Gopher Trapping Biggest mistake in Trap Placement

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Күн бұрын

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@joshc5756 2 жыл бұрын

I had been fighting with gophers in my backyard for 16 years with more than 20+ methods and hundreds of dollars spent. I ended with 2 to 3 gophers caught and backyard totally destroyed. In short, none of them really worked well after a lot of time spent and we ended with helpless and frustration. However, after seeing Stephen's videos in April 2020, in 2 years, using his traps and his techniques. ( I studied very carefully every video he put out), I have caught 20+ gophers so far. The success rate is over 90%+. Thank you Mr. Albano!

@odinata Жыл бұрын

Why do you hate nature?

@dschannel5273 Жыл бұрын

@odinata I won't hate them if you pay me 10k for all the trees they killed and redo all my lawns

@tlbx57 Жыл бұрын

Been using trapline products successfully for many years and I highly recommend them. Only trapping system that gets lawn rodents easily and consistently. Thanks for making such a great product.

@kathypabst785 7 ай бұрын

Great tips on gophers. Plus he built a prototype so you can "see" how it works! Great video!

@darensky Жыл бұрын

Found these mole and gopher traps years ago, best ever! So simple yet so effective. The large sized mole traps work great for the smaller gophers too.

@julieross9171 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for this video! I trapped my first gopher tonight after many unsuccessful attempts. You pointed out exactly what I was doing wrong!

@joshmorris2474 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the very helpful video. Now that I'm setting the traps correctly, I'm catching gophers! One questions: If I catch a gopher, should I move on to another tunnel, or could I possibly catch another gopher in the same spot? Thx for your thoughts.

@Exploer8591 3 жыл бұрын

Best traps on the market! 👌 Thanks guys!

@Sneakydevil247 2 жыл бұрын

Haven’t used a gopher hawk yet

@Exploer8591 2 жыл бұрын

@@Sneakydevil247 The Gopher Hawk would not be cost effective for me at approximately $30.00 each. I trap on agricultural land and need to carry a bucket of traps with me. I have nearly a 100% success rate with the Gophinator. I don't know why I'd want to spend more money just to get the exact same results.

@Sneakydevil247 2 жыл бұрын

@@Exploer8591 I stand corrected, at large scale it would not be the most effective.

@SawdustmakerLori 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for making this video. It is very helpful. I just set my first traps today and am sure I messed up but will now know the best way to do it. Usually how deep below the surface are their tunnels or does that depend on the climate/soil/location? I thought I found the tunnel but it was only a couple inches below the surface. Didn't know how deep to dig.

@richiemac2395 Жыл бұрын

Most holes are about a shovel length deep. Try to place the trap so deep that you can barely see the back of it or even deeper. Stake it down and flag it.

@richiemac2395 Жыл бұрын

I trap as a second job in my neighborhood. I can say that this is very good information for those who are frustrated with back fills. I actually us my probe to run along the sides of the tunnel to see if it T's off. If it is too short then I will definitely cut back another foot or so with the shovel to expose the main run. I love Trapline traps and have been using them for years. When I trap peoples gophers, I put out as many Trapline traps as I can and stake them down by first attaching a key ring to each one and then using aluminum tent pegs found at Home Depot to stake and flag inside of the ring. That way the gopher doesn't back peddle with my trap and loose it. No need to bait or close the hole. The open hole IS the bait, as the gophers don't want predators or elements entering the run. In regards to finding the run, if the mound is in a horse shoe formation, then come back about a foot from the part of the mound that has the least amount of dirt and shovel there. Try to place the trap so deep that it is invisible. Have fun!

@AshGreen359 Жыл бұрын

Use the gopher hawk. Traps from above, direction doesn't matter

@annabellemang 6 ай бұрын

The Gopher Hawk worked real good...WHILE it worked. Now it will not reset, and when it does then it won't trip. The latch mechanism is too finicky. I have slapped it per instructions. I have disassembled it and cleaned it. Washed it. Lubricated it. It just does not function any more.

@willieverusethis 4 ай бұрын

@@annabellemang I'm too weak to set it. I can't push the hole digger into the clay soil either- it's far too hard.

@clambarn1218 6 ай бұрын

Really good example!

@MikeFlickAnytimeAnimalControl Жыл бұрын

I love your content! Is there a way I can sell your traps on line?

@PC-oz7tz 2 жыл бұрын

Thank very much. Liked and subscribed.

@PC-oz7tz 2 жыл бұрын

I.e., thank You

@Kinosec-10 3 ай бұрын

Interesting that some trappers insist you must cover the hole, others say you can keep it open. My guess is that an open tunnel may indicate a predator was there, so they might abandon it. Thoughts?

@tompate8513 2 жыл бұрын

I have set the trap described in this video and each time the gopher covers up the trap as it pushes dirt to seal up the opening in the tunnel i made. I have set two of the described traps, one in each direction of the tunnel and both were buried with dirt and did not trip. What am i doing wrong?

@peteduncan921 2 жыл бұрын

I can think of a couple of things that might be happening. This video states that you can either cover up the hole that you dug or you can leave it open. I'm thinking that if you leave it open, the gopher may want to push loose dirt to plug the opening where the trap is set. If the hole is covered completely when setting traps, the gopher may be more likely to pass through without pushing loose dirt and trigger the trap. Another possible issue is the trigger bar on the trap. I believe that the Trapline folks call this the "pan". I think that it can be helpful to set this to be as sensitive as possible, which should make it more likely to be triggered while being covered with dirt. This is true with any gopher trap, and it just involves adjusting the position of the trigger "pan" as close as practical to the point where it will trigger the trap. I have several of these traps, and I have modified them by using zip ties to attach a small rectangle of thin plastic to fill in some of the opening under the top of the trigger bar (pan). I use scissors to cut these pieces from a thin plastic kitchen cutting mat. There is a fairly large open area encircled by the wire of the trigger pan, and filling in the upper half of this opening will increase the trigger surface area significantly and make the trap much more sensitive when loose dirt is pushed against it. There some other gopher traps that use a solid panel for the trigger, instead of a wire loop, but these Trapline "Gophinator" traps are still the best and most durable traps that I have used.

@jc904040 2 жыл бұрын

Are you sure you're not placing the traps in the angled access tunnel...which is the tunnel where the gopher is pushing dirt up into and out to the surface. The dirt is pushed in front of the gopher and buries the trap and sometimes triggers it.

@Sneakydevil247 2 жыл бұрын

Get a gopher hawk, way better trap and you only need one per tunnel

@kenthompson3730 Жыл бұрын

You’re doing it wrong. The trap is being buried from another tunnel you missed. Reach in and check for intersecting tunnels. Out a trap in each tunnel. Leave the main hole open. The gopher will come back to close up the hole and he’ll get trapped. I’ve caught over a thousand gophers with the Gophinator.

@jakewade7388 8 ай бұрын

The gopher tunnels around my place are too small in diameter for the trap jaws.

@albanstv 8 ай бұрын

You might want to use the Trapline mole trap standard size, it’s the same trap as the Gophinator just smaller. It will fit.

@user-ox6kf1gt6u Жыл бұрын

Can you please make a ground squirrel trap. They ate all the blossoms off my squash plants.

@AshGreen359 Жыл бұрын

If you leave the hole open, they'll push dirt into the trap and bury it while trying to close the hole

@wildmanofborneo 11 ай бұрын

Need to follow the Theory of the Two Holes. The mound you see at the surface is the Ejection Tunnel, where he comes up from the Main Tunnel to throw out the spoils. If you place the trap in the Ejection Tunnel, he can still walk in the Main Tunnel and plug the Ejection Tunnel, and in doing so he'll bury the trap. Need to dig out the Ejection Tunnel, back to the Main Tunnel. When this is done, you expose two holes, which is the Main Tunnel to the right, and the Main Tunnel to the left. Set a trap in each of these holes, and you will catch him 99 percent of the time. Always use 2 traps and always remember the Theory of the Two Holes.

@AshGreen359 11 ай бұрын

@@wildmanofborneo I think I remember that theory, goes something like "two in they pink and something or other.

@justin9605 Жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@AshGreen359 Жыл бұрын

Most common mistake is touching the trap with your hands and getting your scent on it

@kenthompson3730 Жыл бұрын

Nope. That’s not an issue at all. I handle my traps bare handed all the time and have caught over a thousand gophers.

@wildmanofborneo 11 ай бұрын

Not a problem. I always handle with bare hands and they never care. But better to wear gloves to keep hands clean.

@bradical2723 8 күн бұрын

😂😂 if that were the case the gophers wouldn't be in a humans yard in the first place SMH makes zero sense

@kenthompson3730 Жыл бұрын

I have been using Gophinators for over 15 years. I’ve caught, literally, over a thousand gophers. I never use a shovel. I typically use two fingers to poke into a fresh mound to find the tunnel, usually located in the open part of the horseshoe shaped mound. (Not all are horseshoe shaped). The fresher the mound, the better the chance the gopher hasn’t tightly filled the surface tunnel yet. I can usually clear out the tunnel with my bare hand, reaching far enough in to determine if there are intersecting tunnels. If you can feel more than one tunnel, you have to put a trap in each one. Otherwise, he’ll come around through the adjacent tunnel and bury your trap. If you don’t find another tunnel within 12-18 inches of the surface, you’re safe in using only one trap. Don’t cover up the surface hole! Light and fresh air will make the gopher come plug up the hole and he’ll walk right into the trap. Be sure to anchor the trap with wire and a stake, stick, or dowel stuck into the ground. Otherwise, a gopher, once trapped, could back down into the tunnel and take your trap with him. If your string or wire is pulled tight when you go back to check the trap, it’s a good sign you got one. Sometimes, they’re still alive when I pull the trap, in which case I just whack it with big stick or something. I usually push the dead gopher back down into the tunnel , then fill in the hole and smooth the surface flat. Happy Hunting.

@dschannel5273 Жыл бұрын

what if the tunnel is very small because of a smaller gopher but not an adult? The trap won't' even fit in those.

@kenthompson3730 Жыл бұрын

Hollow narrow tunnels out with your hand or a narrow garden trowel. Just enough for the trap to slide in, but don’t jam it in or the jaws will not snap when it’s triggered.

@wildmanofborneo 11 ай бұрын

Use an L-shaped piece of metal to scoop out and enlarge the hole.

@twobeer3316 Жыл бұрын

It's not an exact science, you just have to keep at it and you will be successful.

@skidplate1017 2 жыл бұрын

I did put my hand in the tunnel to clean out all the loose dirt. I did get it cleaned out, but the damn gopher bit my finger. (LOL) I had the last laugh though. I got him. Next time I'll wear a glove. I have had gophers bury my traps with dirt. Wish I knew what I did wrong.

@kathymyers1023 Жыл бұрын

I think about this now every time I reach in a hole. Haha.

@kenthompson3730 Жыл бұрын

I’ve trapped well over a thousand gophers with Gophinators. I, too, clean out all tunnels by hand. Never been bitten. Gophers are going to go hide when the tunnel is invaded. If your trap is getting buried, it means ghat you have missed an intersecting tunnel. You have to reach in and feel for other tunnels and place a trap in each one. But if you find only one tunnel coming down from the mound, one trap pushed down 12-18 inches will do the trick.

@wildmanofborneo 11 ай бұрын

@bradical2723 8 күн бұрын

@@kenthompson3730so are you saying he's lying about being bitten