So I normally catch regular moles and the rare gopher here in central Minnesota during the summer but twice in the fall/winter (12 star-nosed moles after Nov 7th) I started catching star-nosed moles exclusively


Why do Star-nosed Moles only show up in the fall/winter?

They like to be lazy and use tunnels already created when they are looking for earthworms that are going into winter coil-up tourpor. The leaf litter and just under it their food source moves.

What's your rain situation normally during the summer vs fall? They tend to prefer wetter areas.

Usually pretty much same rain. I would say the summer is the rainier months by far.


Like I had them mid to late November into December one year and it was cold as heck and the ground was frozen. Couldn't stop catching them. Only reason I could put the trap in was bc the hole had been there from when the ground was soft.

Those little beasts are neat. They are active down there all year, but you never see them. I have never caught one in a bottom edge set, but folks do. They are somewhat aquatic animals. A while back some pals of mine were ice-fishing a small isolated lake in January. Low and behold, one of them looked over and saw a critter crawling across the ice a ways off. They though at first it was a Mink, but all were saying it wasn't moving very Mink-like. They went to investigate and found a fat-tailed Starnose. I always wanted to mount one and display it in my taxidermy shop, but in all the years I was open, I was never able to get one in mountable condition.

Their stomach acids are quite something.....2 hours dead and the belly fur slips, has been my experience doing museum specimens.

I caught one in a bottom edge set on Wednesday, first one I had ever seen. Weird looking creatures!

They're aliens

Tails are crazy.

Not kidding about them showing up in the fall and winter. This is this morning.

not familiar with those mole traps?

Called Gopherhawks although they catch moles and shrews too. So much easier to use than traditional mole and gopher traps.


Can find them at Amazon, Menards, Fleet Farm.