Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Mr. Gopher:

Anyone know a viable method of doing in gophers? I've tried the poison and they seem to enjoy it. The traps look like a PITA.

Any ideas short of Caddyshack approaches would be welcome.

Well that ruins my first nine suggestions.

Those gopher traps that you slide down their hole work very well. The trick is to tie a string onto them, slide them down the hole, then cover the hole really well with a board. They come up the hole thinking they have to uncover the entrance and they walk right into the trap. If the opening is left uncovered, they see the trap and try to push it out of the hole, resulting in more misses.

This is the type that I've used.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q...ed=0CHEQ8gIwAA#

Jeff,

It's not that I don't like those ideas, but I'm already being watched by black helicopters.

Sniper

Ditto on esshup's comments; except that I leave the main or lateral tunnel exposed (uncovered) after setting the traps. Gophers always plug their tunnel-shafts to the surface - presumably to deny a snake's appetite for gopher. So, if a gopher senses fresh air or light, he’ll immediately head to the source and get it plugged.

IMO, Woodstream makes the best version of this trap-design (the narrow jaw-spread makes for easier tunnel-insertion).

(SETTING INSTRUCTIONS)

I trapped gophers in our coastal bermuda hay-pastures back in the early 70s. Mr. Gopher would sometimes shovel dirt toward the tunnel-opening, tripping the trap before being caught. I remedied that problem by removing all loose dirt from the tunnel, then pushing the trap into the hole as far as possible and then pressing downward on the trap’s frame to secure its position. A smallish hand really helped with that part. I also used chain and a rigid-wire stake to secure the trap, since a trapped gopher would sometimes barricade himself within the tunnel with dirt. When that happened, a trap-chain facilitated the extraction process - and also the occasional "termination" deed, if necessary.

Locating the burrow is the most challenging part of the task. Before digging, I use a probe to locate the main burrow - which radiates in two directions from the mound. Once located, I dig until the main tunnel is exposed in both directions. Gophers regularly travel their tunnels, and could be in either direction from the mound. So, a trap must be set in both tunnel-directions (as shown above).

These two traps are the lone survivors of 20+ gopher traps that I "ran" way back in the early 70s. I keep them stored in my truck's toolbox, and have occasionally received free meals from restaurants and free rooms from motels after trapping these pesky lawn-rodents while visiting such businesses. Usually take less than 30 minutues. Guess that makes me an "opportunist". Still, it's cheaper than calling an exterminator.

I thought I had seen a lot of traps, but those are news to me... Course', gophers be pretty scarce in these parts....

I had 'em when I was out in So. Cal. but there are none around this place. But, Mom & Dad, just 7 miles to the East of me have them.....

Kelly, you should save those traps and buy new ones. Those are rapidly approaching antique status!

Exactly what are you inferring? These were MY traps as a pre-teen; not my grandpa's!

I decided to look for my collection of old traps, and finally found them stashed away in a corner of the garage.
I was hoping to find some of my missing gopher traps - since they're now antiques.


I'd bet you've never before seen these types of traps.
I'm not sure of the company that produced them. Let me know if you're familiar with them.

Kelly, don't feel bad, I have trapping supplies that are as old as yours. I still have my Hickory Packbasket. Hawbakers was my mail order supplier of choice back then.

You might want to save those traps in the pictures. I think I remember seeing something like that in a F-F-G issue a while back.

IIRC, I see the box has 110's, maybe a 220 or 330, Victor longspring 1 1/2's or 2's, and some coil springs, maybe for fox - 1 1/2 or 2's?

I've got at least one #1 Onida stoploss longspring in the barn, Onida jump traps, and a bunch of coil springs that aren't legal for dry land use now.

I'm taking a SWAG here, but the first trap was for either mink or weasel, and the 2nd one for muskrats? The first one was positioned so the animal went thru the loop first and the jaws caught them right behind the head? The second acted like a Conibear. Close or way off the mark?

Like esshup, I've used many of the types you have in the basket, but I've never had any experience with the other 2 you show. They look like drowning sets for sure.

They are however, very cool!

Originally Posted By: esshup

I'm taking a SWAG here, but the first trap was for either mink or weasel, and the 2nd one for muskrats? The first one was positioned so the animal went thru the loop first and the jaws caught them right behind the head? The second acted like a Conibear. Close or way off the mark?

No mink or weasels in TX, to my knowledge.
Both of the strange traps worked like Conibears, in principle. I used them only for thinning the skunk-herd.

Mink in Texas? Yep
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/animals/mammal/muvi/all.html

Weasel in Texas? Yep

http://icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/ca_c119.pdf

I once caught a Least Weasel in a #1 longspring that had a mouse in it's mouth. It died so fast that it didn't even drop the mouse.

Kelly, if you gently clean off the rust on those skunky traps, is there any writing?

I've never seen, nor heard of any reported sightings of mink or weasels in Texas - EXCEPT when Fall temperatures drop below the mid-60s. That's when less-than-lively specimens of both species are frequently observed inhabiting the shoulders of many older/well-healed female church-goers every Sunday morning.

Maybe the lack of mink and weasels is why Texas has so many gophers?
(How's that for an attempt to redirect a hijacked thread?)

I'll try the non-rusty traps. Also saw some gizmo engine that directs its carbon monoxide back down the hole thru a hose. Not PETA approved, though.

The gophers are really a PITA. Not only are the mounds unsightly, but then the coyotes dig these nice big holes pursuing them.

Maybe it was coyotes that ate all of our mink and weasels! Oh, nevermind........

Badgers do a good job of digging them out too.

Must have been fire ants Kelly. They are now blamed for everything but drought.

I blame them for the drought, George Bush can't take the blame for everything!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXY8Fj0OE-Y

This looks fun.

That sure looks like fun Chi!

I would like to see the video of someone who tried it with Acetylene or Hydrogen, instead of Propane. Someone may have!

As far as I know, we do not have Gophers in MI, cept' for some misplaced sports teams.

BTW: you can blame it on Cecil, he has one named after him. Baird's Pocket Gopher

Now that's what I'm talkin' about. American technology meets male testosterone. A little pricey, but might be worth the big stupid grin on your face when using. Yee-haw.

I've done it with MAPP gas. LOL. Scared the crap out of me.

I have seen the Rodenator at local farm shows and it is very effective. Every one in a while on the video, you see a gopher go flying. But they are hard to control.