Residents exchange gopher tails for cash in New Mexico

CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — Residents of a New Mexico town have been turning in dead gopher tails for money as part of a bounty program established by the Carlsbad Soil and Conservation District to control the pests.

The district offers residents $6 for each gopher tail brought in on the first Monday of each month, The Current-Argus reported (http://bit.ly/1OPKHEB).

"We'll have a handful more this month," said Judith McCollaum, who works in information and education in the district. "They save up their tails so they can buy their Christmas gifts."

McCollaum counted 266 of the furry tails nearly two hours before the monthly turn-in deadline on Monday.

There were dozens of tails stored in a pickle jar filled with witch hazel and several others were in small Ziploc bags.

"We'd really prefer if people brought them in in alcohol," McCollaum said.

The small animals can have a significant impact on agricultural fields.