The Rural Municipality of Weyburn is offering a bounty for gopher tails in an effort to control the gopher population.  

Reeve Norm McFadden said that the bounty began last year, and they are trying to push it this spring.   

“In the last couple of years, it's really taken off, and it's it's quite bad,” said McFadden. “I know personally speaking, I have a chunk of pasture that looks like a bomb field. There's hardly any grass left, it's just mounds of gopher holes all over the place.” 

McFadden said that the gopher situation recently is the worst he has seen it. 

“I do know of a few people last year who had to re-seed some canola and some other crops because of the Gophers wiping it off. When it gets like that, it kind of tells you how bad it is.” 

He added that while gophers pose a problem from eating pasture and crops, they can also be a danger to livestock. 

“I have heard a few cases where guys had to put some cows down and a horse, because of broken legs and whatnot, so I mean, that's a concern as well. If they're running around in the pasture or whatever, and especially in the dark and don't see it, or cows get fighting amongst each other and get pushed around it can happen.” 

McFadden said that those interested can kill the gopher, strip the tail off, put it in a plastic bag, and drop it off at the RM shop, which is in North Weyburn. There is a form on the RM of Weyburn website to fill out, to hand in with the tails.  

The RM will pay 50 cents per tail, and has allocated a maximum of $10,000 for this project.