Gopher Gold

[gnappi]

I do not have gophers but my squirrel, rat and other vermin populations go way down when I see more birds of prey around.

Rats get taken by owls and squirrels by hawks and such.

I'd imagine gophers would attract enough predators to make a gopher buffet?

[Oolie]

Ferrets are not an option in California, and in El Cajon, we have many birds of prey. The property has some of the tallest trees in the area, so the owls and hawks (Mostly Redtail) use them as perches for hunting and nesting.

Even with all of the birds, the gophers reproduce too quickly for the birds to really knock down the population.

[FigoVelo]

I haven’t read the whole thread so apologies if I am just repeating others’ advice. I have 2 suggestions: Don’t fill in the main run after you trap a gopher there. Keep it open, and leave the traps there. I have caught multiple gophers in the same run, often just days apart. The other suggestion is to dig a trench around your prized trees and drop in corrugated metal sheets, carefully overlapped, as a barrier. Some might dig under but you might keep most out.

[K-Rimes]

I haven’t read the whole thread so apologies if I am just repeating others’ advice. I have 2 suggestions: Don’t fill in the main run after you trap a gopher there. Keep it open, and leave the traps there. I have caught multiple gophers in the same run, often just days apart. The other suggestion is to dig a trench around your prized trees and drop in corrugated metal sheets, carefully overlapped, as a barrier. Some might dig under but you might keep most out.

I’ve seen this attempted many times in various ways. They go as deep as 6’ and will get thru the slimmest of holes. I would wager chicken wire they could squeeze thru if determined or juvenile. A basket is a deterrent and will give you a couple days to get it, but it’s not a sure fire protector for life.

Got my third of 2023 a couple days ago. This year is notably much lower pressure. Maybe the rains makes them spread out cause food is more plentiful? Drowned? I trapped 20+ last year and had at least 6 by March last year.

[ScottR]

My record is 6-out of same whole mom,dad,kids aunt,uncle this year got two big ones out of same hole they have been active because of rain yippy

[Pneuma]

I use a cheetah machine. Its been a good investment over time.  In my area could start a small business with one these with minimum investment just a idea.  I tried traps on my 2.5 acres wasnt cutting it for me maybe Im just not a good trapper either way this machine gets it done.  Its brought me closer to my neighbors as I offer to help them knock these fuckers out which is good for all of us.  I also got some barn cats that from local shelter had 4 down to 3 now they help alot with ground squirrels and maybe a little bit with the gophers.  The best hunter ive seen is from late February through late April The Great Blue Herons nest in my Neighbors massive Oak grove ive seen 1 Heron pull out 6 gophers in one afternoon, during mating season the pairs hunt together its one of Natures true wonders ive seen a group of 6 Herons pull out 10 gophers/ground squirrels in a coupe hrs.  Im planning on adding a Pond to help the Herons spend more time at my property.  Heres a link to the machine I use.  If anyone is close to me and wants to try machine hit me sharing is caring.  Happy Hunting Friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaEq3pVN_xE

[Jeramyl]

I use a cheetah machine. Its been a good investment over time.

Like others here, I use the gopher hawk (https://gopherhawk.com/) with incredible success but this Cheetah really looks the simplest of anything I’ve seen so far for large yards…. Not nearly as fun to watch as the guys that blow the holes with propane or welding gases but the cheetah looks fantastic.

I’ll have to check the price. 

[SHV]

That’s an ingenious device. For $1800, that’s going to be a no. I guess I could just hook up corrugated tubing to the exhaust pipe of my Kawasaki Mule and pump the exhaust down the gopher hole to get the same effect. 

[Pneuma]

That’s an ingenious device. For $1800, that’s going to be a no. I guess I could just hook up corrugated tubing to the exhaust pipe of my Kawasaki Mule and pump the exhaust down the gopher hole to get the same effect.

Ouch prices have gone up I got mine for $1000 delivered in 2018 inflation is a bitch right now.  The friendships the machine has started with neighbors is priceless to be honest I would have never been friendly with them other wise really as I am private person. 
what makes machine work well is it has a fan that blows the exhaust into holes plus theyve figure out how to get engine to put out max carbon dioxide with little use of fuel.  What I do is I toss dog shit and crushed hot peppers into the hole before filling all exits and gassing. I know $1800 is out of most farmers budget but if u think of it like this ive had for 5 year with no issues thats $200 a year and next year cost will do down to $166.66 a year that aint to bad if you ask me.  If anyone is around my area and wants to see in action reach out always looking to connect with farmers to learn and help. 
Happy Hunting
Wes

[K-Rimes]

https://www.harborfreight.com/brands/predator/engines/65-hp-212cc-ohv-horizontal-shaft-gas-engine-epacarb-69727.html

+

https://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/hand-trucks-carts-dollies/hand-platform-trucks/2-in-1-convertible-hand-truck-800-lb-600-lb-capacity-58295.html

+

https://www.amazon.com/UXELY-Stainless-Universal-Exhaust-118-11in/dp/B09GKPPZ3W/ref=asc_df_B09GKPPZ3W/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=587351008973&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8942341535611727436&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031644&hvtargid=pla-1645246333820&psc=1

= About $400

There is also this option:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114364423819?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=114364423819&targetid=1262749490342&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9031644&poi=&campaignid=14859008593&mkgroupid=130497710760&rlsatarget=pla-1262749490342&abcId=9300678&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQiAjbagBhD3ARIsANRrqEsk6gb0r8KfjPU1BlZPjmuEfYKQQsLg59Mu6GZyla_LvRvuB2yMujEaApO8EALw_wcB

I've been thinking of building one of these and starting a gopher X business. I was blown away that another collector here was paying $200 per visit from a gopher control company. Sounds like a profitable business if you can get enough customers!

[spaugh]

I use traps and pull out dead bodies.💀

[Jeramyl]

Redneck version of the Cheetah… could work with any motor.

https://youtu.be/xIVq-73Pp50

“Nighty night little buddies”

[Oolie]

There will be a gaseous carbon reckoning.

[K-Rimes]

I think I've finally figured out how to catch moles, they have been extremely elusive and I've tried so many different traps. Feeling good today!

[K-Rimes]

Keep your eyes out folks, I just had 3 gophers pop up the last few days after a blissful few months of none. I believe this is when the biggest baddest gophers migrate to new territory to set up shop.

[FigoVelo]

I dug a 2-3 ft deep trench around my 2 fig plots, then filled them with drain rock. Works pretty darn well, given that I live in a notorious gopher region.

[Daintree]

The problem with trapping is that the empty tunnels are prime real estate for traveling gophers.
They just say "thanks" and move in.
I like the gas method. Dead gophers stay deep within the tunnel system, and their little rotting corpses help deter new tenants.
Can you just bring your car and hook a hose up to the tail pipe?
My sister rented a Ditch Witch and dug around her whole property three feet deep, then we put used roofing material in the slots and filled it in. We got the roofing at the dump! We are high desert so figure the sheets will last many years.
After she killed the residing gophers she had no more problems. We did catch one gopher running up the driveway headed for the yard and set our dacshund on it.
My neighborhood flood irrigates, so we have no gophers, but I had an infestation of voles in my greenhouse one year  that chewed through the pots or went in through the drainholes and killed several trees before I managed to trap them.

[Oolie]

In properties where the steep slopes prevent casual vehicle access the gassing has to be more strategic.

The plan is 4x4 vehicles for the sandy areas, and generators for the rocky ones.

Excellent to hear of the exclusionary successes with drain gravel and roofing material. I imagined it was the metal roofing material?

[K-Rimes]

I am skeptical of any drain rock or sheeting / netting success long term unless it's a complete basin with walls above ground. Gophers can go as deep as 6'. My neighbor trenched down 3' and used aluminum lath as subterranean fence, they got underneath it. A family friend used chicken wire and about 4 years later it had rusted out and they were in the gardens. They tunnel right under the lath as well, and then your roots just end up air-time. I need to pull my raised beds up to check this out, at some point, just a ton of work... God... I hate them!

Trapping has proved very successful for me on my 1 acre planting area, but bordering a national forest, the gopher pressure is immense and never ending. At this point, I trap them half for my orchard, half for sport. I'm at 25+ this year, I think, but I extended my trapping range out to my neighbor's and side of the highway and that has really made a noticeable improvement.

I want to build one of those generator type deals. I heard legend of a local commercial trapper who would put traps on the sides of the orchards, smoke bombs at the bottom, and then the generator exhaust at the top... What a campaign!

[dolomis]

let me kno your thoughts, rebar basket could be a more long term solution versus the chicken lining

[K-Rimes]

let me kno your thoughts, rebar basket could be a more long term solution versus the chicken lining

I don't use baskets anymore, I just trap them obsessively. If I see a mound, I have 3-4 traps deployed immediately. I usually get them within 12 hours and they can't do much damage in that time. It's only if in really weird rocky or angled terrain that I have trouble.

You don't see baskets used commercially in big orchards, and I will always wonder what happens to a tree when it gets big and roots get big... Does the basket choke them? I used to basket a lot when I was a poor trapper.

[dolomis]

the roots will grow around the bars kind how they grow through cracks in concrete etc...

[spaugh]

Agree with kevin, just trap them.  Baskets are a waste of money imo.

[K-Rimes]

Anyone figured out the best way to catch moles? I never had them up till about a year and change ago. They are way harder than gophers for me.

I did get one this morning using Trapline mole traps, one in either direction of the tunnel. I have occasionally gotten one in a Gopherhawk but total luck, you can't deploy them that shallow most of the time and it was just wandering down a gopher tunnnel I would guess.

Any mole tips appreciated.

[SanDiegoCherimoya]

Assassin's