gopher assistance please?

1 yard.
3 trailing mounds.
Set Steve traps set on 3 different sections.
tunnels where I'm trying But ALL traps are being dug under and pushed up to the top soil

looking for ideas on getting gopher though the trap whit out clogging my set or. Or borowing around the trap.

I have never had it this bad. Scent??? Never been a problem in papst

any tricks to beat the smart gopher?,, thanks

Steve's traps have never let me down yet. I don't know how you set, but here is how I set his traps.

I rarely set the further mound in any direction, but rather dig the middle mounds up so you get a two
way run.

I put one trap each direction and I overset in terms of 1 gopher in about 20 - 30 square feet so why
set more than 1-2 traps, but for me, I don't do much of them so I set 4 at least per gopher territory
of this size. If just after reproduction of course you can get more than 1 in that area if dispersal time
but otherwise you are after of course one male or one female.

I won't set just a basic mound run if I can't find the fork.

If I have bad location or not many mounds, I go between two mounds and dig down till I hit the tunnel
and again set one each direction.

Only time I've heard of them pushing up dirt was either folks who felt they "pinched" the gopher and
educated it, or where folks left the hole open after digging, causing the gopher to bring more dirt (akin
to the beaver dam break issues...) I always close the hole over the top after placing traps.

If any of that is helpful, great, if not look forward to hearing what you figure out!

A side note, my tunnels are usually extremely tight to steve's trap size so there isn't much room to avoid
them..

Gophers are usually super easy to catch. Nothing like a mole . Might try pushing the trap a little deeper in the hole , make sure its worked in / bedded pretty solid. Also make sure there is plenty of room for the gopher to push dirt over the trap so that it takes him through it when he tries to stop up the hole. I leave my gopher sets open, it seems like the sunlight air temp draws them much faster. I usually have a catch in an hour.

There is also the chance you have a mole there working too ??

This may sound stupid but that do these gophers
That you your trapping look like? Or what is the
Scientific name?

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7433.html

http://www.okrangelandswest.okstate.edu/files/wildlife%20pdfs/NREM-9001.pdf

More state specific here, sorry about the cal info...

Interesting little critters, we obviously don't have
Them here as I have never seen one before.

Thank you guys.... I am going use some of these ideas. I'm gonna give them a few days before i reset.
I will update when i do.

HD you are correct.....pocket gopher.

AR i agree usually simple but they are kicking my butt!! And I hate moles!!

Some times they are just a pain in the seat especially in bermuda grass. If the tunnel isn't open or loosly closed I won't even mess with it in bermuda. Some times they seem to have multiple tunnels at one mound like they're grazing under there.

80C - How did it turn out? Any progress? Was out today at one of my few clients for this. 2 acre property mostly native no lawn or anything of that sort, 6 different "ranges" in that 2 acres (2 acres minus the footprint of the house of course and other structures). Each "range" was separated by about 30 linear feet to the next set of mounds. Steve's gear in the ground, usually do a 2 day check and pull. Always knock down the other mounds so that I know if any are new next time.

How are you guys staking your gear ? I have always just used a wire flag in town. Never really targeted any in the county but set a few behind my place and lost 2 brand new albinos to coyotes. I have been playing with staking methods but haven't found any that are really efficient yet for numbers of traps.

Adam,

I use the simple wire flags as well, the only time I've had any pulled up were over the winter left in the runs after last check, however the coyote just took the gopher after excavating it and left the gear there.

I have a piece of wire (going to replace with cable at some point) so that I can flag them up top, but I usually use the wire flag base in the hole just behind the coil spring, by staking here if the gopher hits it hard or tries to move it it holds tight and fires.

Works for me anyway, I do think if a predator wants it, it is going to take it, but adding earth anchors or anything more serious seems too much, but I suppose you could do a lighter version...


Justin