Here in the Great White North, "Summer Hunting" normally has to wait until late August, when big games seasons begin to open north of us. Right here at home, it isn't 'til the first week of September that we can hunt. We cannot go into the bush and shoot squirrels. The only kind we have are Red Squirrels, and since they are a fur bearer, they are protected for the fur industry. But last weekend, I discovered a "Summer Hunting Bonanza"!
I was invited to attend a turn of the century homestead for a public celebration, and to put on a black powder shooting demonstration. I extended my invitation to include a young friend and his partner, and together the three of us had a blast.
We arrived early to set up some targets...charcoal briquettes and half potatoes hanging from strings at 50 yards, and a 12" saw blade hanging from a Black Cottonwood at around 120 yards. While speaking to the curator, she asked me if I would be interested in "regulating" their out of control gopher problem. WOULD I!!! So with only about an hour before the public arrived on each morning, we started hunting.
I was using my .40 cal Kuntz rifle on the first day, and loaned it to Kim for the second day. Darrel, (my other brother Daryl) was shooting his flint .50 cal, and on the second day, I used my jaeger .60 cal. We recovered around 33 of the varmints. Their correct name is Columbia ground squirrels. I don't think they are edible - certainly no one around here eats them.
So until last weekend, I had no idea we had gophers in this area. The fields along the Fraser River are "Community Pasture" and they are swarming with the rodents.
I know you're thinking that a .60 cal rifle is marginal for this type of critter. But I assure you, there were many that were not recoverable.
