LEDUC, Alta. — A cash for gopher tails program may not rid Leduc County of its burrowing rodents, but the program has encouraged landowners to trap some of the destructive pests.
The county budgeted $2,500 for a pilot project last year that paid $1 per turned in northern pocket gopher tail.
The program’s budget increased to $3,000 this year and has already paid out more than half the money in exchange for tails.
“It’s been a real success,” said Garett Broadbent, director of agricultural services with Leduc County.
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“We wanted to encourage additional people to get out there and start trapping,” he said. “There was a real infestation in certain areas.”
The program began with calls from landowners concerned about the amount of damage caused by northern pocket gophers, or moles as they are often wrongly called.
The program is not for Richardson’s ground squirrels, which are more commonly called gophers.
Left unchecked, northern pocket gophers can create havoc in hay, pasture, grain fields, gardens and shelterbelts as they feed on roots and punch mounds of soil into fields, making harvest difficult.
It’s estimated northern pocket gophers cause $14 million in damage each year in Alberta.
The cash for tails program will not make trappers rich, but it’s an acknowledgement by the county that trapping northern pocket gophers takes a lot of time.
“It’s a good project for youth in the summer time,” said Broadbent, who is willing to help teach potential trappers and landowners how to trap the burrowing pests.
Mark Cardinal, manager of agricultural services with Parkland County, said his county has operated a successful cash for tails program for several years and pays out $1,500 to $2,500 a year.
“It’s not much, but it’s a bit of an incentive to go out there and take the numbers down,” said Cardinal.
Geoff Thompson, agriculture service manager with Lac Ste. Anne County, said his cash for pocket gopher tails program has been popular.
“It’s hard to tell if it’s helped, but it’s better than doing nothing.”
Trapping tips
•In the spring, use an upside-down harrow to knock the tops off mounds of soil. Once abandoned, northern pocket gophers do not return to the same mound.
•When trapping, look for the most recently disturbed mounds, or earth plugs.
•Use a one metre long metal rod to probe the ground around the mound to find the tunnel.
•Dig into the tunnel with a shovel.
•Reach into the tunnel to ensure that the tunnel is active and has not been plugged off. When abandoned, the pocket gopher will plug the tunnel.
•Set the trap into the tunnel’s mouth. Pack soil around the trap so no air can get past the trap. Attach the trap to a piece of rebar with a chain to stop it being dragged away by coyotes.
•Check traps daily.
