scooter
04-28-2008, 01:17 PM
PUBLICATION: National Post
DATE: 2008.03.13
EDITION: National
SECTION: Canada
PAGE: A8
Gophers caused more than $1-million in damages last year to farmers' fields. ;
DATELINE: SASKATOON
BYLINE: Danielle Mario
SOURCE: Canwest News Service
WORD COUNT: 479
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Solution to Saskatchewan's $1M gopher problem: the 'Rodenator'; 'Explore Anything'
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SASKATOON - They hate gophers in Saskatchewan.
The furry, burrowing varmints caused more than $1-million in damages last year to farmers' fields in the province's southwest, according to compensation paid out by the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp.
Hence the obvious appeal of the Rodenator -- one of several new and creative ways being proposed to annihilate gophers.
Bob Derdall, the Rodenator dealer for the Prairie provinces, said it's the most environmentally and health safe solution with a quick death for the gophers.
Here's how it works: A nozzle is poked down the gopher hole, where it releases oxygen mixed with 3% propane for nearly two minutes.
Then, once the hole is filled with the gas -- in a scene reminiscent of the movie Caddy-shack -- an igniter lights the mix, and there is a sharp, gunshot-like explosion, firing clouds of dirt into the air.
The gopher, wherever it may be underground, is instantly killed when its tiny lungs collapse. Plus, the shock wave usually collapses the hole. Total cost for the system? Nearly $2,000.
"With this machine, there's no poison, so you don't have to deal with the poisoned carcasses of the animals," Mr. Derdall said. "It's probably the most humane way of getting rid of the varmints."
Yesterday, Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud announced $380,000 in new funding to research new methods to control gophers, also known as Richardson's Ground Squirrels.
The money will be used to evaluate what's expected to be a boom in gopher numbers in the coming year.
According to Cameron Wilk, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food's provincial pesticide specialist, the government will look at a range of options.
"We'll explore anything that's going to help these poor farmers deal with this issue, and that includes everything from rodenticides to machines that can do the job," he said.
The most popular method in the province for the last few decades has been poison.
Then, of course, there's the "gopher derbies."
The Saskatoon Wildlife Federation had held a highly publicized derby in the summers 2003 and 2004, where contestants shot gophers and collected their tails over the summer for a shot at prizes of shotguns and ammunition.
More than 100,000 gophers were killed over the two summers, and the event quickly came under fire by the Humane Society of Canada and several international organizations that expressed disapproval of a contest that encouraged people to kill animals for fun and prizes.
Derbies are still held, but these days they're kept quiet, said Darrell Crabbe, executive director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation.
"We just don't go out and advertise them anymore," Mr. Crabbe said. "We don't want to have people coming out of the woodwork that don't know anything about the issues these critters cause on farm land and call us a bunch of bloodthirsty *******s."
B.C. animal rights activist Sinikka Crosland proposes the animals be dealt with in a more humane matter that does not harm the environment or the gophers themselves.
Aside from crop rotations and building fences, she suggests a relocation program.
"There are vacuums that can suck them out of their holes without harming them, and you could set aside some Crown land or farmers' land for gophers to use," she said. "Then you could use vegetation they prefer, or radio frequencies to keep them on that land."
Saskatchewan's Agriculture Minister said that his department is willing to work with Ms. Crosland, with conditions.
"Have we got a deal for her," he said. "She can come vacuum them up and haul them back to B.C."
DATE: 2008.03.13
EDITION: National
SECTION: Canada
PAGE: A8
Gophers caused more than $1-million in damages last year to farmers' fields. ;
DATELINE: SASKATOON
BYLINE: Danielle Mario
SOURCE: Canwest News Service
WORD COUNT: 479
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solution to Saskatchewan's $1M gopher problem: the 'Rodenator'; 'Explore Anything'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SASKATOON - They hate gophers in Saskatchewan.
The furry, burrowing varmints caused more than $1-million in damages last year to farmers' fields in the province's southwest, according to compensation paid out by the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp.
Hence the obvious appeal of the Rodenator -- one of several new and creative ways being proposed to annihilate gophers.
Bob Derdall, the Rodenator dealer for the Prairie provinces, said it's the most environmentally and health safe solution with a quick death for the gophers.
Here's how it works: A nozzle is poked down the gopher hole, where it releases oxygen mixed with 3% propane for nearly two minutes.
Then, once the hole is filled with the gas -- in a scene reminiscent of the movie Caddy-shack -- an igniter lights the mix, and there is a sharp, gunshot-like explosion, firing clouds of dirt into the air.
The gopher, wherever it may be underground, is instantly killed when its tiny lungs collapse. Plus, the shock wave usually collapses the hole. Total cost for the system? Nearly $2,000.
"With this machine, there's no poison, so you don't have to deal with the poisoned carcasses of the animals," Mr. Derdall said. "It's probably the most humane way of getting rid of the varmints."
Yesterday, Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud announced $380,000 in new funding to research new methods to control gophers, also known as Richardson's Ground Squirrels.
The money will be used to evaluate what's expected to be a boom in gopher numbers in the coming year.
According to Cameron Wilk, Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food's provincial pesticide specialist, the government will look at a range of options.
"We'll explore anything that's going to help these poor farmers deal with this issue, and that includes everything from rodenticides to machines that can do the job," he said.
The most popular method in the province for the last few decades has been poison.
Then, of course, there's the "gopher derbies."
The Saskatoon Wildlife Federation had held a highly publicized derby in the summers 2003 and 2004, where contestants shot gophers and collected their tails over the summer for a shot at prizes of shotguns and ammunition.
More than 100,000 gophers were killed over the two summers, and the event quickly came under fire by the Humane Society of Canada and several international organizations that expressed disapproval of a contest that encouraged people to kill animals for fun and prizes.
Derbies are still held, but these days they're kept quiet, said Darrell Crabbe, executive director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation.
"We just don't go out and advertise them anymore," Mr. Crabbe said. "We don't want to have people coming out of the woodwork that don't know anything about the issues these critters cause on farm land and call us a bunch of bloodthirsty *******s."
B.C. animal rights activist Sinikka Crosland proposes the animals be dealt with in a more humane matter that does not harm the environment or the gophers themselves.
Aside from crop rotations and building fences, she suggests a relocation program.
"There are vacuums that can suck them out of their holes without harming them, and you could set aside some Crown land or farmers' land for gophers to use," she said. "Then you could use vegetation they prefer, or radio frequencies to keep them on that land."
Saskatchewan's Agriculture Minister said that his department is willing to work with Ms. Crosland, with conditions.
"Have we got a deal for her," he said. "She can come vacuum them up and haul them back to B.C."