I will be doing some pocket gopher trapping for a few farmers this summer. I had caught a few in longsprings when I was younger but I am definitely not an expert. I am going to use the #1s and #0s I already have, but am looking for suggestions.

Will gopher traps work better than my longsprings? and secondly: How many gophers can I expect in an area? (ex. 1 gopher per mound, or 1 gopher per 5 mounds, or even 5 gophers to one mound.) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,


Houts

I've trapped them and caught 3 in the same mound and only caught 1 in a mound. They will dig more then one mound so you don't need to set every mound. Unless they are more then like 40 ft apart. Just what I have observed

The gopher has a range of 300 ft., and sometimes there won't be but one gopher to every ten to fifteen mounds. But sometimes like the last fellow said you may catch more than one gopher to a mound. Victor easy-set gopher traps are the best traps for the money, (IMO), but everyone has their own. The old Victor-Newhouse gopher traps are good too.

Trapperman This is how I use long springs, or Steve Albano sells some good traps.

Thanks guys. Is there a way to know when you have gotten them all? or atleast thinned the herd.

leave the tunnels open and come back and if they are clogged there is still some in there.

There are some great pocket gopher threads on here. This 1 is interesting.

This is also how I do it but I've added some Death Clutches to my arsenal. They seem to work better when there's no split and faster setting/checking. I carry a rake along and rake out all the mounds after a catch. If there are any more in the area, you'll know w/I a few days. Plus the farmer appreciates knocking down the mounds and its smoother riding across the field for you. I pull my set once I make a catch and rake the area down and keep an eye on the area for a few days to see if there's any new activity. My ratio to mounds varies but I would think it's something like 1 set per 10 mounds depending upon different variables. If you have extra traps, don't be afraid to set them. The worse that can happen is empty traps.

The bigger sized Albano traps work much better. I’m told the trick to getting the Albano traps to work is to “snow plow” the tines into the tunnel soil a little. Otherwise you’ll find hair on the closed times and no gopher. Got this from a commercial gopher trapper who spoke at the MTA convention last summer. And that’s been my experience too.

Some gopher trappers say to keep the tunnels open. I’ve found its better to cover the tunnel so the gopher runs into the trigger without seeing sun/moon light. In the spring, it doesn’t seem to matter. But by mid-May they seem to get wise to feeling the air moving and start packing soil ahead of them.

For about 4 years, I’ve been using spear- tine traps. I’m now not convinced the spears are the way to go. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of people use death Klutch or Albano or Cinch and are extremely efficient with them. Being I have old hands and slower reflexes, I’m leaning towards traps that compress and hold vs spear and hold.

Teacher:
I make sure the bottom of the trap is under the soil a little. It is called bedding the trap. I also make sure the spring is on the bottom of the run so when I put soil back in the hole it does not push on the spring and raise the jaw end of the trap, unbedding the trap. JMO I forgot I am trapping moles.

For longsprings, I would recommend opening the tunnel, and covering it with license plates, which is what we used with good effect. Keep all light out.

For gophers, you will find anywhere from 1 to 6, the lower number being the most.

If you have trouble, you will have to resort to poison or going early at sun up and shooting them off the mound.

I use a square of plywood to lay flat & cover the hole. A person could probably even anchor the trap to the wood cover if they wish.

I use cardboard to cover the hole. Cheap, lite and easy to find along the road side if you run short. I don't recomend anchoring to the board as preditors can run off with everything. If you stake it solid, they may get the gopher but not the trap.

Good points 20scout.

The only downside I could see to the cardboard is maybe if it rains hard.

Yes, it absorbs moisture from the ground and will need to be replaced quite often. But if you lose it in a hay field you don't have to worry about the farmer running it through his equipment and possibly breaking something. Old paneling works too and lasts longer but doesn't seem to be as easy to find like it used to.

I use 1/3 of a shingle to cover my traps. They’re heavy, but I do residential work and usually only set two or three mounds at a job. I punch a hole in the middle and cut a slur to the hole that accommodates my 30” t-stake through the eye of a death klutch. I set cross tunnels with a trap facing each direction.

Watch "Burrow Buddy" on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqUvBUtBauXoOHfXaEViIjQ

Here is a couple good you tube videos on tuning a dk-1 ect