Neil McGregor peeled off his latex gloves after setting the bag of
2,500 tails on the floor.
“I think they’re starting to thaw out,” said the member of the
Saskatoon Wildlife Federation as he glanced down through yellow-tinted,
hunter’s glasses at the six kilogram bag.
McGregor and several others had been counting Richardson’s ground
squirrel tails on and off for a few hours June 23 as the last of the
entries in the Ken Turcot Memorial Gopher Derby arrived. There was only
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a hint of gopher on the breeze from the overhead fans inside the warm,
humid, wildlife federation hall north of Saskatoon.
After a pause following the counting of the tails and a 50-50
fundraiser draw for the closest guess at the tally, the grand total was
announced to the waiting crowd that was dining on chili and salad.
“63,610 tails … and the winner is Dale Anderson of Frontier. He wins
$527.50. His total tails were 7,097,” boomed Len Jabush, business
manager of the federation, in declaring a winner.
However, the following day, a miscount was discovered. Anderson said he
was not the winner and that he only submitted 4,594 tails.
The actual winner was Wes Popescul of Assiniboia with 6,271. Anderson
placed third behind Popescul and Scotty Cole of North Battleford with
6,080.
The total number of tails submitted was 61,107.
The controversial contest drew 211 participants from across
Saskatchewan. For a $20 fee, hunters sent in tails from gophers they
shot beginning on April 1. The contest began as a response to high
gopher populations on the Prairies.
“We worry that the return to the use of strychnine to control (gophers)
will result in the death of non-target birds and other wildlife. This
is our alternative,” said Jabush.
The number of hunters wasn’t as large as the organizers predicted, but
they say the event will expand North America-wide next year.
“I don’t care if they send us tails from Florida. Same rules. Frozen,
in groups of 10. But from anywhere. I know there will be folks opposed
to the event, just like this year,” said Jabush.
“This year we met them head on. We knew people would be against it from
the beginning, but that didn’t hurt us.”
Animal welfare groups denounced the event and the controversy brought
reporters’ calls to Jabush from across the continent.
“There was a lot of interest and I expect it will be even better next
year,” he said.
Jabush said the contest will mean at least 200,000 fewer gophers in
Saskatchewan next year, when gophers’ reproductive prowess is factored
in.
Daniel Fischer of Perdue, Sask., arrived with his parents and his
tails, just before the close of the event. The lanky teenager bagged
his last gopher just before the midnight June 22 deadline.
“I got 451. We got our first one April 10, but then the gophers went
down again for two weeks because of the cold,” he said.
Participation was a family affair for the Fischers. Daniel’s father
Ross said he and his wife Laurie spent hours hunting. Ross and Laurie
would spot the gophers and Daniel would shoot them with a .22 calibre
rifle or with his bow and arrow.
