Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire How to kill lawn gophers?

What do you guys like for killing gophers in the lawn? They're building mounds and I can't get a shot at 'em (they ain't squills ). Is there a particular poison or trap that works? Whats the technique? All I have are mounds of dirt on the lawn with no obvious entrance hole.

Thanks,

Jordan

They dig tunnels from one mound to another. Locate a tunnel, and insert an Out-O-Sight mole trap. Snap. Dead mole.

Gassing, flooding, and poisoning don't work as well.

Watch Caddyshack...

They make poisons and traps for them.

Poisons can be bought at the farm supply stores. They also make a tool to put the poison seeds in the tunnels. But, you can take a hoe handle and punch around the mound of dirt and usually find a tunnel. Drop seeds into the tunnel and then cover the hole, made by the hoe handle. If you dont cover the hole the gopher will push up more dirt (they dont like the fresh air and sunshine) and not eat the seed.

Traps can also be bought at farm supply stores. Dig up the mound and you will find a tunnel or two. Place the trap in the tunnel as far back as you can reach (dont be afraid to dig the tunnel out by hand). Place something over the tunnel mouth to keep out most of the sunshine, we used dried cow paddies. Be sure to stake the trap because cats and dogs will tote off the traps and eat the gophers. It may take a few tries to get the gophers, but if you stay at it you can really put a dent in the population.

Smoke bombs but they may not be available in Calioto.

half of a sulfur based road flare will work just as well

The best way is to get on the riding mower with your bow on your lap and then act like you are mowing the yard. Never make eye contact, just keep on as if you were mowing and get into position, pull up the bow and shoot the gopher...

Smoke bombs and flares won't kill em at all, it just inconviniences them for a bit. The only way to get em is traps, and I vastly prefer the gut hook style..

Like oldman said, get under the mound and you'll find two tunnels, going off in diff directions. It'll take a little pokin around but widen them both out enough to get a trap in each one. Set it a little ways back in the tunnel and put somethin over the hole to keep the light out. You get some dumb ones that stumble right on into their funeral, but you also get some smart bastards. Those are the ones.....

Those are the ones that turn it into a sport. They test you. They outsmart you, again and again, till you've turned your backyard into a lunar landscape tunneling further and further to get that perfect trap set...

And when you get that big elusive bastard...whose taken down 3 of your prime tomatoe plants, and countless other lesser vegetables....that's your time.. Celebrate your victory..
I usually throw em in the roof and let the owls get em.

Bottles of Paprika, and a water hose.

I love Certifiable's focus, and aggression.

That's UBER sinister right there....the fake mowing, the silence of a bow and photo proof (We need video, that would be hilarious).

I vote for the BTDT guy.

I've actually had good luck with the smoke poison. And yes, you can get them in Ca. Imagine that.

Most people don't dig down into the tunnel enough for them to be effective. Do two or three tunnels at a time. Cover them up after lighting so no smoke comes out. It'll work.

Or I'll loan you my Beagle for a month. He'll kill all of them. You won't have any yard to speak of after though. Ask me how I know.

M-80's worked about the best, wish they were still available.

Looks like it might be fun in the prcess.


http://www.rodenator.com/

Thanks all. I'll report back next week. Certifiable, you don't seem half bad. Sorry I was such a prick Sunday. (I am going through menopause. )

Jordan

I have had good luck with the Macabee traps. Here is the website. Watch the how-to videos. Good luck.

http://gophertrapping.com/

They make an adapter for the your car exhaust that connects to a hose. Hook it up to your car and feed the hose into the gopher hole. Run your car for an hour or so and dead gophers.

Yes, yes it is fun!! Here is a past post regarding the rodenator;

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth..._Group_fails_in_bid_to_recal#Post7787531

It can alter the top soil but it's quite interesting and fun seeing where the tunnels are routed. I've had the tunnels run in the complete opposite direction from where I thought they would go....it certainly gets your attention when the ground heaves up under your feet!!

In the Caddyshack vein farmers have a lot of fun with these on pocket gophers, extensive tunnel systems. May have to re-landscape though.

Good grief,...and no comment on your hot flashes.....emphatically not my dept,though okok or leslie may be able to steer you straight ( or Gay,...or bestial,...whatever )

Gas the goddam things with heavier than air propane or CO2,
or use a tractor / engine exhaust.

"Go Die Gopher" is a great alternative, if you just have to complicate things.

GTC

As a kid, I used to shoot them in the yard at our hunting camp. Takes patience, something a 12 year old needs to learn anyway for hunting. You have to dig out a tunnel, deeper than the tunnel itself so when the critter tries to fill it, the dirt falls away from the hole, after about 2-3 tries, he will poke his head out to see what is going on, then you apply a charge of .410 lead.

Takes me back about 45 years.....