Gophers

Got another 3 today. Just cruising on the dualsport. Papoose is nice but does take a while to get out of the bag and put together, then load. Most shots at 100m and a few at 50m. Got a Simmons 4X on it. No young ones out yet, just last years experienced ones. Very spooked. Must have been shot at before. Found a spot with lots of fresh holes so I know they're out there but just didn't want to come out and play.
 
Just sighted in the SR-22 at 50M and 308 for 100M. Next trip I hope to get to the farm and try the 223 and SR-22 on some hogs. Didn't see many last year and none where I'm permitted to shoot.
 
Zen_Seeker said:
Just sighted in the SR-22 at 50M and 308 for 100M. Next trip I hope to get to the farm and try the 223 and SR-22 on some hogs. Didn't see many last year and none where I'm permitted to shoot.
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Tomorrow is groundhog outing #2 for me...but the first one was about a month ago and we got 2. Seems winter came back in between, but 20C tomorrow and sunny! I plan on making the most of it!
 
^

where do you guys go in Ontario to shoot them.

Conservation area near me has a lot of them ,they sure make a mess of the land when they go unchecked. Also there are some soccer fields that are infested with them kind of a shame to see the land dug up but people would hang you around here if you hurt them.
 
shms said:
^

where do you guys go in Ontario to shoot them.
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My father has a farm I go to at times but it's unreliable due to rented fields and horses being out half the time. I'm lucky if I get to shoot there twice a year for groundhogs. In the past I've had other farms I could go to but that was years ago and now that I'm getting back into shooting I'm keeping my eyes open for places to ask permission. I target shoot on crown land once in a while but that's 90+ minutes away, farms 3 hours away, so either option ends up being an all day event once you pack, setup, shoot, repack, head home, unpack. Still, a bad day of shooting is better than a good day of work.
 
New pasture for me today. Pretty small and wall to wall cows. Farmer says there's gophers out there, don't shoot cows. Kinda lost count after 10 cause I was wearing shoes. Didn't get more than about 20. Forgot my whistle and counter.
 
metalbender said:
New pasture for me today. Pretty small and wall to wall cows. Farmer says there's gophers out there, don't shoot cows. Kinda lost count after 10 cause I was wearing shoes. Didn't get more than about 20. Forgot my whistle and counter.
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Aint those things great???

Often it makes the gopher stick his head up just enough to get a clear shot.

I think I am on my 4th one now. Darn things are to easy to loose.


Got three more gophers while working on Thursday.

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Heard some as I drove past today but didn't have time to stop and accommodate them.
 
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I shot another 17 Friday, a very slow day, but I did manage a crow at about 180 yards as a bonus. That is my farthest crow kill to date with a rimfire. It's time to go speak to some more landowners , and secure some more permission, as my current fields are pretty much shot out.
 
At my fathers they are the size of small dogs or really large cats. I figured out long ago that you could get 3 or 4 if you waited a second after hitting the first. Some will pop up and look around after the first shot. Then if you make a high pitch whistle another one or two will pop up to look around. Back in the day I wasn't allowed to use a 22LR so I used my 30-06. My father thought it was more humane and no chance one would just get wounded. He was right. They pretty much got turned inside out!

Going to give him a call this week and see if I can bribe him with a bottle of rye for a day or over night shoot. (Stepmother doesn't like firearms but works in the city so sneak visits is all I get these days.)
 
Zen_Seeker said:
At my fathers they are the size of small dogs or really large cats. I figured out long ago that you could get 3 or 4 if you waited a second after hitting the first. Some will pop up and look around after the first shot. Then if you make a high pitch whistle another one or two will pop up to look around. Back in the day I wasn't allowed to use a 22LR so I used my 30-06. My father thought it was more humane and no chance one would just get wounded. He was right. They pretty much got turned inside out!

Going to give him a call this week and see if I can bribe him with a bottle of rye for a day or over night shoot. (Stepmother doesn't like firearms but works in the city so sneak visits is all I get these days.)
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If you are telling us that ground squirrels are the size of really large cats, you must be drinking that rye on the way to your father's place.:)
 
Mind me asking where you head out to for gophers metalbender? I've been going to a friends farm between McLean and Indian head with few showing themselves for the irons or scope, there are a couple badgers there I'd like to get though.
 
Was down south near Pincher Creek to a friends ranch. 2 of us only got 50 in about 8 hours in one large 20 acre field. Last year we shot 150 close to there. Gophers don't seem as plentiful this year.
 
scoprius said:
Mind me asking where you head out to for gophers metalbender? I've been going to a friends farm between McLean and Indian head with few showing themselves for the irons or scope, there are a couple badgers there I'd like to get though.
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Good gopher patch locations aren't something usually just given out all willy nilly. I'm a little po'd I asked my buddy out who hardly ever shoots, and he brought another guy with him who only brought a 22-250 with about 20 bullets, and complained that we couldn't just drive around and shoot them out the window. It's right by a farm and every year I ask permission. I'm worried now he's going to head back out there and drive around shooting up the country side and ruining my permission. It's the last time I invite anyone without being absolutely sure who is coming.
 
Thanks langbanger. I have no problem telling people where I go fishing, even lures that work for me. When it comes to gopher pastures, doing footwork and getting known to farmers takes a bit. Very seldom I take someone out, and at that only a relative.
 
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