AR-News: (CA) Prairie gophers spared hunt

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=6f16842b-f643-4
287-855e-2d7c4101d0c6 

Saskatchewan's gophers can run freely this year knowing the bounty on them 
has been lifted. Saskatoon Wildlife Federation's annual gopher derby, aimed at 
controlling the gopher population, has been cancelled this year.
"I don't think the conditions this year merit it," said Len Jabush, business 
manager for the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation and organizer of the derby.
Heavier rain in 2003 resulted in more vegetation, giving predators more 
places to hide and hunt the rodents, Jabush said. And heavier snowfall this winter 
meant more runoff when the weather warmed in spring, filling underground dens 
and drowning more gophers than in the past drought-stricken years.
The controversial derby, which started in 2002 and ran again last year, 
sparked tremendous criticism from animal rights groups in Canada and the U.S. The 
derby was termed "barbaric" by activists. More than 61,000 gopher tails were 
collected in 2002 and 40,400 in 2003.
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