Mole and gopher trapping.-Has anyone had any success in finding a way to keep moles or gophers from filling their trap sets with dirt. thanks

Set runs not clean outs

Don't open the run unless you are using the type of trap that requires it. Then I would not do much excavating of the run and close the run back with dirt so that he doesn't feel air current notifying him of the hole and the need to repair or block the run of intruders.

Which traps dont go in the runs?

My experience has been that gophers don't push dirt into traps unless they have been previously pinched in a trap and have become trap shy. Once the realize the danger the trap poses to them, they will definitely pack dirt into them and not get caught. They are pretty smart.

I see you are in Oregon, are you in the Wilamette Valley by any chance? If so, you have the larges species of gopher in the country, and you probably need a fairly powerful trap to kill the gophers on the first set and not wind up with trap shy gophers.

Vinke,
They all do. What I meant was some traps like the out-a-site and spear traps you don't always open the runs. Sometimes if the soil and depth of the tunnel are right I just depress the run and put a little mud ball under the trigger. With the out-a site I cut the sod with a knife or the out-a-site shovel to make sure when the mole fires it I don't catch a rock,root or nut.