Where to hunt Gophers in AB?
- Thread starter Mysticprecision
- Start date
I think that’s my 3 one with the 410, one with the 20 gauge. Up around the feed bunch it’s easy to get close to them. But yeah 410 ammo is crazy expensive these days
Big bore dinosaur
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- NORT OF COW.TOWN.EH
Up by morning side. Me and my gopher gunnie wing man. Warning shot chunk
Got some nice tropy size gophers . Big dark males collecting food. Notice to teen size gohpers out..
Not the usual babbies poking out this time a year.
Got some nice tropy size gophers . Big dark males collecting food. Notice to teen size gohpers out..
Not the usual babbies poking out this time a year.
I thought my ears were ringing? lol I've seen 13/Columbian and Richardson's all on the same day in SW Ab but the 13 stripe were only in one field and not a lot of them. Not a lot of Richardsons in that field either btw. Anyway, I instinctively touched a shot off on one and missed before realizing it wasn't just a small Richardson, then in that field....stopped looking for the 13s altogether. Spotted a few more, but they were cool looking...in small #s and to be perfectly honest, more restless and probably a harder target.
Always wondered if the 13s exist in problematic numbers anywhere-guess I have that answer.
Richardsons are basically the targets 100% of the time
Always wondered if the 13s exist in problematic numbers anywhere-guess I have that answer.
Richardsons are basically the targets 100% of the time
- Location
- AB foothills
I think I killed close to 60 13 stripers last year in my yard alone. They come in from the fields obviously. They are very hard to get rid of once you have enough of them. They are a PITA. Just like giant mice, they get into and under everything.
What makes them hard to get rid of? Is it their small size or constant moving or both? Im curious and basically know nothing about them and only seen the pics posted on here. They look kindah cool but like red squirrels and chipmunks here in Ontario, they can be a PITA but fun whacking with the PCP gun.
I know one answer might be....? The ones I saw literally wouldn't sit still for more than 2 seconds and often less than that. Smaller, darker/blending in and when they disappear in the grass and reappear, it's usually further away than you think it's gonna be. They can cover ground quick for their size. Cagey lol
In a field a few kms away (in contrast) we were making 120-ish yard shots with the 22s (Richardsons only) with major wind a constant factor. Couldn't even hold the reticle on the target with the gusts...but we were shooting down into an Alberta-brown valley, a seeded field early June that the gophers had already written off. I will admit that it sometimes took more than 10 rounds to make contact but never 20..lol Point being, even in the heat/mirage/wind/dust...we could still clearly see the near misses that peppered the gophers with dust/pebbles. We were shooting into the wind naturally so the misses were all upwind...it was something to see. Bang......"poof" and the gopher sits-up and dusts itself off but doesn't move. Cycle/repeat...gopher doesn't take the hint.
I'd rather have Richardsons to contend with
- Location
- AB foothills
Yes, to most of both the above posts. They’re tiny, super flighty, rarely sit still longer than a second or two, if they see movement they’re gone. A lot of times they are close to my buildings, house, if you miss you cause other problems obviously…
I can’t really poison because of dogs etc.. tried traps with peanut butter, but rarely work but sometimes.
20 or so years ago, rarely saw a handful a year.
I can’t really poison because of dogs etc.. tried traps with peanut butter, but rarely work but sometimes.
20 or so years ago, rarely saw a handful a year.
Grandkids... boys 12 and 15 came for a visit. First time gopher hunting for them and me. They got 11! I was the driver of the side by side. They stood on the back deck. Also culling some musk rats out of the dugout. Pretty sure we got a few but they disappeared underwater. Got one today that floated. 
Yotarunner
CGN Regular
- Location
- Eastern Alberta
It will be slow shooting for a little bit yet. Gopher life cycle as I understand it is males up first then females then the females go back down to have young which is where we are now. I am calving cows In a gopher field right now and numbers are way down for what you could see 2 weeks ago.
Still calving? You still in the full swing of things or coming to the tail in. We have been “finished” for about month and half, I say “finished” because there is always a few that drag on for months.
Yotarunner
CGN Regular
- Location
- Eastern Alberta
We're late calvers so just coming to the end of first cycle now. We pull bulls so we don't drag on quite as long but gopher babies usually are out by the time we're done.
