Activists Blast Gopher Derby; Hunters Blast Gophers

Saskatchewan’s Second Annual Gopher Derby event earned the ire of animal rights activists as the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation announced it will expand the Gopher Derby into Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario this summer.

What’s a Gopher Derby? Well, basically, the goal is to kill as many gophers as possible between April 1 and June 23. During last year’s contest, more than 63,000 gophers were killed.

Why pick on gophers? Largely because farmers perceive the animals as a nuisance. They awaken from hibernation and begin eating crops. Estimates put total damage to crops from gophers in Alberta at between Canadian $20 million and $30 million. That’s a pretty serious problem. The gophers also dig holes which farmers claim cause livestock to fall and break their legs.

Animal Defense League of Canada’s Esther Klein told the Star Phoenix (Saskatoon),

It’s a sad thing. The killing of fellow creatures of the earth should not be done in a spirit of festivity. It should be done with respect, not celebration.

Sinikka Crosland of Responsible Animal Care Society complained to Reuters,

It’s a killing derby basically and there’s other ways of dealing with wildlife . . . We’re going to have people out there with their firearms blasting away at the gophers.

Well, at least she understands the basic of the event.

There is a $20 entry fee for the Gopher Derby. Half of the money will be split between the top 10 winners, and the other half will be donated to a wildlife preserve.

Sources:

Animal rights group takes aim at gopher shoot. Reuters, March 10, 2003.

Spring gopher-killing derby denounced at Saskatoon wildlife convention. Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, February 22, 2003.

Animal rights groups blast gopher derby: Motivation recreation instead of pest control. Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, March 6, 2003.