greyscat, We have clay in Missouri that is patchy. The moles will travel through the clay to get to a feeding area. When using Steve's traps in clay, I have formed a couple of "lids" (dirt clods) out of the clay to cover the open tunnel... then to check each day you simply lift the lid to see if the trip pin is in place and sometimes you can even see the mole fur if you have got one. If not you can replace them.

With the Out-O-Sight trap, there is a technique called "bath tubbing" that I learned from a mole trapping DVD (http://www.moletrapper.com/molebuster.html) where you dig out the clay to where you can fit your trap in alignment with the tunnel and then you fill the hole with top soil and set your trap back in the top soil. Hope this helps.

Funny the names that get put on sometings from time to time. I had never thought to put a name on that.

Sure wish we could do them Here.......Barky as always thanks
What is the longest you have seen a mole/moles travel betwwn feeding areas??????......
...There are several lawns on our farm that are separated by trees and flowered areas....These areas are a great distance apart.
The hill that erupt in the yard never seam to happen at the same time.....First here, and then there
I believe that there are tunnels within this described area that have been in existence since the mole fist ( or shortly after ) became aware of the Wonders Washington Bestows

I do not see moles travel far once they are established. However I have followed a moving or dispursing mole for over 100 yards of surface tunnelling, and I am sure they have been documented as going even farther.

The problem as I see it is that moles are always comming and going, Migrating if you will. I also believe that moles use old tunnels that once established are there for year before they fill in.

moles are always fun to work with, learn something new about them all the time. i have had 2 to 3 acre yards with damage all around the house and out in the front and back yard, it was all connected, caught one mole and didn't have any more damage for 3 months. i have another yard that is about 3/4 acre and catch 10 to 15 every 6 months out of it, alot depends on the terrain around the yard.

Here in many parts of Ohio, the 17 year cicadas are emerging by the billions. This has allowed female moles that usually have 3 or 4 young to produce bigger litters and those litters to grow quite rapidly. Thus there are more moles per acre, or so it seems.

Mole populations gradually increase as cicada nymths grow and become large enough to become food sourse, which is about 5 years before the cicadas emerge. In the region, they also come out in the 13 year cycles.

As of July 10th, the 17 year cicadas are pretty much done. The much larger annual cicadas are emerging though and filling the air with the sound of summer. Due to an exceptionally wet year however, the moles in many places are still going strong. How do you guys trap them when they are going deep and there are no surface tunnels? Here in some places there are only mounds of dirt, so they must be traveling well below the surface.

Personally I dig down to them....a little early for that here. We've had too much rain, even though some days are in the 90's.
August will have us digging though.

Thanks.

We are seeing "August like" weather much earlier than most years.....About mid July. It's really dry here.

Finally some rain, about 3/4 inch. Anybody still trapping moles heavy here in August? About 45 jobs out still.

I still have a few sets out. But its still dry here, and they seem to still be deep. Your not that far up the road from us. We didnt get much rain at all here. Its in the forcast for the next couple days but just storms. We need a couple days of good slow steady rain, dry here!

But with the outside work we have right now, I guess I will take the trade off!

Brent

I'm hoping to end most of my contracts during the dry spell!

LOL...I hear ya!

We got bat work out our ears right now, I could use the extra time myself!

Brent

What county is South Point, keekee?

South Point is in Lawrence County. We also run Scioto County, Pike county, Jackson County, as well as Ashland KY, and soon to be Huntington WV.are right on the river were OH, KY, and WV meet.


Brent

Used to do a good bit of beaver trapping down in Vinton, just north of that, keekee. Good country down that way...good folks too!

Vinton, yep done some turkey hunting up there a few times. Good area for about any thing!

And yes sir some real nice people! You get down this way give us a yell!


Brent

Hey Dave, send some rain down this way.... FAY hasn't got enough to reach OHIO..and I need some more mole work!

I have a mole that will not travel the same path twice...I think it's due to the drought...anybody else experience that? I've been after this mole for over two weeks....never travels the same path, once he's dug it.