# Best pocket gopher contol



## 3string (Sep 8, 2014)

I'm sure this has been discussed before. I don't like plowing poison into my nice stands of hay. Don't have time to trap. I've seen the carbon monoxide poisoner, haven't tried one. What works for those of you that have gopher problems? Gopher mounds wear out my equipment far fast than just putting up hay. Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Rattlesnakes work very well....you haven't killed all of yours have you? 

Regards, Mike


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## IAhaymakr (Jun 4, 2008)

Could you hire the trapping done? I pay on a per gopher basis here, usually $10 per rodent. That seems to be enough incentive to keep trappers trapping. The gassing deal sounds neat, but it's still time consuming and apparently not very effective since my neighbor has one (the expensive one) and still uses traps most of the time. Anhydrous works extremely well if you don't mind the potential hazards of use and theft. Not willing to deal with it here.

I still like to see a dead gopher in a trap...no question about the effectiveness there.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I agree with Dan,nothing better then seeing the little ugly bastard dead in a trap.

I've tried a few things but not near as effective as a trap.They all take time.I tried a Rodenator,Anhydrous,propane,various baits,Phoz-Tec.

Phoz-Tec works fairly well if used early in season when ground is wet.But you need a lisence to buy it.

Found some new gopher traps this yr that I had good luck with,around 90% catch.

Here is a earlier post from last summer.
http://www.haytalk.com/forums/topic/22605-pocket-gophers-today/?hl=gopher#entry133833


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## IAhaymakr (Jun 4, 2008)

swmnhay said:


> I agree with Dan,nothing better then seeing the little ugly bastard dead in a trap.I've tried a few things but not near as effective as a trap.They all take time.I tried a Rodenator,Anhydrous,propane,various baits,Phoz-Tec.Phoz-Tec works fairly well if used early in season when ground is wet.But you need a lisence to buy it.Found some new gopher traps this yr that I had good luck with,around 90% catch.Here is a earlier post from last summer.http://www.haytalk.com/forums/topic/22605-pocket-gophers-today/?hl=gopher#entry133833


What type or brand are you getting 90% success with? We have been using cinch traps with pretty good results, but always looking for something better. I hate gophers.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

IAhaymakr said:


> What type or brand are you getting 90% success with? We have been using cinch traps with pretty good results, but always looking for something better. I hate gophers.


I forget the brand name but got them at Runnings in Worthington.I have a box in shop,I'll check the brand name in the morning.TSC had them also.


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## 3string (Sep 8, 2014)

Thanks for your input guys. I hate gophers more than anything. I guess I'll just go to trapping. Boy at 10.00 a gopher, I'll quit haying and go to trapping gophers. I usually get through first cutting without to much gopher trouble, but when gopher offspring start digging it seems all I cut are mounds of dirt. I think this year I will trap and maybe try fumitoxin. Just from your posts I'll stay away from the 6000.00 carbon monoxide poisoner. I'm glad I asked the question as I was about to buy one.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

IAhaymakr said:


> What type or brand are you getting 90% success with? We have been using cinch traps with pretty good results, but always looking for something better. I hate gophers.


http://www.bonide.com/products/product.php?category_id=61114

They didn't have any at TSC other day.Runnings in Worthington had quite a few on hand last time I noticed.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

We had a guy with the rodenator come in. I couldnt get a head of them with trapping. He spend a day and charged me $350 to blast. Really put a dent in them. Now I trap to keep ahead of the curve.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

The Phos-Tec or other brands of pills that make gas if the wholes is open,or the hand prob with the box full of poison on the top.The prob tube is small so if the bait is sorghum seed or wheat it will flow out the prob better.You have to practice with the prob to find the run near the mound but you will learn to feel the void of the run compared to soft dirt.No digging to open a run to put a trap in so much faster.

If you wish to us carbon monoxide there is small gas engine with a leaf blower that is tuned to make more smoke that the blower sucks up and a hose is put in the whole ,but your need to let it smoke each whole for 5 minutes for ground squirrels don't know if gopher would be much faster.The price is close to a $1000 but this is organic approved machine because that why it was being used instead of poison when I saw it.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

Here the best product to use is called '' rozel '' it works great on mice,rats,pack rats and kills the hell out of prairie dogs . All of the above will eat it right up . edit it is made for gophers but works for any critter, keep it away from dogs and horses etc.


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

panhandle9400 said:


> Here the best product to use is called '' rozel '' it works great on mice,rats,pack rats and kills the hell out of prairie dogs . All of the above will eat it right up . edit it is made for gophers but works for any critter, keep it away from dogs and horses etc.


We use rozel in our orchards in the fall to keep the mice population down over the winter to reduce the girdling damage they cause to the trees as they eat the bark under the snow line during the winter months. It is really good stuff! It also keeps the local fox and coyote populations down as there isn't any mice, vowels or ground squirrels for them to eat.


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## jturbo10 (Feb 28, 2011)

I've had great results with a mechanical gopher baiting machine that looks like a one row planter but it plants bait in a tunnel. I use a bait called Kaput that doesn't harm your pets but kills the gophers. Now all I have to do is treat when I have a sign of new gophers. Machine costs about $1000 new and I bought a good used one for $375.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

So how does a guy take care of an active gopher?

Looking out the window. See the only mound in my yard getting bigger. I didnt see anything except for dirt moving. So, I found some hardware and poked @ it (357, aiming low)... Gopher won. Any advice for next time?


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Moose if its in your yard and its close enough to a spigot or hydrant, just run water down his hole till he either drowns or comes out of his hole. Be ready to club him with something as they tend to come out of the hole like their ass is on fire.

Recently I watched a video on youtube of some kids catching striped gophers in jugs of water. They'd take either a milk jug or an empty 2 liter pop bottle, fill it up with water and then place it upside down over the hole so the water ran into the hole. The gopher, trying to escape the water would run up inside the bottle and then the kids would put the cap on the bottle and have the gopher inside. Seemed to work like a charm on youtube, but when I tried it, it didn't work so well. Ended up using enough bottles of water that I filled the hole to the top and never seen the gopher.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

deadmoose said:


> So how does a guy take care of an active gopher?
> Looking out the window. See the only mound in my yard getting bigger. I didnt see anything except for dirt moving. So, I found some hardware and poked @ it (357, aiming low)... Gopher won. Any advice for next time?


12 gauge.

This is what I use,I got over 160 of them this spring.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21hf07MIU1L.jpg


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Aren't those the critters that everyone sport hunts or are prarie dogs a different animal? Never seen one, none around here. We have racoons and groundhogs and groundhogs are prime excavators of wicked holes in fields.

I use a 17 HMR Savage bolt rifle. Seems to work just fine.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

ARD Farm said:


> Aren't those the critters that everyone sport hunts or are prarie dogs a different animal? Never seen one, none around here. We have racoons and groundhogs and groundhogs are prime excavators of wicked holes in fields.
> 
> I use a 17 HMR Savage bolt rifle. Seems to work just fine.


Praire Dogs stand there stupid looking and you shoot them.They are more west river,Missouri.Pocket gophers make mounds and spend very little time above ground.Stripped gophers don't do near the damage will stand upright if you whstle and you can blast them.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Prairie dogs


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

swmnhay said:


> Praire Dogs stand there stupid looking and you shoot them.They are more west river,Missouri.Pocket gophers make mounds and spend very little time above ground.Stripped gophers don't do near the damage will stand upright if you whstle and you can blast them.


If I had prairie dogs and not gopher I would have no problems shooting em up. Invite a couple friends over for a shoot.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Prairie dogs are carriers of bubonic plague via the fleas that feast on them.....do you think we could get a colony or two started in Washington DC.....I think it would be nice to see them roaming the White House lawn for the next year.

Regards, Mike


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Thats a terrible comment, where is your patriotism?.....lol

If Hillary wins the election, she'll probably have the SS agents shhot them so she can serve them to Bill for dinner in as much as they live 'hand to mouth'.....


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

I stopped by my brothers house and we were chatting outside. All of a sudden I see a lil bit of dirt flying. Head pop up. Dirt fly.

I found his 204 and some shells. It was only a 20 yard shot. I aimed low. Missed. Hit the ground.

10 minutes later he is back. Aim square on. Got em. He flew about 3 feet back. I only had to win once. He needs to win everytime.


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