Author Topic: Gopher Gold  (Read 14674 times)

SF

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #75 on: October 21, 2020, 02:37:03 AM »
Thanks for all the suggestions.

Brad, I have tried a few different traps macabee, cinch, and off late gopher hawk. Being squeamish about the killings I find gopher hawk to be a bit bearable, once I mastered the trigger setting mechanism. This said I don't do as much trapping as I must probably do. The gopher activity is increasing, and its time to make a concerted work eliminating them.

Thanks for the macabee traps offer, however I don't see myself using a macabee in the near future. Alternately can I buy your in season fruits?!

You have a valid point about focussing on getting rid of them. As I don't do a good work with the trappings, I am using the fall back option of baskets to help establish the tree.



spaugh

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #76 on: October 21, 2020, 11:51:51 AM »
If the gophers are there and getting worse, you need to go all out on them and get rid of them.  They will just eat all the root outside of a basket and still ruin the tree. 

If you want help one weekend let me know, Ill come and kill a lot of them.

This should be you in this picture.


Brad Spaugh

bovine421

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #77 on: October 21, 2020, 10:20:09 PM »
If the gophers are there and getting worse, you need to go all out on them and get rid of them.  They will just eat all the root outside of a basket and still ruin the tree. 

If you want help one weekend let me know, Ill come and kill a lot of them.

This should be you in this picture.


I saw this on the Cannabis forum and thought I would share. Does anyone have a recipe for gopher gravy? Would like to send to my brother in California

https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/appetizer/meat-appetizer/gopher-stew.html
Tete Nene Julie Juliet Carrie Ice Cream Coconut Cream Little Gem  Dot  Mallika PPK  OS  Pina Colada Cotton Candy Buxton Spice Karen Michelle M-4 Beverly Marc Anthony White Pirie Lychee Cherilata Plantain Barbados Cherry

TheWaterbug

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #78 on: May 24, 2021, 01:40:38 AM »
Another problem with most reusable traps is that you have to check them pretty much every day, or else your "prizes" will start to rot or get eaten in the traps.

What's grosser than removing a gopher from a trap? Removing half a gopher from a trap.  :o


Last season I had a weird problem with disappearing traps! At least two of my Victor Black Box traps were gone the next day. I suspected that they had caught gophers, and then a coyote had come by during the night to get a free meal, and just walked off with the gopher in the trap.


6 months after this happened, I was walking behind my shed, and I found 2 of my traps. They'd been tripped, and they were empty of any remains. I can't say for sure that my theory was correct, but I regularly catch coyotes on my trail camera, walking up from my garden towards my shed area.
Sunset 23/USDA 11a, Elev. 783', Frost free since 8,000 BC. Plagued by squirrels, gophers, and peafowl, but coming to terms with it!

BQ McFry

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #79 on: May 24, 2021, 08:17:02 AM »
We don't have gophers in N.C. but we do have groundhogs. Groundhogs love to move into previously excavated areas, and my neighbor's barn attracts a new female each year, which will give birth to 3 or so kits.

The neighbor will shoot or trap the groundhogs over the course of the summer, but it's not his top priority. He said he has tried to fill the holes with gravel and the groundhogs quickly dig that out. He probably needs to pour cement in the holes.

Groundhogs often seem to establish warrens under abandoned buildings... There are youtube videos of exterminators removing a colony of them from old barns.

K-Rimes

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #80 on: May 24, 2021, 10:42:55 AM »
We don't have gophers in N.C. but we do have groundhogs. Groundhogs love to move into previously excavated areas, and my neighbor's barn attracts a new female each year, which will give birth to 3 or so kits.

The neighbor will shoot or trap the groundhogs over the course of the summer, but it's not his top priority. He said he has tried to fill the holes with gravel and the groundhogs quickly dig that out. He probably needs to pour cement in the holes.

Groundhogs often seem to establish warrens under abandoned buildings... There are youtube videos of exterminators removing a colony of them from old barns.

Filling the holes is ineffective. They will just dig a new one off to the side of it. You can't drown them either because they will build u-shape tunnels above the main run and water will never reach it. Rodents are effing smart.

SHV

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #81 on: November 13, 2021, 09:04:16 AM »
I have a new gopher patrol on my property. For the past several weeks, a grey Herron has been keeping my gopher population in check.  Watching these evolved dinosaurs hover over the holes in the morning, stab the emerging gopher with their long beaks, and pull their lifeless bodies from the hole is quite satisfying. I have some grainy Bigfoot video of the bird carrying a dead gopher trophy, but can never get a solid video of the hunt.  Too far for an iPhone camera and I don’t want to disturb him while hunting.

sbtropic

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #82 on: November 13, 2021, 11:20:57 AM »
I use all of the different kinds of traps. Sometimes different traps work better in different situations. However, the best trap overall is the gopherhawk. The gopherhawk is not expensive for me because the biggest cost of trapping gophers is the labor. If I include my time or the cost of hiring someone, I save money by using gopherlawk. Right now I have 25 of them in my orchard along with some macabee and box traps.

The Drought in Socal has made things even worse this year, because the only place the gophers can find roots is around my trees! The field had no weeds up until the most recent rains. So they constantly attacked my trees. In one case there was a leak in my drip line that created a small green patch of weeds in my orchard. So far I have caught four gophers in that spot and there are more there. So they were attacked to the greens and watered soil in that area. I have not figured this out yet, but there could be a way to have an area away from the trees were you water an area with plants in it that they like to lure them away from the trees. Then there could be a way to either trap them in that spot or set up some way corral them under ground. Just a thought.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2021, 11:24:03 AM by sbtropic »

RollingInTheWeeds

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #83 on: November 13, 2021, 07:38:03 PM »
I have not figured this out yet, but there could be a way to have an area away from the trees were you water an area with plants in it that they like to lure them away from the trees. Then there could be a way to either trap them in that spot or set up some way corral them under ground. Just a thought.

Great thinking!  Seems like a variation on the "trap crop" concept.

spaugh

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #84 on: November 13, 2021, 09:40:41 PM »
You could just create a rattlesnake pit that all the gopher tunnels lead to.  That would fix the problem.

Brad Spaugh

sbtropic

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #85 on: November 14, 2021, 12:57:17 AM »
I knew some of you would come up with creative ways to put this into practice!

Has anyone used the castor oil based products that you can water in around your plants to deter gophers from going in that area? Some say they work, but others say they don't.

W.

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #86 on: November 14, 2021, 02:16:28 AM »
You could just create a rattlesnake pit that all the gopher tunnels lead to.  That would fix the problem.



Those are some fine looking snakes. Good rodent killers. Unfortunately, rattlesnakes are getting rarer. I have only seen a couple way out in the country, and that was years ago. Now, to put that rarity in perspective, my yard is filled with rat snakes which I see often, and I found a pair of copperheads in my daylilies this summer. It is wooded and not in a particularly urban area, but people have done their best to wipe out rattlesnakes where I live.

spaugh

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #87 on: November 14, 2021, 10:04:44 AM »
we have rattlesnakes where I live.  Personally not a fan of them.  too many close calls almost stepping on them and my kids are little and could easily step on one and have their life ruined for it.  I try and move gopher snakes into the orchard area and move rattle snakes out of the orchard. 
Brad Spaugh

Oolie

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #88 on: January 19, 2022, 02:01:03 AM »
I have a new gopher patrol on my property. For the past several weeks, a grey Herron has been keeping my gopher population in check.  Watching these evolved dinosaurs hover over the holes in the morning, stab the emerging gopher with their long beaks, and pull their lifeless bodies from the hole is quite satisfying. I have some grainy Bigfoot video of the bird carrying a dead gopher trophy, but can never get a solid video of the hunt.  Too far for an iPhone camera and I don’t want to disturb him while hunting.

I fish alongside the blue ones frequently, I love their brazen attitude. I need some for my yard, and the nearest water body to me is only a mile away. Any tips for keeping them around, as I could always use more predators.

I have already caught over 50 gophers this year, so I must be doing something right, I just wish I could get them under control already, as I lose most of my established trees to them over everything else.

K-Rimes

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #89 on: January 19, 2022, 12:03:11 PM »
I have handled all the gophers in the immediate area and now have a new task... VOLES. They are harder to figure out since they don't leave mounds. I often don't find their holes for weeks.... Sigh, now to read up about how to trap them. Sounds like mouse traps along their "runs"

W.

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #90 on: January 20, 2022, 08:21:34 AM »
I have handled all the gophers in the immediate area and now have a new task... VOLES. They are harder to figure out since they don't leave mounds. I often don't find their holes for weeks.... Sigh, now to read up about how to trap them. Sounds like mouse traps along their "runs"

California voles must act differently than those in Alabama. I have tons of voles in my yard and have never had any problems. I sometimes watch them come out of their holes, eat a bit of grass or bird seed, and pop back in their holes. I find them quite cute. They do not seem to bother any of my fruit trees, berries, or vegetables. Their holes are far too small to cause any tripping issues and are too inconspicuous to mar my yard's appearance, though I am uninterested in a spotless, perfectly manicured lawn. I think there must be such an abundance of food and suitable habitat on my property (which the more arid California lacks) that voles, groundhogs, rabbits, and wild mice leave all my food plants alone, which makes me leave them alone. The squirrels and chipmunks on the other hand are very destructive to everything and, accordingly, are shot on sight.

K-Rimes

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #91 on: January 20, 2022, 11:44:45 AM »
The only damage so far is that a vole was coming out and munching down stalks of golden berry. I was going to prune it hard anyways so I don't care too much but it's not a good sign... I'll probably start trapping them to be safe.

vall

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #92 on: March 17, 2022, 02:36:57 PM »
- Val

K-Rimes

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #93 on: March 17, 2022, 02:43:04 PM »
The only damage so far is that a vole was coming out and munching down stalks of golden berry. I was going to prune it hard anyways so I don't care too much but it's not a good sign... I'll probably start trapping them to be safe.

Since my Jan 22 post I have trapped 8-10 gophers. I just caught the bastard who was messing with the golden berry this morning, who escaped me for weeks. I think I may be over the spring rush, it happens every year. Caught a few obviously pregnant females so that was a win. What I have learned this year is that only mature gophers make big mounds as they create new tunnels - immature ones utilize existing tunnels and create very small holes to surface with they backfill, not easily identifiable mounds. They still do a lot of damage when young.

Got only 2 with gopher hawk traps, the rest with quick set Victors. As much of a pain as it is digging out the holes and carefully setting the traps, I think the snap traps are more effective.

K-Rimes

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #94 on: January 25, 2023, 01:42:54 PM »



Got my first one of 2023 and it was huge. Did some good amount of damage, but got it overnight from first sign of mounds. Funny to see I was the last post here and thought I was done in March. I got another 15 after that post for a total of 25 for 2022

SHV

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #95 on: January 25, 2023, 02:01:36 PM »
Yep, that's fine specimen!  Think of the luxurious coat you could assemble from all those fine gopher pelts. 
Now is the time to catch 'em when the soil is soft from rain and they refresh all their tunnels.

K-Rimes

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #96 on: January 25, 2023, 02:09:00 PM »
Yep, that's fine specimen!  Think of the luxurious coat you could assemble from all those fine gopher pelts. 
Now is the time to catch 'em when the soil is soft from rain and they refresh all their tunnels.

I admit I read up yesterday if they're edible!  ;D

Oolie

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #97 on: January 25, 2023, 08:05:26 PM »
I don't know, the ones in my yard would tower over that one. I need to get back to trapping, I lost some very mature/ old trees the last year. All figs will now be in pots, and I will have to address the mango area, where gopher numbers are low and losses are high.

I need our Alabama cats out there, as they are rodent catching champs.

K-Rimes

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #98 on: January 26, 2023, 01:48:04 PM »
I don't know, the ones in my yard would tower over that one. I need to get back to trapping, I lost some very mature/ old trees the last year. All figs will now be in pots, and I will have to address the mango area, where gopher numbers are low and losses are high.

I need our Alabama cats out there, as they are rodent catching champs.

I keep trying to convince my girlfriend that we need a terrier with rodent catching built into its DNA. Man, that would be nice. Trapping is really tough for me because I am in Los Padres national forest so I am surrounded by oak forest. Really nice environment to be in, but totally unmitigated rodent and pest populations.

Kankan

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Re: Gopher Gold
« Reply #99 on: January 26, 2023, 08:09:20 PM »
I don't know, the ones in my yard would tower over that one. I need to get back to trapping, I lost some very mature/ old trees the last year. All figs will now be in pots, and I will have to address the mango area, where gopher numbers are low and losses are high.

I need our Alabama cats out there, as they are rodent catching champs.

I keep trying to convince my girlfriend that we need a terrier with rodent catching built into its DNA. Man, that would be nice. Trapping is really tough for me because I am in Los Padres national forest so I am surrounded by oak forest. Really nice environment to be in, but totally unmitigated rodent and pest populations.


You need a ferret...they'd get the job done.