Trapping the gophers in your food plots is an important part of protecting your investment and making sure the little pests do not eat the food intended for the deer.
Sorry to butt in but I have to disagree. It's never 1 gopher per a series of mounds/tunnels unless you're the luckiest man on the planet. They live in colonies, many females to 1 male unless there is a high population and there will be many males. We've filmed them within the tunnels and proven it. Also, the mounds are for expelling waste material and dirt, then they back off about 10' and seal the line. You may catch young one, which you did but they learn fast and will block that line and make more tunnels. Open holes with caps are where pregnant females are foraging for nest material and food. tiny holes with tiny plugs or no plugs are babies, learning how to tunnel and too small to trap. In July, it'll be 50 years I've been trapping, my father is 85 and still trapping, my son is 36 and my grandson is turning 8 and we all trap specifically for pocket gophers. Something to prove my point, when we set, we look for intersections, breeding and birthing dens, then we can put in 4-6, sometimes 8 traps and seal it up. All will be filled with dead gophers. Even the boxes they come in instruct to set one in each direction so the mate will tunnel around the backside and try and free the other, at least if you're using the correct traps. In one property alone, we killed 143 in the first week and when they get irrigation, all the gophers vacate to higher points, wait it out then come back in, where we are waiting for them. One more thing, we only use Victor EasySet as they are simple to use, never rust, people with small, weak and even arthritic hands can set them. They are also not painted, have no scent and last for a very long time. I'm glad you're having success, I think you can have much more. Also, one of the traps you mentioned, I wouldn't hand off to my worst enemy, one unraveled across my hand and did some serious damage to my hand, tendons and ligaments, took lots of money and time to fix it. So be careful.
Thanks for the input, sounds like you have taken this to another level most of us haven't even thought of. I have been using the Easyset traps more and more. I thought the reason the area goes dead when I trap one gopher is because I am catching young males that are looking for a new territory. This particular food plot is surrounded by state park and I think the ones that come across onto my property are just branching out from a colony. Just guessing; I have never even thought to sex them.
I'd like to help you, if you go to my website www.thegophergetters.com you can find images, videos and links to us on Facebook. I try and keep information up-to-date. My contact information is there as well. I'd like to help you speed things up before they do more damages. If you're only catching males, then the females are most likely close by. I'd be happy to pull you up on satellite and help you with finding the dens. I was raised on a farm, agriculture is everything and these are the most destructive of all pests. Hope to hear from you soon.
My house sits in the middle of an acre and I've already trapped 7 of these bastards and still counting. The best way to get rid of these darn things is the two pack gopher traps from Tractor Supply.
I have two tings that will better your catch rate--- First try to make a smaller set hole ,I like the trap jaws to be right out in the dirt on sides secondly, loose the cord or chains, the only thing that should move is the trigger, stake the trap through the eye on trap. Check out my system on RUclips "Gopher Trapping Using Death Klutch Traps and Burrow Buddy Trapping Tool " Thanks
Not sure if you're still around, but you should have really showed us a close-up of the two different traps.
Nice job! I'd like to see how you set the other trap for pocket gophers since it has a higher catch rate.
Sorry to butt in but I have to disagree. It's never 1 gopher per a series of mounds/tunnels unless you're the luckiest man on the planet. They live in colonies, many females to 1 male unless there is a high population and there will be many males. We've filmed them within the tunnels and proven it. Also, the mounds are for expelling waste material and dirt, then they back off about 10' and seal the line. You may catch young one, which you did but they learn fast and will block that line and make more tunnels. Open holes with caps are where pregnant females are foraging for nest material and food. tiny holes with tiny plugs or no plugs are babies, learning how to tunnel and too small to trap. In July, it'll be 50 years I've been trapping, my father is 85 and still trapping, my son is 36 and my grandson is turning 8 and we all trap specifically for pocket gophers. Something to prove my point, when we set, we look for intersections, breeding and birthing dens, then we can put in 4-6, sometimes 8 traps and seal it up. All will be filled with dead gophers. Even the boxes they come in instruct to set one in each direction so the mate will tunnel around the backside and try and free the other, at least if you're using the correct traps. In one property alone, we killed 143 in the first week and when they get irrigation, all the gophers vacate to higher points, wait it out then come back in, where we are waiting for them. One more thing, we only use Victor EasySet as they are simple to use, never rust, people with small, weak and even arthritic hands can set them. They are also not painted, have no scent and last for a very long time. I'm glad you're having success, I think you can have much more. Also, one of the traps you mentioned, I wouldn't hand off to my worst enemy, one unraveled across my hand and did some serious damage to my hand, tendons and ligaments, took lots of money and time to fix it. So be careful.
Thanks for the input, sounds like you have taken this to another level most of us haven't even thought of. I have been using the Easyset traps more and more. I thought the reason the area goes dead when I trap one gopher is because I am catching young males that are looking for a new territory. This particular food plot is surrounded by state park and I think the ones that come across onto my property are just branching out from a colony. Just guessing; I have never even thought to sex them.
I'd like to help you, if you go to my website www.thegophergetters.com you can find images, videos and links to us on Facebook. I try and keep information up-to-date. My contact information is there as well. I'd like to help you speed things up before they do more damages. If you're only catching males, then the females are most likely close by. I'd be happy to pull you up on satellite and help you with finding the dens. I was raised on a farm, agriculture is everything and these are the most destructive of all pests. Hope to hear from you soon.
Lots of good information there, thanks for sharing. I am still learning.
I caught 7 gophers once in a 30 ft by 15 greenbelt. Usually more than one.
My house sits in the middle of an acre and I've already trapped 7 of these bastards and still counting. The best way to get rid of these darn things is the two pack gopher traps from Tractor Supply.
Gotta make sure you get rid of the wild gophers trying to eat your plants so that the wild deer can eat them instead.
Hiya Bernie, say do you get a good yield in your sandy loam soil? I tried twice in northern wi, but it's too sandy and I lost 90+% each time.
Yield in the food plot? Yes I get good yield with brassicas, but I have to fertilize the heck out of it. Basically a sand dune.
What's the brand and model of your most successful trap? Got a vid of how to set it, too?
Great Video. Thanks.
pocket gophers eat the roots
I wish people who tell how to trap a gopher would get to the point, - - NOT tell about there family history - -
Very nice
Why is the ply wood right on top
To keep the light out.
@@BowhuntingRoad well I always just used ply wood to make the tunnel longer so when he sees the he want to plug it and then he walks into the trap
I have two tings that will better your catch rate--- First try to make a smaller set hole ,I like the trap jaws to be right out in the dirt on sides secondly, loose the cord or chains, the only thing that should move is the trigger, stake the trap through the eye on trap. Check out my system on RUclips "Gopher Trapping Using Death Klutch Traps and Burrow Buddy Trapping Tool " Thanks
Nice video
Sugar beets are not a Brassica (wrong family) :)