Sask gopher action

F

Fassteel

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Well did the big drive to Swift Current this week. Met Prosper and Rickcat there thursday evening after shooting alone all day. Wow can't believe how many gophers they have there. I stayed in town and drove out 50 kms to the fields we had access to. If I had stopped to shoot all the gophers that I saw on the way, I'd never get to the fields. The farmer who's land we had access on couldn't have been a nicer fellow. Let us shoot any caliber we wished, and even offered free 22 ammo. I know that I shot more gophers in 3 days than I had in my whole life. I used 3 different 22's and my Hornet, and some 17 HMR as well. Just love the way that a Hornet gets gophers air born.
The wind was a real factor in the shooting and thus I did not try out my 223 or 204. There just wasn't any one spot that you could set up a bench a get in some longer range action. That said the close range 22 shooting was outstanding to say the least. Swift is a real nice town with a great selection for accomodation, and the shortest lines I've ever seen at a Tim's drive thur.
I'd be surprised if the others guys comments are not simular to mine. That are still there and plan to shoot till monday sometime. FS
A special thanks to Boomer who lined up the farmer contact for us.
 
Ph 2, Conditions are very dry and very windy, similar to Leth, but much windy'r.
All of our shooting took place i freshly seeded dirt fields, or over seeded barley stubble. We had an opportunity to shoot at gophers xs which was an hour and a bit south of where we were, just was not enough time to travel down his way, which I am sorry about because with a good size cattle operation he likely has some nice pasture that needs cleaning out.
Have you got a spot picked out already?
Regards FS
 
I just got back from South East of Swift Current a few hours ago ... We used a 17 HMR and I reckon that I'll throw my Ruger semi .22 into the river ... That 17 is impressive !!! Amazing ... They have only had one day of rain ( 1.2 inches) in the last 18 months so it is dry ... Zillions of gophers ... I was hunting 241 miles from my home in Lethbridge according to my funky GPS. All the gophers that one can possibly want to shoot over there ... I went primarily to see this kind of infestation ... and it was there ...
 
Met Fasteel in Swift Current, after touring down with Prosper and Redhouse...
Well, Fasteel was right....there were tons of gophers on the roads, and PLENTY of sign in the fields (holes and mounds) just not that many gophers. I couldn't see them running around like I had envisioned southern Sask to be. There were gophers to be shot for sure, it just wasn't me doing a lot of shooting. The ones I did see were VERY hard to make out against the colors of the crop stubble and earth. If they weren't standing or running they were almost invisible.

I took 18 bricks of .22, 380 rnds of .204 and 8 boxes of 12 ga.
I used about 800 rounds of .22 (quite a few misses) 30 rounds of .204 and about 5 shells of 12 ga. Prosper said he was into his 2nd brick of .22 by the end of the shoot.
Then we left Sunday night due to it clouding up and starting to drizzle, and we figured the shooting to be had the next morning til we stopped at 11am (so we could be on the road by noon) wasn't worth it if the fields were going to be mucky.

The wind and the fierce heat must have been keeping them down. We were talking to the owners wife one of the evenings and she said the wind was hitting 70 kph that day. :mad: Also, plus 26 and more wasn't helping. The best shooting times were in the morning when it was cooler.
Hehehe...sitting in my chair around 7:30am listening to the bacon sizzling in the pan with my coffee and a pair of binoculars spotting for Redhouse and his Savage(?) bolt .22 trying to pop gophers out at 175 yards. Great hilarity lol. He got a couple too.

And yes, thanks to Fastseel for setting up the shoot, (*and the great deer steaks* :D) and to the land owner who indeed had no problem with us using any caliber we wanted AND for the offer of the free ammo. He said he bought 50,000 rounds of .22 for this summer.

just got back from South East of Swift Current a few hours ago ... We used a 17 HMR and I reckon that I'll throw my Ruger semi .22 into the river
Click to expand...
I'm reckoning the same, but not cause I have a .17 :rolleyes: I'm thinking I'm gonna buy a new bushnell scope for it and if that doesn't help its going on the EE.

First morning in camp
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t269/Rick65Cat/Gun Stuff/?action=view&current=Gopher1.jpg

Two watching me watching them...(go to full size picture)
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t269/Rick65Cat/Gun Stuff/?action=view&current=Gopher5.jpg

Looking over my Squires Bingham
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t269/Rick65Cat/Gun Stuff/?action=view&current=Gopher4.jpg

.204'd at 20 yards in camp
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t269/Rick65Cat/Gun Stuff/?action=view&current=Gopher3.jpg

Crash involving a gopher and a .204 (gopher was killed in the crash)
http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t269/Rick65Cat/Gun Stuff/?action=view&current=Gopher2.jpg

It was an experience for sure.
 
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I was in Sask on the long weekend. The gophers were there but it was too windy for them to stand up much. I saw lots on the trip back though....ah well better luck next time.

the chef
 
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