When I was a kid, we got 25 cents for every gopher tail we brought in to the Fish and Game officer. We got them all with slingshots or snares back then. Now that I can take out hundreds a day with a gun, they ain't worth anything..... 'cept entertainment..... and worth it. Many farmers will see you in thier fields popping gophers and come over to give you free ammo as 'payment' for cleaning up thier land some.NorthernPete wrote:I do remember hearing about ground squirrel hunting contests in the praries back in the 30's I believe, and 40s. you got points or a nickle or soemthign for every gopher tail you brought in. I do remember seeing a clip on TV about a vacume that sucked gophers right out of the ground by the dozeens..it was pretty cool. Do they taste like chicken?
I don't know what they taste like, they are in fact disease-ridden, mangy critters and I ain't never been THAT hungry. I hear there is a market in Japan for these animals.... as pets?!?!? I don't get that, they are not friendly or harmless, they will gladly sink thier teeth into you and hang on untill you kill them, giving you a nice dose of rabies or a nasty infection in the process.
They are miserable beasts, fighting each other at the slightest excuse. It's fun to see 2 standing together at the mouth of a hole, and shoot one in the azz. He will imediately turn on his buddy and fight to the death, as he thinks his buddy was the one who made his butt hurt so much. Then you shoot the winner of the fight afterwards.
