Do you use the same basic principals as doing moles?

I got a call and would like some guidance. Even just to call and talk

I'm in sandy soils and the majority of my mole trapping is done on surface/feeding runs using Steve Albano's mole trap but mostly use the Elite Upgraded Victor OOS scissor trap. Plus, when I use Steve's traps, I use them upside down to prevent "dig unders."

Gopher trapping is always the same for me and I use only 1 style of trap - Steve Albano's Gophinator trap. Go to his website along with searching the archives here for tons of tips. Some key points to learn via experience: learning where to probe around a gopher mound, staying away from the "plug" and the "lateral" tunnel when setting traps, tethering your traps, use of a dandelion tool/hori kori knife, crunchy peanut butter, covering the trap set, flagging, saving/putting back the turf divot, watching for irrigation lines/wiring, etc. The key, like anything else, is experience but do your research too. Good luck!

Aggie73:
Never any luck setting Steve's trap upside down. Any tips? Do you have to bed them further when upside down?

I had my best luck using the Albano gophinator traps. I'd dig down find the burrow, then slide the trap inside about 6-8 inches using a cable tied to a take at the opening, rarely ever ha a miss or filled hole.

Mike

Getting There - I first learned about this technique on this forum. I like to push the trap upside down, with index finger behind the trip rod catch, and pushing it in the tunnel as far as I can. But, instead of bedding the trap downward at an angle, I do the opposite. I try to bed somewhat the backend/trip pan so that the pinchers are almost suspended on the front end of the trap. I theorize that moles never sense the steel until they pass through the pinchers, hit the bedded trip pan, and set the trap off as they attempt to dig under. Again, this is in real sandy soils. Pushing the trap in the tunnel as far as I can in this manner also allows me to fill in/cover up the tunnel with dirt behind the trap = no light, air, humidity to further spook Mr. Mole. Even though I still get some dig unders, this method has greatly improved my success rate. Hope this helps!

The dirt I am working in crumbles, should I fill in the hole with loose dirt? I am using macabre traps.

Aggie73:
To keep this straight in this old mine. The spring end if the front and the pinch end is the back. Just take the trap and put the trap back end first into the tunnel. But upside down. Put the back end of the trap in the roof of the tunnel and let the front of the trap rest on the bottom of the tunnel. Do you make sure the pointed ends of the back of the trap are bedded all the way into the top of the tunnel so the mole will not feel the points when they pass?
Thanks for the reply.

Throw Back - Not sure what you mean. My reply to Getting There pertained to the use of the Trapline Products trap for trapping moles. I do cover the back end of each mole trap and tunnel with dirt (sand in my case). The set consists of one trap placed in each direction (2).

If you mean you use the Macabee trap for gopher trapping, then no, you do not cover/plug the back end of the trap and tunnel. After probing and finding the main tunnel, set and somewhat bed your traps, one in each direction. The gopher tunnel with traps should not be covered or plugged. Put a dollop of peanut butter (PB) between your traps. Cover the hole you dug with a stepping stone or some type of cover. I just now started using 12" X 12" X 1/16" aluminum plate that I anchor with 2 rebar stakes. I use mound dirt to seal the edges of the cover plate. Again, this keeps light, air, humidity out and allows the PB odor to waft through the enclosed burrow system. The dirt sealed cover also keeps PB odor or, hopefully, dead gopher odor from attracting dogs, cats, coons, skunks, etc. from digging up your prized catch.

Getting There - Now you got this old mind confused. To me, the pinchers or cinching part of this trap is the front of the trap as it is placed in the tunnel first. This means placing the trap in the tunnel just like you would normally, but turned upside down. Ideally, I want to try to place the trap so that the pinchers are more or less suspended or lifted up to the tunnel roof so that an approaching mole does not sense any steel until it's too late. Somewhat bedding the back end (trip pan and spring section) to the tunnel bottom is the tricky part depending on your soil type. I just know it works for me in sandy soils. Hope this is clear as mud GT.

Well, I filled in the hole thinking it would try to push past. Hope it doesn't just educate them. May have messed this one one up.

GT:
Got ya! There used to be a question, which end if the front of a canoe? The answer, the end that get there first. Like most thing there is a learning curve. Thanks!

I use death clutch traps and I find the mound and use a t bar to probe for it then I dig in a spot where there is a tunnel only going one way so I only have to use one trap therefore I can set more locations. then I set my trap put it as far back in the tunnel as I can and I ALWAYS leave the hole OPEN I never cover the hole. they feel the cold air and go to investigate and then they get caught in a trap on the first day using this method I have no lower than 90 percent catch rate

So you are using the run that the mole is using to push the dirt to the surface and set your trap there. I have never heard of that one. Just another mouse trap. Do you remove the mound first?

So since I messed it up, should I just unfill it and set the dlsame runs or did I blow it?

I see there are different size/model cinch traps, what size do you use? I there different manufactures of cinch traps?
Would like to have a couple to try.

Throw Back - this thread covered both gophers and moles and went in both directions. I assume you are talking about gopher trapping since you mention the Macabee trap you use. I guess you can catch moles with it. Not sure. I have caught moles inadvertantly tho in gopher sets using Steve's Trapline Gophinator. Leave your set as is for now or for at least a day or so. If you don't catch anything, I would uncover the tunnel and re-set and put a dab of PB between the traps, and cover the trap hole as mentioned previously. If all else fails pull the traps and re-set on close/adjacent mounds. Below is an exaggerated pic of a tethered set used for a presentation. The pic shows the traps incorrectly set as they should be placed way further into the tunnel and somewhat bedded. Again, I cover all my sets.

Well out of three sets with 6 traps I got one gopher. Moved two sets and put peanut butter in them. Go back in two days

TB - Congrats on your catch! Hopefully the two sets you moved were onto a separate series of gopher mounds. Except for the breeding season and when mama finishes weaning her young, gophers are solitary and territorial. One gopher can throw a series or a bunch of mounds but they'll all be relatively close to each other. Obviously if you have a separate series of mounds in the front yard, back yard or side yard, then these are different gophers.

I was happy, first gopher I have caught. shes got a couple sections, I think three gophers maybe, working hard to get the right one, shes got thousands invested in her roses.

A customer gave me this root of one of her prized roses. The damage by the gnawing gopher is seen on the lower left. The clean cuts on the upper right were done by loppers. She was happy when I put the root to the culprit gopher!

How long do you guys trap and how often do you check.

I was thinking 8 days. Set on day one, check on day two and then every other day

If I set traps in the morning on a series of mounds that includes at least 1 freshly thrown mound, I should have a gopher by that evening or no later than by the next day by mid-morning. There has only been a half dozen instances where I've had to leave traps set longer than that. They will usually leave you some sign in the form of a "cover-up" (completely fill the set with dirt), tripped traps (look for hide/fur) or plug the tunnel in front of your traps. You will rarely catch more than 1 gopher per series of mounds except during breeding season or when the young of the year are dispersing. Gophers are mostly solitary and very territorial.

I have one mole job going that I am surely hoping yeilds something. I set on a run running against a sidewalk, not sure if that is productive?

I just set a new gopher job as well, for a gentleman I am also skunk trapping for. I used macabee's, albanos, and one "black hole, because I had it. I think I may pull it though, I am not to confident in it.

I am ordering more traps as well. I am getting a dozen more albano gopher traps, but am debating between albano mole traps or NoMol's as they are $30 cheaper a dozen

TB, OOS are the workhorse of our operation. NoMol traps are ok, it's what got me started. I'm lookin to order a few dozen moleinators to replace the NoMol.

I set an OOS today. I just think they are harder on lawns and harder to "aim" than in the tunnel traps

I hear the NoMol traps will also pick up voles and shrews.

Is it just me or are moles way harder than gophers

The NoMol will catch voles and shrews. No experience with gophers, although there is an isolated population in one county I trap.

Hi all I'm new to gopher trapping and have been getting a few using #1 jump traps I have for muskrats. I've also got a couple that keep plugging my holes. I looked through the archives and read a lot of post and not seeing much about using foot traps for gophers and maybe theres a reason for that. But my ? is what am I doing wrong?? What I've been doing is finding the fresh mounds and probing around to find the tunnel then follow it to the tee. I dig down clean out all three tunnels and place the trap at the intersection. Cover the hole with a shingle and cover with dirt. I'm pretty confident that I'm keeping all the light out. Do I need to dig the trap down so its lower than the tunnel? Any tips are appreciated. Also I'm not getting paid for this project so I'd like to keep using the equipment that I have if possible. Thanks for the help

A 0 would be a better size if your going to use a foothold.

OH Rats,

I totally get not trying to buy equipment if you are doing this for free, consider 2 of the gophinator traps $14.99 for two according to the website, plus shipping of course.

While time may not be money in this case, if you want to be confident you'll get what your after the specificity of the gophinator for a pocket gophers tunnel system is
the way to go.

You can probably buy a macabee trap at your local feed store or hardware, smaller than the gophinator and I personally don't use them but they were the standard years ago
and still are for some folks.

I personally like to situate between two fresh mounds, though you have to read the sign (which with pocket gophers is easier than many species), find the long run between two mounds
that is a longer road of sorts and dig between them until you find that area. While I do set as you mentioned in your description and cover the hole as you mentioned, I get more between
the runs than right below the mounds. I like to think of it as trapping the interstate versus the old dirt country road that you might go down once in a while. The interstate is allowing them
to move across their entire 30' or so range quickly.

I generally set pairs of traps at these locations, one each direction so you don't have to guess which direction they are coming from.

Hope that helps, $15.00 might just save you some head scratchin... (plus the traps of course can be used for a long time to come....)

Justin

I mostly do gopher work in residential yards. At times it can be tough to find the run as I am working in flower beds with potting soil in the ground it gives the same as a tunnel. Recently about half the push ups are plugged from the start is this the norm ??

Adam,

I'm definitely not a long term gopher guy but in some areas I've seen what you mention where I'm trying to find the run and its packed solid.

I don't know if it is weather related or predation threat? Snakes, etc....

The loose soil you mention is tough too, I get those here in beds that often have all cactus, good times!

I refer most p. gophers anymore to someone who refers the other "stuff" I'm wanting to do back to me.

Those little buggers are industrious though!

If I had to deal with cactus I would refer them too !

Thanks

thanks for the tips i'll look into some new equipment

I think moles are easy...but after over 8,700 moles caught in my career i should have a handle on em

Do gophers den up when it rains? I got zero last night

I think they do during a heavy rain . Their tunnels can start to fill with water and they head for a high area in their tunnel system

also IMO , there is no better gopher trap than Steves .

Caught a mole and a gopher in the same,run today