Manitoba Gopher/Ground Squirrel Hunting?

[Potshot21]

Howdy CGN,

Always wanted to try it, but have no idea how to go about it. Any local Manitoban CGNers that could help me out would be appreciated!

I'm a few hours drive East of the border in Ontario, but would love to take a few days in the summer to drive out and have some fun whacking gophers, looks like a riot with some rimfires.

Thanks!

 

[dan belisle]

Howdy CGN,

Always wanted to try it, but have no idea how to go about it. Any local Manitoban CGNers that could help me out would be appreciated!

I'm a few hours drive East of the border in Ontario, but would love to take a few days in the summer to drive out and have some fun whacking gophers, looks like a riot with some rimfires.

Thanks!

Used to shoot a lot of them down around the MB/SK border, near Sinclair area. Haven't been back for a while, but I doubt their numbers have fallen any. - dan

 

[cooey43]

I am in Ont. , but did it in southern SK. one yr. Any farmer is glad for you to kill those clitters.
They welcome you to do it , even buy your ammo. Go into any coffe shop in a small town & look for farmers.
They are all freindly.

 

[Grizzlypeg]

Best gopher areas in Manitoba tend to be nearer the Sask border. Dry conditions, well drained areas, short grass, tend to be the best. Cow pasture. I'm most familiar with the land from Deloraine west. My uncles used to farm that area, so I did a lot of gopher shooting as a kid.

 

[B-78]

I live in the parkland about 15 mins from the SK border. Have 4 pastures I shoot within 15 mins of my house. Gives me all the shooting I want.
If I drive an hr across the border to visit family I have two or three more fields to shoot there.
I enjoy shooting the little buggers but I prefer 20 and 22 cal centerfires. I use 222 or 223 reduced loads for the close ones and like to see how many I can hit at 250+.
The one thing about the parkland is if it is a wetter year the bugs can ruin a shoot in no time.

 

[Potshot21]

I am in Ont. , but did it in southern SK. one yr. Any farmer is glad for you to kill those clitters.
They welcome you to do it , even buy your ammo. Go into any coffe shop in a small town & look for farmers.
They are all freindly.

I've heard such stories of some happy farmers paying fellas for their ammo and all that, which really drives home what an issue the little devils must be. I'd just be happy for the opportunity to do some shooting and help out some fine folks.

I don't doubt that I could roll the dice and find a couple of fields to shoot on, I suppose I posted this looking to see if their were some fellow CGNers who knew a few guys or were maybe willing to meet up and go splat some gophers. I just want to have a bit of a plan put together before driving 12 hours and booking hotel rooms and such.

Thanks all!

 

[waldo54]

I have a number of farms locally here that I do gopher control for, l burn up anywhere from 2,500 + rounds a summer shooting gophers and they love it, as an added bonus every one of them said if you see any badgers plug them please and later on in the fall and winter if you want to hunt coyotes in the pastures fill your boots. Respect for property and their personal requests are very important and for the most part I do not drive out in the pastures, I walk and carry a little chair to sit on, I modified a bipod so it is adjustable and perfect height for shooting while sitting or I just shoot prone laying on the grass, I use 22LR, 17HMR, 17WSM and 17 hornet and at times my .223 depending on where I am shooting, the 17 HMR is my favorite, it's a CZ 452 Varmint and you can watch your hits in the scope, messes gophers up bad, gives the magpies and crows an easy start on dinner, I have over 10,000 rounds through it and it will still take the head off a gopher at 75 to 100 yards no problem, I am retired and it is my favorite summer hobby, the wife even tags along some days to give her trusty browning BL22 a workout.
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[apu]

Very little gopher activity for me in Southern Manitoba, but one of my very favorite things to do is post on my farm house deck with a cigar and rum and coke early on a summer's evening and wait for the wood chucks/whistle pigs to show up. Truly one of life's little pleasures.

 

[stubblejumper]

I have a number of farms locally here that I do gopher control for, l burn up anywhere from 2,500 + rounds a summer shooting gophers and they love it, as an added bonus every one of them said if you see any badgers plug them please and later on in the fall and winter if you want to hunt coyotes in the pastures fill your boots. Respect for property and their personal requests are very important and for the most part I do not drive out in the pastures, I walk and carry a little chair to sit on, I modified a bipod so it is adjustable and perfect height for shooting while sitting or I just shoot prone laying on the grass, I use 22LR, 17HMR, 17WSM and 17 hornet and at times my .223 depending on where I am shooting, the 17 HMR is my favorite, it's a CZ 452 Varmint and you can watch your hits in the scope, messes gophers up bad, gives the magpies and crows an easy start on dinner, I have over 10,000 rounds through it and it will still take the head off a gopher at 75 to 100 yards no problem, I am retired and it is my favorite summer hobby, the wife even tags along some days to give her trusty browning BL22 a workout.
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I had a few good fields within an hour, but they changed ownership, and the new owners either broke the pasture for crop, or they poisoned them. One was excellent, it ran uphill from the highway, so we could set up benches, and shoot against the hill, 100-250 yards.