Gopher Control
Richardson's ground squirrel (RGS) range covers much of the North American Great Plains and includes portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.
These pests are herbivores. They eat forage grasses, forage legumes, cereal crops, pulse crops, canola and native grasses. When they occur in great numbers, agricultural producers can accrue significant financial losses.
Emergency use of Strychnine (2026 - 2027)
Government of Saskatchewan - Strychnine Use - The emergency use of two per cent liquid strychnine concentrate (strychnine) to control Richardson’s ground squirrels is approved in Saskatchewan until November 2027. This web page details requirements of the Emergency Use Registration, as well as information specific to vendors and strychnine users.
Map - This map shows where strychnine can be used in Saskatchewan (includes 208 rural municipalities). Use outside of the indicated areas is prohibited.
Strychnine Stewardship Program Guidelines
Training - is now available online through the SARM website. Access to the Strychnine Stewardship Training for the 2026 season is available from May 4 to August 1, 2026. After completing the 90-minute online training program, users are required to complete a mandatory Treatment Plan and Declaration Form to become a certified strychnine user.
Training Registration - Please be sure to select the correct municipality when registering. The municipality selected must be eligible to distribute strychnine. Typically, it is the municipality in which you have your home or the greatest amount of land. Once selected, the municipality cannot be changed unless the account is deleted and the training re-taken.
Training Confirmation - After completing the training in full, you will be able to download a certificate of completion. Please retain this for your records and bring it to your RM office. For producers, two (2) business days after completing the training, your municipality will be able to confirm the completion of your training. Please wait at least two business days after completing the training before contacting your municipality to begin the process of accessing strychnine.
Presentation Slides for Producer Training - After completing the training and receiving your certificate online, you may want to reference the training slides again. This link is for PDF documents that contain the slides for the training presentation. Please note that to be eligible to access strychnine, you must register for and complete the full online training, as well as pass the knowledge checks. These PDFs are for reference material only; they do not count as completing the training.
Strychnine Supplies - Producers will purchase strychnine from the participating RM office they selected as their primary RM on their training documentation. Supplies will be distributed evenly among participating RMs, with a per-producer cap to manage limited supply. The user may apply strychnine that they purchased in their primary RM in other eligible RMs where they occupy land.
When the approval was received on March 31, 2026, no stocks of strychnine were available for distribution in Canada. Canada’s registered strychnine supplier is working to import the active ingredients, manufacture the two per cent liquid strychnine concentrate and distribute the product across Saskatchewan and Alberta. An initial, limited supply of strychnine is expected in early June, followed by additional monthly shipments.
Record Keeping - Users are responsible for record-keeping, environmental protection measures and compliance with all label and EUR restrictions. Environmental protection measures include in-burrow bait placement and carcass removal to limit the likelihood of non-target poisonings. All records must be returned to the RM office and will be shared with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, which will provide them to Health Canada’s Pesticide Regulatory Directorate.
Statement from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food on Strychnine in Alberta and Saskatchewan (March 30, 2026)
Saskatchewan Welcomes Pest Management Regulatory Agency Approval of Emergency Strychnine Use (March 31, 2026)
Gopher Control Program
Ratepayers are eligible for up to 50% cost-shared funding towards the purchase of registered gopher control products, and up to $125 per raptor platform. For more details, please see the Program Guidelines.
Applications and receipts must be submitted to the RM Office by July 31st. Any product purchased after July 31st will be an eligible expense for next years program.
The Government of Saskatchewan has information on the Control of Richardson's Ground Squirrels. Here they say results indicated that the zinc phosphide products, ZP Rodent Oat Bait and Burrow oat bait were as effective as strychnine and less expensive. They also present a reduced risk of secondary poisoning and are not environmentally persistent.
Burrow Oat Bait is available in 20kg bags from Elevation Ag Services near Fielding, SK. Tel: (306) 827-4708 Email: agronomy@elevationag.ca