Hey~it's Sept.2. Who wants to talk 2015 gophers?

[Groundhogger]

OK, so, timing is bad....but this Ontarian got his first taste of AB gopher shooting this past summer (2-1/2 days of it) and quite honestly, it was the highlight of my year. For you guys in the west...that might sound a bit strange, but consider this; In 2-1/2 days, I probably shot more gophers than than I'll shoot Ontario groundhogs in the next decade and a half! Great fun, willing targets~what more can I say?

So, I hope to get out there again in 2015....but I'm not sure my (non-gophering) host will be as keen to put in a few days doing again. I think he got his fill of it. Having read everything gopher-related I could find on this forum, I'm wondering a few things;

1. Is there a "ground zero" for gophers in AB? A place where they are in higher concentration than anywhere else? SW of Calgary is where we spent most of our time...but I've heard/read promising things about Edmonton and SE of there. Were you to ask me about groundhogs in Ontario, they are widespread...but the "huntable" population in a relatively limited area.

2. Do any of you set aside a few days, even a week to JUST shoot gophers? Trying to get a sense of whether or not it's simply a casual thing, a day every weekend...or an annual pilgrimage of sorts. I am aware of the annual shoot in SK organized on CGN, but not sure I'd want to be shooting near so many people.

3. I'd be willing to consider AB or SK, but AB would allow for a little fishing too.

So, while I spent 3 hours shooting clays with the 20ga. this past weekend....polishing-up the reaction time for our grouse season that starts in a couple of weeks here, just thought I'd try to "take the pulse" of this forum, maybe start roughing-in plans for next year. I'm all to happy to try and sell my buddy on the idea come next spring, but may try to make a go of it on my own if that doesn't pan out.

Back to the fall hunting discussion.

One of my favorite pics from my trip there in 2014...

[Smokinyotes]

Good job but you should be doing head shots. Your wasting too much prime meat.

[smithy]

3. I'd be willing to consider AB or SK, but AB would allow for a little fishing too.

Fishing is much better in Saskatchewan. Plenty of gophers too!

Smithy

[Canuck Bob]

I see some opportunity here, "Gopher Safaris Ltd".

Your best research should involve access. Generally everyone is open to removing gophers but not holes in their cattle. The area you hunted is excellent with open range and leases. While up Edmonton way it is more like the countryside your used to, owned farms.

I'm used to the dryer areas in southern AB and SK. A guy could wear out a 220 Swift in a weekend. It would be hard to not see lots of gophers!

[Groundhogger]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Good job but you should be doing head shots. Your wasting too much prime meat.

Perhaps, but it was windy...looking for guaranteed hits. (true actually) Thanks for humoring me guys, was thinking a gopher topic in Sept. wouldn't have much traction. Any/all info is appreciated too...as I may be making a go of it alone in 2015. As tough, or impossible as it may sound, I'm hoping to secure some spots in advance...and do it from Ontario. Proving to be harder than finding a ruffed grouse within 3 hours of Toronto...and that's tough!

[tikka250]

As far as gopher population goes i have yet to find a "ground zero" for gophers. My work takes me all over eastern alberta and sask. so far i have seen gophers from bashaw to brooks and everywhere in between. I always try to get out on my days off and do at least a few weekends casualy shooting off a bench or driving looking for new honey holes.

[Scott N]

Here's a few more shots for the daydreamers thinking of next spring:

My buddy and his boy in one of our favorite shooting spots.

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My Sako Vixen 222.... my favorite varmint rifle.

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me and my good old 10/22

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[Groundhogger]

Nice! Keep the photos coming, great inspiration!

[H380]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Good job but you should be doing head shots. Your wasting too much prime meat.

He's not worried about the meat,just trying to save the capes .Looks like he had some fun either way .

[amosfella]

There's places that you can go where the farmers will pay you to kill the gophers. Many places on the NW of edmonton...

[Richard B.]

I have had land owners pay for my 22 ammo for shooting gophers on their property

[6.5 shooter]

Ok, just to add to the conversation there are two types ( actually more but for our purpose we will limit the discussion to two types).there are the larger "mountain gopher" Richardson's ground squirel and the smaller prairie gopher.
The mountain gopher lives in the foothills and in the grass lands in the shadow of the mountains and is about "twice" as large as it's prairie cousin.

The mountain gopher tends to live in colonies of 50-200 or so though I have shot fields with thousands but these are rare.

The prairie gopher tends to live in 1,2's or thousands but don't tend to leave the large dirt piles in front of thier burrows that the mountain gopher does so thier colonies are bit harder to locate for first time shooter.

If you find a good location bring several rifles as your barrels will get hot. I use a .222,.204,and .22 as a bare minimum when I head out for a day's shoot plus lots of ammo.

14x on your centre fire rifle's and 4-6x on your rim fire is perfect. More magnification is not needed due to mirage.

Shooting sticks,a cushion for your tush and hearing protection are a must and watch out for the cactus!

Hope it helps and no I never got out near enough this year but there are still a few weeks left till they go into hybernation so hopefully if the work God's allow, I can still sneak in a shot or two.

[Scott N]

6.5, not trying to start an argument with you, but what you are calling mountain gophers are Columbian Ground Squirrels, and the more common "prairie" gopher are the Richardson's Ground Squirrels.

[Groundhogger]

Originally Posted by H380

He's not worried about the meat,just trying to save the capes .Looks like he had some fun either way .

How did you know I was a fly tyer? Have we met?

Originally Posted by amosfella

There's places that you can go where the farmers will pay you to kill the gophers. Many places on the NW of edmonton...

Pretty sure this is a fictional statement ...but man, I'm all ears if you'd care to message me. Again, I'm trying to achieve the impossible~finding some promising spots there...from home base here in S. Ontario. Goes without saying~I'd be happy to do an exchange, a S. Ontario groundhog hunt could be yours! They're bigger, but allot more work to find...and you need a small game license to hunt them~even though they're a pest/varmint. Not considered to have food value, no season, no limit, etc.

Originally Posted by 6.5 shooter

Ok, just to add to the conversation there are two types ( actually more but for our purpose we will limit the discussion to two types).there are the larger "mountain gopher" Richardson's ground squirel and the smaller prairie gopher.
The mountain gopher lives in the foothills and in the grass lands in the shadow of the mountains and is about "twice" as large as it's prairie cousin.

The mountain gopher tends to live in colonies of 50-200 or so though I have shot fields with thousands but these are rare.

The prairie gopher tends to live in 1,2's or thousands but don't tend to leave the large dirt piles in front of thier burrows that the mountain gopher does so thier colonies are bit harder to locate for first time shooter.

If you find a good location bring several rifles as your barrels will get hot. I use a .222,.204,and .22 as a bare minimum when I head out for a day's shoot plus lots of ammo.

Pretty sure all we saw/shot were the Richardson's Ground Squirrels. 17HMR did 90% of the work too, 15x Nikon scope.

[FreeLantz]

I was paid as a kid to shoot gophers. North of edmonton, farmers can get desperate to get rid of the grass rats. Its a legit thing I can vouch for that. Ive heard of towns paying for tails as well, but you would obviously have to trap them in town.
Ive found switchtail gophers like dry soil, stay away from bodies of water or rivers. Ive never seen a gopher north of athabasca, to much muskeg I imagine.
I don't go out of my way to shoot gophers, I shoot whenever I want to. Knocked the toque off one yesterday afternoon, as he was trying to make a house in my yard

[lclund1946]

Originally Posted by tikka250

As far as gopher population goes i have yet to find a "ground zero" for gophers. My work takes me all over eastern alberta and sask. so far i have seen gophers from bashaw to brooks and everywhere in between. I always try to get out on my days off and do at least a few weekends casualy shooting off a bench or driving looking for new honey holes.

Tikka250 is right as populations change due to weather conditions, disease, habitat disturbance, predators, and the return of poison as a means of control. Thankfully there are many "honey holes" out there but they can be hard to find. In 2007 we found a honey hole that was likely "Ground Zero" for South Central Saskatchewan. Four of us shot over 6,000 mature gophers, on one small portion of a ranch, in 3 1/2 days. The young ones were too small to survive on their own so the next year the rancher didn't have a gopher problem. He told us that the Saskatchewan government had spent millions on a gopher poisoning experiment, all around him, so perhaps it is no longer Ground Zero.

When I lived in moose country we would travel 9 - 16 hours just to get to these "Honey Holes". Two years ago we decided to move to Consort which I thought to be the Alberta "Ground Zero" as I can drive for over three hours, in any direction, and still find gophers. A wise man, James of Calhoon Bullets, told me "you don't move to a place to find gophers, you travel to where the gophers are". He was right of course but now I don't have to travel as far and can sleep in my own bed. After two summers have finally found more than enough "honey holes" to keep an old cripple happy. Hopefully I will still be around for another season.

I have not had anyone offer to pay me to shoot gophers but the rancher in Saskatchewan gave us a house to stay in and insisted on paying when we took him and his wife out for supper. This summer I had two ranchers offer to supply me with 22 ammo and asked me to keep coming back to their gopher patches. I declined the offer of ammo as I prefer to pay for my own hobby and let them know that their permission for me to shoot on their land was much appreciated. However I did accept some 22 ammo when I started running short after shooting about 1200 gophers on one field without putting a dint in it. Ammo was getting very scarce this past summer and it looked like I wouldn't have enough. The rancher insisted that it wasn't payment, just his way of showing his appreciation.

[gitrdun]

Groundhogger - My gun club (Claresholm) organizes a yearly "Gopher Derby". Entry fees are $200.00 for a 4 person team. Each team is allocated their own land made up of 2 to 4 quarters. No need to fear being shot. Limited to rimfires. Entry fee includes a BBQ at day's end, prize donations and cash prizes up to $700.00 (depending on attendance) for the team with the most tails. Claresholm is located 1.5 hour south of Calgary on Highway 2.

[lclund1946]

Originally Posted by gitrdun

Groundhogger - My gun club (Claresholm) organizes a yearly "Gopher Derby". Entry fees are $200.00 for a 4 person team. Each team is allocated their own land made up of 2 to 4 quarters. No need to fear being shot. Limited to rimfires. Entry fee includes a BBQ at day's end, prize donations and cash prizes up to $700.00 (depending on attendance) for the team with the most tails. Claresholm is located 1.5 hour south of Calgary on Highway 2.

Am I allowed to shoot from my truck, I have a permit, and have a helper to collect tails? Shot gophers west of Claresholm but that was more than 10 years ago. Even got a few "Mountain Gophers" or Columbian Ground Squirrels.

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by lclund1946

Am I allowed to shoot from my truck, I have a permit, and have a helper to collect tails? Shot gophers west of Claresholm but that was more than 10 years ago. Even got a few "Mountain Gophers" or Columbian Ground Squirrels.

That would be up to the executive.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Scott N

6.5, not trying to start an argument with you, but what you are calling mountain gophers are Columbian Ground Squirrels, and the more common "prairie" gopher are the Richardson's Ground Squirrels.

I stand corrected.

[Groundhogger]

Thanks for all the replies guys, greatly appreciated...and lots to think about. Sounds like I have allot more homework to do if I'm going to find some property to shoot next spring/summer.

Thanks again,
Groundhogger.