Went out to make a stand for coyotes at one of my favorite spots. Called in a pair but they winded me and would not stop. Shot the farthest one on the run but hit it a bit far back. By the time I reloaded and finished off the first, the second one made it into the bushes. Being content to have a coyote down I was happily heading home when I looked in the pasture and could not believe what I was seeing. Gophers out and running around in November. The first time in 50+ years off gopher shooting that I have shot them in November. Maybe they are out in other parts of the country but I have never seen them this late where I live (northwestern Manitoba).
November gophers
- Thread starter B-78
- Start date
I'm in the north west area. (Swan River) I have shot them in the snow as early as the end of Feb. but never in Nov. Usually we have some snow on the ground and ice is forming on the sloughs and lakes by now. Still a pile of geese around right now as there is lots of open water. Suppose to be +10 here today so if I get a chance I will go look for a few more. I will probably take out one of my rifles chambered in 204 loaded with V-Max bullets. Would have shot more gophers the other day but did not want to waste the 35gr Bergers that I had with me for coyotes.
Thunderhog
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootneys
Where is here?.......
Thunderhog
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootneys
We started shooting gophers near Claresholm, Alberta. It was May 10th and 11th, of this year, 2024. Was close to 40 degrees Celsius. We shot 142 gophers, the farmer had gone out the week before and shot over 350. Hence, they were spooky as all get out. We worked hard for those 142 confirmed kills.....
The farmer stated they come out in late February while there is still snow patches all around. They stay up until mid October, weather permitting of course.
Our BC gophers (Columbian Ground Squirrels), come up approximately mid April and are gone by August 5th. Or at least in the Okanagan and the East Kootenays. The Yellow Bellied Marmots are out in March and can be seen until September Long Weekend.
Our current BC laws do not allow us to shoot badgers, yet we see a fair number of them near Cranbrook. I have no idea why the Alberta gophers (Richardson Ground Squirrels), are so tough and come out so early and stay up so late. I wish Alberta Fish & Wildlife would live trap badgers out there and release them here in BC.
In some areas the gophers are exploding to record levels, more badgers would level this out somewhat, I would think.
Either way, there nothing more satisfying then shooting gophers, it builds excellent shooting skills and the hawks, ravens and some eagles actually follow us around and wait for the free meals we provide. I pile them up on top of the gopher mounds and the birds of prey come down to feed on the harvest. There is one Red Tailed Hawk that follows me every time she hears me shooting. She waits in a tree about 40 yards away. We have become friends, LOL. I talk to her while I pile up the gophers on the mounds. As soon as I drive away, she flies down to eat them.
We use 17 Mach 2 rimfire rifles, it blows them up like a 17 HMR. I've checked the gopher bodies for lead, copper fragments, the Hornady V-Max bullets out of the 17 Mach 2 seem to explode like a grenade once they impact the vermin. Never a trace of any fragments. I don't want the birds of prey eating any lead or copper.....
The farmer stated they come out in late February while there is still snow patches all around. They stay up until mid October, weather permitting of course.
Our BC gophers (Columbian Ground Squirrels), come up approximately mid April and are gone by August 5th. Or at least in the Okanagan and the East Kootenays. The Yellow Bellied Marmots are out in March and can be seen until September Long Weekend.
Our current BC laws do not allow us to shoot badgers, yet we see a fair number of them near Cranbrook. I have no idea why the Alberta gophers (Richardson Ground Squirrels), are so tough and come out so early and stay up so late. I wish Alberta Fish & Wildlife would live trap badgers out there and release them here in BC.
In some areas the gophers are exploding to record levels, more badgers would level this out somewhat, I would think.
Either way, there nothing more satisfying then shooting gophers, it builds excellent shooting skills and the hawks, ravens and some eagles actually follow us around and wait for the free meals we provide. I pile them up on top of the gopher mounds and the birds of prey come down to feed on the harvest. There is one Red Tailed Hawk that follows me every time she hears me shooting. She waits in a tree about 40 yards away. We have become friends, LOL. I talk to her while I pile up the gophers on the mounds. As soon as I drive away, she flies down to eat them.
We use 17 Mach 2 rimfire rifles, it blows them up like a 17 HMR. I've checked the gopher bodies for lead, copper fragments, the Hornady V-Max bullets out of the 17 Mach 2 seem to explode like a grenade once they impact the vermin. Never a trace of any fragments. I don't want the birds of prey eating any lead or copper.....
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Thunderhog
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootneys
Cool, thanks!.....
