Pocket Gophers

[pike79]

I trapped 2 pocket gophers in the garden this week.

[Fins-n-feathers]

Cool! I remember growing up I always would trap the pocket gophers in my grandpa's yard with my old man. We had tons of fun and my grandpa got rid of the little mounds that would kill the trees in his yard. Lots of good memories trapping those little rascals.

[Grayfox]

Caught a pile of them not so long ago.

[Musky Buck]

That brings back plenty of memories, paid for my brand new 200 Kawasaki 3 wheeler with pocket gopher feet and eventually the tail also, $1.00 from the township and a buck from the farmer(s) and I was rich lol. 40-50 sets per time and hope for 50% or better. I never see the mounds in east central MN, too clayish the soil or ? Cross the old Miss and I start to see them, took 2 europeans with me trapping gophers and they loved it, I thought you ladies are nuts lol. Wait for the wood ticks, mosquito's and fox or coyotes ripping off your gopher and or trap with it, hawks etc. Boy did time move by slower in those days.

[ozzie]

the little bastered that is tearing up my yard just doesn't get caught!! I have set traps and poison...the traps go off but no gopher and the poison I find sitting back out of the holes no matter how far I put them in the tunnel....luckily I have chased it into my neighbors yard but I want it dead!!

[Musky Buck]

Used to hate it when the neighbors would plow under their crp or alfalfa because the next field was ours or our neighbors and man they can get thick in a hurry.

[pike79]

ozzie sounds like you heve an educated one. Sometimes you have to throw them a curve ball. I have opened a hole away from the trap, and cover the hole the trap is in.The two I gotten last week, I set two death clutch traps in one hole facing oppisite directions in the tunnel.

[carpshooterdeluxe]

A good rule of thumb to go by is if the hole splits or tee's before two death clutch lengths, use a leg hold or pan trap set in the intersection of the tunnels and cover the hole. a mat of road ditch grass and the dirt from the mound works good; some guys use 1/4" plywood squares too. Its a good idea to give your township treasurer a call too; many townships still pay bounties on pocket gophers. The township I grew up in in MN is currently paying $2.75 for pocket gophers (pair of front feet), $0.25 for Stripers (tail), and $0.75 for flickertails (tail).

[Fins-n-feathers]

A good rule of thumb to go by is if the hole splits or tee's before two death clutch lengths, use a leg hold or pan trap set in the intersection of the tunnels and cover the hole.

+1 - we always have better luck when we are able to find an intersection of tunnels.

[Ryan_V]

I use a product called "the giant destroyer". Works extremely well. Gives off a gas. Looks like a stick of dymamite, light the fuse and get it burning, put it in the burrow and it fills the burrow with gas. Just find a spot where you can access the burrow, light it, put it in the burrow and cover up. I used to get them at any hardware store, menards/etc. Good luck

[ozzie]

I was going to go with the smoke bomb route that you mentioned Ryan but the thing left my property and now I am on guard waiting for it to come back...I also now have a .22 rifle and a bb gun ready for when he shows his face in the daytime again!!!haha

[carpshooterdeluxe]

I was going to go with the smoke bomb route that you mentioned Ryan but the thing left my property and now I am on guard waiting for it to come back...I also now have a .22 rifle and a bb gun ready for when he shows his face in the daytime again!!!haha

nothing better than catching a pocket gopher in the act of digging. "POW!" said the ruger 10/22.

[ozzie]

I have seen this one a couple of times but I only had the 12 gauge and didn't want to tick off the neighbors....now the next time he shows though that .22 is coming out as it is accurate!!

[fischer69]

Those little buggers are tearing my place up! My son sae a mound with a hole in it the other day, so I started digging with my fingers & basically scrated its back! I sprinted to my shop, grabbed the .22 & clip,& he was still digging. Little sucker is toast with 5 shots I put in him! However he must have a lot of relative in the neighborhood because I have about a 1/2 dozen more mounds