THE POCKET GOPHER 115 



bers in check. Practically all our larger hawks and owls, particu- 

 larly the barn owl, capture numbers of these rodents outside of 

 the burrows. Badgers, weasels, and skunks also lay claim to a 

 share in destroying the pests, skunks and weasels being particu- 

 larly effective. J. P. Kingsley of Dubuque reports that in that 

 locality skunks kill many of the gophers. Of the snakes the bull 

 snake and hog-nosed snake are of first importance. The snakes 

 and weasels are of special value in that they are able to enter and 

 traverse the gophers' burrows. It should be unnecessary to state 

 that all of the above-mentioned enemies of the pocket gopher should 

 be protected and not needlessly or thoughtlessly killed as is so 

 often the case. A moment's reflection before striking down one 

 of these allies of the agriculturist will be productive of much 

 good. 



In the artificial control of any rodent pest, little of permanent 

 value can be accomplished without mutual cooperation. If a 

 farmer or nurseryman or fruit-grower in a given locality destroys 

 the pocket gophers on his own land without others of the com- 

 munity cooperating in the warfare, his efforts will avail little and 

 his land will be in constant clanger of being reinfested from 

 neighboring farms. It cannot be too strongly emphasized here that 

 united effort on the part of the individuals of a township or 

 county is the only safe and satisfactory way in which to secure 

 thorough and permanent immunity from these pests. 



That enormous damage is sustained from the ravages of pocket 

 gophers has long been recognized, and in the attempt to control 

 the increase and spread of the animals bounties have been offered 

 in our own state as well as in many others. 



Section 2348 of the Supplement to the Code (1907) as amended 

 by the thirty-fourth General Assembly (1911) relating to the 

 payment of bounties on pocket gophers provides a uniform, state- 

 wide bounty of ten cents each and reads as follows : 



"Sec. 2348. Bounties. 



Sec. 2348-a. Amount of Bounty. There shall be paid from 

 the general fund of the county a bounty of ten cents for each 

 pocket gopher caught and killed within the county, provided that 

 the person entitled to such bounty shall make, as hereinafter pro- 

 vided, proof of the destruction of such animal within thirty days 

 after the same was destroyed. 



