Mole novice needs help to avoid insane asylum
#3449842
11/29/12 04:11 AM
11/29/12 04:11 AM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 0 Missouri
gnr
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 0
Missouri
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Hello... I'm new to the forum and really could use some help. I have a mole taking over my life and it needs to end (the mole's life...not mine). For the past 2 months or so, I have been trying to get rid of a pesky mole (or moles) in my back yard. I've tried poison peanuts, 1 spear trap, 2 Victor Out-of-Site traps and 6 Trapline traps. No luck. I've watched the videos and searched the web about them and I feel like I am setting the traps correctly. There are variations on how to set some of the traps and I've tried them all.
My ground is compacted with sparse grass which makes it impossible to cut a plug because the dirt just crumbles. I've had a relatively straight run across my yard about half way, then a 90 degree turn for 10-15 feet, then another 90 degree turn back the other direction ending on the opposite side of my yard. The mole seems to work in one area at a time and the tunnels seem a little deeper than the moles I've seen in the past. While the runs do meander a bit, in general they are straight. I also have had several dirt mounds at various times. The mole runs go across my neighbor's yard and then hit a fence line in the next neighbors yard. In the summer, I had runs up next to my house but I stomped them all down and they never came back. This fall, they reappeared in the back of my yard and won't go away.
Most of the time, I cut a hole in a run and either use one Out of Site or 2 Trapline traps. For the Out of Site, I have tried leaving the hole open as well as sprinkling it with loose soil to cover the hole. I've also tried the approach where you only cut slits in the soil and sit the trap on top of the ground. For the Trapline, I've tried both leaving the holes open and covering them with a large dirt ball to seal the tunnels. With all trap types, I cover them with a bucket. When I check the traps, they are either untouched or completely packed with loose dirt. 95% of the time, the traps have not been triggered and when they have been, no moles. They seem to be digging under or around the Trapline traps some of the time but I really can't tell for sure as the hole is completely full of dirt when I check it. I even found one of the Trapline traps sitting on top of the fresh dirt mound one day. I just busted out laughing followed by a bunch of words I can't say on the forum.
In a 20' section of tunnel, I've had 5 or 6 sets thinking I'd increase my odds. I've also been using gloves to control scent. I just can't figure out this mole and really could use some advice.
Thank you
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Re: Mole novice needs help to avoid insane asylum
[Re: gnr]
#3451080
11/29/12 08:36 PM
11/29/12 08:36 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30 St. Louis area
Dave Schmidt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30
St. Louis area
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I can handle it if it's in the St. Louis area. What Bob says is right; my technique doesn't seem all that complicated to me, but I sure do catch 'em!
ALL OUT Wildlife Control
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Re: Mole novice needs help to avoid insane asylum
[Re: Paul Winkelmann]
#3451086
11/29/12 08:38 PM
11/29/12 08:38 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,244 West Michigan
Getting There
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,244
West Michigan
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To catch mole you will spend 95% of your time on your knee's prodding to finding the right tunnel. When first starting you will be setting a lot of traps, there are no short cuts. Look at the price of having someone replace a wall plug and the cost of hiring someone to trap your mole does not look bad,and all it takes to replace a wall plug is a screw driver and twenty minutes. JMO
To Old U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
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Re: Mole novice needs help to avoid insane asylum
[Re: gnr]
#3451942
11/30/12 09:57 AM
11/30/12 09:57 AM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,244 West Michigan
Getting There
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,244
West Michigan
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Maybe you can barter for your trap with the person you hire, chalk up your time to experience! It never hurts to ask.
To Old U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
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Re: Mole novice needs help to avoid insane asylum
[Re: Bob Jameson]
#3455192
12/02/12 01:59 AM
12/02/12 01:59 AM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 0 Missouri
gnr
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 0
Missouri
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Then you must factor in reproduction and migration filtration into your area from adjoining properties. Oh.. that makes me feel better. Thanks I checked my traps tonight and again, no luck. This particular hole had 3 tunnels coming together and I placed a Trapline trap in each tunnel. I've used this location for several days and because of all the digging and resetting, the hole is now pretty large. I'd say it is about 6" x 12" and about 6" deep. Two of the tunnels are only 2-3 inches down but the other one is closer to 6"-8" down and seems like it is coming up at an angle. I placed a big dirt ball about the size of a baseball over each tunnel and then place a board over the hole in the ground. When I checked tonight, the hole was completely full of loose dirt and the traps were not tripped. I had a few other sites set along the same mole run just a few feet away and no activity was present. The cycle continues. I'm doing something wrong and can't figure it out.
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Re: Mole novice needs help to avoid insane asylum
[Re: gnr]
#3479806
12/13/12 01:12 AM
12/13/12 01:12 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7 California
Baxter
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7
California
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Pull your traps for a week and come back with a fresh mind and set of eyes and you will get him. Works for me.
Aaron
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Re: Mole novice needs help to avoid insane asylum
[Re: gnr]
#3486569
12/16/12 09:49 AM
12/16/12 09:49 AM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30 St. Louis area
Dave Schmidt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30
St. Louis area
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Thanks, Coast Trapper. My experience with the Talpirid "worms" was disappointing, to say the least. The manufacturers, Bell Labs, refused on several occasions to provide hard science to back up their claims as to the efficacy of their product. That's pretty bad.
ALL OUT Wildlife Control
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Re: Mole novice needs help to avoid insane asylum
[Re: gnr]
#3868560
06/30/13 12:46 AM
06/30/13 12:46 AM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 0 Missouri
gnr
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 0
Missouri
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First of all, sorry for the posting to an old thread but I just had to share... (as Paul Harvey would say)... the rest of the story.
As you can see from my posts last fall, I was having a difficult time catching a mole that was tearing up my yard. I spent most of the fall and early winter trying to catch this mole. I never did catch him and gave up when winter got here.
This spring was pretty cool in western Missouri and I didn't see any mole activity until mid June. For the first few days, I didn't see enough activity to know where to set traps so I didn't set any. Then a few mounds started appearing so I went to work again. I have 2 Out of Site traps, 6 Traplines and one old rusty spear trap that I don’t use much in my yard since the moles seem to work deeper than most I've seen.
After a few days of moving traps around and trying to find the best spot, I finally got my very first mole in an Out of Site trap. I felt so much relief that I did a mole victory dance in the yard. I disposed of the mole and reset the trap.
Day 2….Mole #2 caught from the same hole on the OOS trap.
Day 3….No mole or activity from this hole so I moved the trap.
Day 4….Mole #3 caught from the new hole on the OOS trap.
Day 5… It rained hard and kind of made a mess out of my set ups and dirt mounts. No Moles caught.
Day 6…Still a muddy mess… No moles caught.
Day 7…Mole #4 caught from the same hole as #3 on the OOS trap.
Ok…. I spent 2+ months trying to catch a mole last fall and got goose egg. In one week this year, I have caught 4. The only thing I can think of is that the mole from last fall was a smart old timer and he died of old age over the winter. A new family moved in that is dumber than dirt.
I have read that moles don't like company. How many more could there be? All 4 moles came on the OOS traps and I still have not had any luck with the Traplines. Maybe I need to shelf the Traplines and buy more of the OOS traps.
Anyway, I just had to post this as I am still in amazement of my lack of success all fall last year and a complete turn-around this year…...so far that is….
Last edited by gnr; 06/30/13 12:47 AM.
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