Gopher Problem

[Heimie]

Hey everyone. I have a gopher problem on my acreage. I know what you're all thinking - shoot them! But I can't. I live in a subdivision, and have a highway right next to my property. So I've tried some store bought gopher traps with little success. Tried the smoke bombs with little success. I don't have anything good for gasing them with (tractor, truck, etc.).

Does anyone know what the best way to get rid of them might be? Snaring? Flooding? Poison? Do farm cats or any dogs get rid of them?

So another thing I was thinking about: I was doing some yard work last year and heard gophers squeaking all around the yard. Then silence. Couldn't figure out why, until I heard the screech of a falcon or eagle or something. Aha! So, does anyone know if a plastic decoy bird of prey on a fence post would work, kind of like a plastic owl in a barn keeps other birds out? Would I have to move it around or something?

I'm worried about flooding the ones out right next to the house, as I don't want to overload the weeping tile. I have little kids and don't want them to twist an ankle running around the yard.

I'm really getting frustrated with the little buggers and any help would be great. Thank you.

[Canon55]

Poison

[honda450]

I would stay away from poison.

Them are pretty easy to snare and trap. Pellet gun. Bow.

Happy huntin.

[Talking moose]

Couple buddies, couple lawn chairs, couple pellet guns, couple dozen beers. You have the potential to make a couple good times of it.

[Ultimate Predator]

Bingo talking moose

[drhu22]

Me and every kid I grew up with did a lot of running/playing around gophers without twisting ankles. If its not a manicured lawn, maybe let your kids grow up with gophers around. They mean that you will see more birds of prey and other wild life, as well.

[RZR]

Buy a box of double bubble bubble gum and tear it into 4 pieces and put a piece down each hole . The gophers will eat it and they get bunged up and will eventually die.

[avb3]

As kids we used to snare them with binder twine.

[LKILR]

Water down the hole then whack em with a shovel when they rise.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by RZR

Buy a box of double bubble bubble gum and tear it into 4 pieces and put a piece down each hole . The gophers will eat it and they get bunged up and will eventually die.

Or explode and there could be poop everywhere

[honda450]

Originally Posted by avb3

As kids we used to snare them with binder twine.

I used to snare chickens with binder twine. Dang grandma and mom were sure upset. I had nothing else to do. LOL

Yup farm yard chickens. I would let em go. Just had to do it though.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by honda450

I used to snare chickens with binder twine. Dang grandma and mom were sure upset. I had nothing else to do. LOL

Yup farm yard chickens. I would let em go. Just had to do it though.

Thanks for my morning laugh, I can just picture that.

[Shmag]

Originally Posted by LKILR

Water down the hole then whack em with a shovel when they rise.

Yep...this does work. Usually 5 gallon pail down an active hole, and we used hockey sticks...

[sewerrat]

Pick one hole, cover up all neighbouring holes with dirt, attach a hose to your vehicles exhaust pipe let the vehicle run for about 15 min or so, and the gophers will not say any day light again.

do it similar like this . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQOulNvmro

[RBI]

Originally Posted by Shmag

Yep...this does work. Usually 5 gallon pail down an active hole, and we used hockey sticks...

hockey sticks ...hmm , would that fit into any current theme ...get a couple friends , pick you teams ( I obviously pick the Flames ) , and have your own playoffs

[vital shok]

A pest control company can look after them for you.Im not sure wear your located but in Calgary and sourounding area try cal-rid pest control

[TROLLER]

I have also had the problem in the past and they continue to pop up from time to time depending on how the neighbor deals with em.

Traps work great for me and a coffee after supper sitting quietly on the tractor so as not to alarm them gives me hours of pellet gun fun.

Do not have to try anything fancy like a head shot, just the sound of the hit anywhere in the critter will insure the lead will do it's job if it wasn't a kill shot.

So don't lament, have fun killing the little buggers. For me it was a bonding time with my grandson.

[C & C]

Originally Posted by RZR

Buy a box of double bubble bubble gum and tear it into 4 pieces and put a piece down each hole . The gophers will eat it and they get bunged up and will eventually die.

I have seen this work really well, you need to do it though before there is much else to eat.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by vital shok

A pest control company can look after them for you.Im not sure wear your located but in Calgary and sourounding area try cal-rid pest control

Problem with that is, as long as your neighbors don't co-operate, you're wasting your money. They'll be back before the truck, leaving, hits the end of the driveway.

Grizz

[nimrod]

I have a few gopher leg hold traps I can loan,

I can ship, then you ship back, just repay me for my ship costs, nimrod

[Big Sky]

[expmler]

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/in...ll3/R-I5442125

[Nocked]

Originally Posted by expmler

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/in...ll3/r-i5442125

x2

[Ithaca Dog]

Originally Posted by avb3

As kids we used to snare them with binder twine.

We did this with fishing rods and line. Head comes up and boom! Set the loop!wing them around and to the ground with a broken neck.

[wolf308]

Like TM says , if you wanna have fun

Or rat traps if you wanna be boring

Or trap them and relocate them to my farm so I can shoot gophers again next year conviently if you wanna work

[Mountain Adventurer]

I had the same issue, I bought a guillotine looking device that plucked them one by one. Worked great! Got it from peavy mart

[Heimie]

Right on, thanks guys! I have a decent, high power air rifle, but not sure what the neighbors would think. I'm sure they wouldn't be happy about me shooting. Anyway the water trick and snares might be the way to go. I might try the bubble gum too.

Really, guys, thank you again!

[jayboots]

When I was working for the town we used to use a propane/O2 torch... same concept as a oxy acetylene torch but with a big wand on it.. not the most safest and quietest, but if your able to rig one up yourself then throw a remote igniter on it they work super slick.... Other then that the plug the holes and jam CO into the ground works also. that is how the "professionals" do it.

[sillyak]

Good barn cats will kill gophers with ruthless efficiency. We do not have gophers anywhere near our barn. One year we had a horse in a paddock that would chase the cats out, that paddock was full of gophers at the end of the year and all the others had none.

All cats are not created equal when it comes to killing though.

[308 man]

take a 3 inch plastic pipe 20 feet long place it along your back property line a trap in one end gophers like to run into holes. empty trap every day. It seems they can not resist a new place to hide.