to spend a spring/early summer afternoon. Reminds me of when I was a kid, and my cousin and I would spend days at a time wandering around the prairie "checking fences" and shooting gophers. When you're 9-13 years old, being trusted with a rifle and a pocketful of ammo, and left to wander freely with a jug of wander and a bagged sandwich, with not an adult (or other living soul) within view for miles around... That was a feeling a pure freedom that kids today just don't get to have.

 

[Got Juice?]

As for enjoyment... Well, wandering around the open prairie on a sunny day, doing a bit of what amounts to target practice, and at the same time helping out farmers and ranchers I know or am related too... Yah, that's a pretty nice way to spend a spring/early summer afternoon. Reminds me of when I was a kid, and my cousin and I would spend days at a time wandering around the prairie "checking fences" and shooting gophers. When you're 9-13 years old, being trusted with a rifle and a pocketful of ammo, and left to wander freely with a jug of wander and a bagged sandwich, with not an adult (or other living soul) within view for miles around... That was a feeling a pure freedom that kids today just don't get to have.

Do I hear an AMEN to that?

My Nephew is coming over to out little ranch to work for his meals this summer, should prove interesting as he has been citified for 17 years in Vancouver.

A culture shocking will take place I garantee it.

Then again, if you don't know any black sheep in your family.. it's probably you.

That being the case, he will be treated to varminting, boating, waterskiing, fishing, ATV trails, and hiking and mtn biking.

For work it will be ranching, fence fixing, farm maintenance, equipment repair and maintenance, learning how to process a chicken for dinner (from henhouse to our plates in 2 hours) and a few other life realities that city folk cannot experience.

I can't wait. Being the Dark Uncle has its benefits.

And if he is EXTRA EXTRA good, I'll even give him the wifi password.

Last time he was here, no internet, no TV, it was great.

 

[AikiNut]

Was chatting this morning with some of the university students I coach and oddly enough NONE were upset about the descriptions of gopher shooting. The only male in the crowd told me about a good place to go gophering... Alberta crowd...

 

[Planetmail 12]

Do I hear an AMEN to that?

My Nephew is coming over to out little ranch to work for his meals this summer, should prove interesting as he has been citified for 17 years in Vancouver.

A culture shocking will take place I garantee it.

Then again, if you don't know any black sheep in your family.. it's probably you.

That being the case, he will be treated to varminting, boating, waterskiing, fishing, ATV trails, and hiking and mtn biking.

For work it will be ranching, fence fixing, farm maintenance, equipment repair and maintenance, learning how to process a chicken for dinner (from henhouse to our plates in 2 hours) and a few other life realities that city folk cannot experience.

I can't wait. Being the Dark Uncle has its benefits.

And if he is EXTRA EXTRA good, I'll even give him the wifi password.

Last time he was here, no internet, no TV, it was great.

Do you take kids for summer camp?

 

[Got Juice?]

Do you take kids for summer camp?

LMAO, depends on how much they eat.... wait a second.... I do have that gopher stew recipie.....

I have occasionally taken in young adults who need some structure, but very rarely. Mostly fam friends etc.

 

[Maple57]

This thread reminds me of the old days when I could hunt with my AR15A2 Delta Hbar and 30 round mags, before they became restricted.

26 grains of Win 748 and 69 Grain SMKs from a 1:7 twist barrel... Those were the days.

 

[CdnCollector420]

If anyone near Saskatoon needs some help clearing these guys around the property, I'd be willing to come and help