Today I Shot A Pocket Gopher (Not A Mole Or Vole)

[Snicker 9]

I've out of Air gunning for awhile...all the rifles in storage. Except for the AA. This afternoon I'm looking out from the sundeck and see dirt being flung out of a mole mound. Stroll down the the safe, open it up and take the AA out. Load a mag with JBS Exact .55mm on the way back up and look out to see. Haven't shot the rifle in over a year...shame. Little bugger is still flinging dirt. Wondering if the scope is still on target...power is adjusted at about 50%. Pops his head up...snap. didnt see the impact but thought I saw dirt hit 5 inches up to the right. Did I miss that badly? ....keep looking...no movement...walk over. I hit the Pocket Gopher (aren't they nocturnal?) dead on - back of the head at 36 yards

Edited September 27, 2016 by Snicker

[forest of dean redneck 11,589]

That's the weirdest looking mole ive seen ,looks more like a rodent.

[tomburras 2,730]

Looks like a vole?

[budharley 945]

Looks like a vole?

It is a vole

[mark williams 7,551]

Sure looks like a vole .

[mark williams 7,551]

Ye can't go around shooting voles,bad that At

 

Correct

[The one 8,474]

Look at his location looks like a gopher

[bird 9,872]

Look at his location looks like a gopher

yeh

[Rez 4,960]

Nice rifle though.

[waltjnr 6,738]

so ok to shoot something you havent a clue what it is?

[fabiomilitello 37]

Not sure on this one, definitely not a mole - some people are just too trigger happy!

[j j m 6,539]

i would of not took its life,just for the sake of shooting it,everything i shoot goes to my birds of prey

[philpot 4,977]

I won't say anything about the vole but I like the look of your compact scope, what is it.

 

Phil

[Snicker 9]

My mistake calling it a mole. I've always called it that or a Pocket Gopher - Everyone around here calls it a mole. Traps and noise repellents even call them Moles. Technically its not a Mole or a Vole. I didn't consider that you might not have this species in Europe. "Pocket Gophers (Geomys bursarius) commonly called moles, are very destructive burrowing rodents that feed on the roots of vegetation."

Pocket gophers spend most of their life underground so I was very surprised to see one and even more surprised to shoot one. I have never heard of that happening before.

http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/transportation-and-agriculture-services/animals-and-wildlife/animals/pocket-gopher/

Edited October 3, 2016 by Snicker

[The one 8,474]

the head is much shorter and thicker than a voles . you lot treat them the same way we do moles