BATTLEFORDS — A Battlefords-area farmer is concerned there aren't enough options for farmers and producers trying to get rid of their gopher populations.
Dan Ornawka grows wheat, barley, canola and lentils at his farm, and notes the destructive gophers are out of control.
He said he would like to use the product Phostoxin, made readily available to poison the gophers, but it is a restricted-use chemical.
Ornawka said it is too costly and time-consuming to use since it needs to be applied by a pest control officer. But it is highly effective.
"It's hell on wheels on gophers," he said. "What we need is a special permit so we can acquire the Phostoxin again and use it on gophers."
He noted the product will kill the gophers right in the hole.
Ornawka said people need to lobby the government to try to get a special use permit for Phostoxin.
The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) is offering farmers and producers assistance to deal with the gopher population by connecting them with gopher hunters.
But Ornawka doesn't believe that's an effective method to eliminate gophers.
"They can't kill enough gophers to make enough of a difference," he said. "There are too many gophers now."
Ornawka used to use strychnine poisoning to kill the gophers, before it was banned by Health Canada.
This year, he said, the gophers are back and are a problem again.
"They are totally out of control," Ornawka said.
Both the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) and the SWF are eying potential solutions to control the gopher population.
SARM offers a rebate program for a bird raptor program as an alternative to poison. The program includes a rebate for the use of registered gopher control products and material for raptor platforms and nest boxes.
There is also a rebate on the poison control program itself.
SWF executive director Darrell Crabbe said his organization was receiving many calls for gopher hunters prior to harvest.
"We're certainly looking at expanding the program next year," he said. "There was a huge demand for it. We didn't start it until late June but I think next year we'll probably start it in April... It does create a positive working relationship between the hunting community and the landowner."
Crabbe said the SWF received calls for the service everywhere in Saskatchewan.
He said the gopher population in Saskatchewan was estimated to be higher this year than last year.
"It will probably be higher again next year," Crabbe said. "They go in waves, the populations, and it takes a pretty severe winter event to control the numbers."
He noted he received positive feedback from farmers who were satisfied with the service to connect them with gopher hunters.
"We seem to have a lot of positive comments about it," Crabbe said. "All we did was create a pipeline of information so that landowners could get connected with a few people in the hunting community that wanted to go out and help them with their issues."
- With files from Shaynee Modien
