golphers

[misszoeyray]

I am having a hard time with the golfers this year i tried dog hair water smoke bombs and flairs and its not working so i am thinking about beebees , air riffle or small caliper pistol. even though my other half who knows tons about guns says to use the gun, i am worried about using the gun on such a small target, and i am not sure what time of the day or night is the right time to hunt the golphres? i haven't even considered live trapping yet... but i might i guess, anyone who knows anything about any of this? please share your information with me!
mizzy

[Lawdog]

mizzy,

First let me Welcome you to Graybeard Outdoors from another Californian.  This is the best forum on the net for hunters/shooters going today.  My mother had the same problem as you and she cured it with an adult air rifle.  Not one that I would have chosen for her but it still works just the same.  She bought a Crosman 664 combo that I changed the POS scope off for a better scope.  Accuracy is good, groups well under 1/2” at 25 yards using pellets.  Now her gopher problem is under control as is the other pests in her prized garden areas.  Now she harvests most of the strawberry’s from her garden and not the neighborhood birds.  Unless you live in a rural area where shooting a rifle is safe I wouldn't advise using even a .22 rim fire for fear of ricochets and they do happen even with sub sonic loads(been there and had that happen).  Again let me say Welcome and come back often and keep us informed on how you make out with the gophers in your yard.  Small groups and tight lines to you.  Lawdog
 

[Thomas Krupinski]

I am having a hard time with the golfers this year i tried dog hair water smoke bombs and flairs and its not working so i am thinking about beebees , air riffle or small caliper pistol. even though my other half who knows tons about guns says to use the gun, i am worried about using the gun on such a small target, and i am not sure what time of the day or night is the right time to hunt the golphres? i haven't even considered live trapping yet... but i might i guess, anyone who knows anything about any of this? please share your information with me!
mizzy

I used to poison them as they were creating quite a problem burrowing under my irrigration burms and allowing the water to run into the street.  We live in town and shooting isn't permitted.  

However my wife has some cats that have become pretty adapt at predator control, leaving gopher carcases on the back pattio.  We also have some coyotes that are running the area.  No cats missing, but the gophers seem to be down.  Haven't had any leaks in quite a while.

[Wlscott]

I have a hard time with golfers too.......what with their baggy pants and funny hats :twisted:

Seriously, maybe the coffee hasn't kicked in yet this morning, but I'm having a hard time understanding just what this post is supposed to be about.  

Meat bees??

[Thomas Krupinski]

I guess it's what frustrating gopher problems will drive you to doing?

[jimann]

Hi
I have had some problems with gophers. They sell a poison that is seeds that are treated. I run some water into the hole, and put a spoon full of the bait in, deep enough that the birds will not get into it. Gopher comes to fix the hole, finds the bait... Works great! ONLY PROBLEMS!!! If you have cats or dogs the would eat the dead gopher... They are going to get the poison too... Usually the gopher dies inside the burrow. Also be sure to wash the spoon really good by itself.
Good luck!
jim

[misszoeyray]

i guess i should have mentioned that i have cats and dogs, and alot or property i like the idea of shotting them but the porpertys next to use have horses and lota of cars, so it has to be an air riffell i think but what time do they come out of the hole they are in?

[Wlscott]

One plus to using poisened seeds to control gophers is that other rodents will most likely get into them and also die.  The negative is the aforementioned problem with cats and dogs, PLUS, any birds in the area will eat the poisened seeds and die.

Say...didn't Bill Murray have this same problem in Caddyshack?

Seemed like he had a good solution to this problem :-D

[Lawdog]

misszoeyray,

but what time do they come out of the hole they are in?

Gophers are early morning and very late evening critters.  My mother used to sit on her porch with her morning coffee and her pellet rifle and bust them when they stick their heads out of their holes.  In fact she still does to protect her gardens.  Mind you my mother is not a hunter of any sort but any critter that messes with her flower/veggie garden or lawns gets their ticket canceled.  I don’t care for poison at any time.  Poison is indiscriminant killer and causes to many other animals to die a very horrible death.  And if there is a chance of kids EVER coming around then poison should NEVER BE CONSIDERED.  Bust them gophers with a pellet rifle.  A good .177 caliber rifle using flat nosed wad cutter type pellets will do in any gopher alive.  Like I said before the Crosman 664 my mother bought is not what I would have bought for her but with a little better scope it has worked quite well.  It is quite accurate, shooting 5 shot groups that can be covered with a dime at 30 yards.  Let us know what you do and how successful you are at controlling your gopher problem.  Lawdog
 

[misszoeyray]

ok its settled air riffle and early morning, but i am busting my but this weekend and need to go buy my own air gun , that dammed golfer survived everything i had to give, did you knowgolferss are the only know thing that is immune to a rattle snake bite,speakingg of snakes we had two rattlers we put down today looks like a bad snake year. we are going to have to keep a snake shot in the truck.dammitt if they get another cat!I wont go near it if i don't have a snake shot screw the shovel thats for a man!!!! anddammittdon'tt try and pick them up....... Thanks alot for your help and i well let you all know when i get my first golfer probably try and get them next weekend , i am going to string them up on a pole as an example to the others that there is pplentyof other dirt to dig in they don't have to go in the garden!

ok thanks

[Lawdog]

misszoeyray,

Yes you are correct in your assessment that it is going to be a bad year for rattlesnakes.  The California game biologists are stating it is going to be a bad year for snakes and ticks.  I have already killed seven rattlesnakes this year.  One out by our barn and the rest while traveling to and from work.  In a normal year I will kill around 20 or so rattlesnakes but last year I killed 43.  And the biologists are saying this year will be worse.   :roll:   By the way the one rattlesnake that I killed out by the barn I shot with a pellet pistol.  Worked just fine as always.  Small groups and tight lines to you.  Lawdog
 

[ihuntbucks]

You just don't have enough cats.I have 14 cats,17 if you count the 3 kittens,I have NO PROBLEM with rats,snakes or squirels;and a lot birds too,if they stay on the ground to long  :lol:  They take care of business and leave the carcsses on the back porch for my inspection and disposal.Also dogs in neighborhood usally only walk thru my yard once.Those put a gang hit out on them   ....Rick

[misszoeyray]

I don't like to have to kill snakes and hate to see any no venomous snake die, however the rattles snakes are a problem. Hubby set me up with a 38 special snake shot in a smith and wesson 357 magnum. he set this one for me because the other ones don't balance well in my hands this hand gun is perfect in an energency situation. smaller and my load might nt be in the right spot larger and i might just barely miss my foot. I am a long barrel girl from day one and my ability to associtate with the hand gun is difficult. But last year when we had a litter of kittens running the yard one of the females got smacked by a snake. Watching a kitten die from a snake bite is the only thing you can do  unlilke dogs there is not much you can do to save a cat from a snake bite. the cat swells up and the fur falls off the body leaving bloody tissue and a living creature intel they stop breathing. A neighbor pointed out to me that you can always stick them in the freezer to help stop the suffering. I also called the creature patrol last year to get the run down on what other things out hear are poisonous. i suggest that to anyone or anyones other half who would like to know what they are dealing with to call the local informaiton lines and ask questions. as for the golfers, the bastards are kicking my ass. everyware i water they dig. one of the kids is going to let me barrow there air riffle to go to battelle. I am just wondering if the golfer well get the point and move out of one hole and into the other.... I pissed in his hole last night and he hasn't been back sense, hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehheheh maybe i well just piss on all of them......

anyways thanks allot mizzy

[Willie Wheelgun]

Crossman makes a dandy air pistol on a frame similar to the S & W.  It is aluminum in color and has a longer barrel than their standard.  The bore is brass instead of steel.  I put a Daisy dot scope on one and the accuracy is unbelievable.  My son was shooting moles with it as a rifle was making the neighbor nervous.  She didn't even see the pistolee.
Now he lives in Belgrade, Montana and sits on a stepladder and busts gophers without a complaint from the neighbors.  Great little gun.
JMHO
Willie

[IntrepidWizard]

For quick results,use a piece of Banana,either in the back of a spring trap or on a open working hole stand back about 25 ft+ so they don't feel your vibrations after setting a squeezed banana piece on the lip of the hole and shoot um.

[BillP]

When you asked about what time to look for them, I got to wondering if maby you were having trouble with pocket gophers.  Regular "gophers" as in the movie Caddy Shack, are really ground squirrels and you should see them standing up near there hole at most any time of day.  Pocket gophers on the other hand make a series of dirt mounds each of which has a hole but it is plugged from the inside.  You won't see pocket gophers.  They are a lot more serious of a problem and the solution is to trap them with what is called a "death clutch" trap.  The technique for using these traps is sort of complicated so find someone to show you what to do.  (By the way, you leave the hole open after setting the trap.)

[Glanceblamm]

Mizzy
The trap that BILL P is talking about is called a connibear. Your local farm & home supply probably has some of these in stock. Ask for the 110 size.
 These are easy to set & will lie flat on the ground over the hole. What ya do is to set just a few over the "key" holes and run your water hose into the other ones. This method will probably get a thumbs up from those Creature Patrol people if you ask.

[BillP]

"Death clutch" traps consist of a strong spring wound around a bent shaft with a ring in the "handle" end.  The "business end has two sharp fingers that are held open while the trap is cocked by winding the spring once around the shaft.  A trigger is then set to hold it open.  The set trap is placed inside the hole and a stake placed through the ring.  When the pocket gopher comes up with a mouthful of dirt to plug the hole you left open, he passes between the open fingers and runs into the trigger.  The sharp fingers snap together sort of like a shears and do a number on the critter.  They are quite safe in use because the danger is all underground and a child would need to remove it from the hole the get hurt.  Take care setting them.

To use the trap you look at all of the pocket gopher mounds made by one gopher and decide which one is an "end" hole.  (If you don't use an end hole, you will have a T tunnel and need two traps.)  Look carefully at the end mound and try to spot the fresh dirt used to plug the hole.  probe the plug with a stick like a broom stick till you find out which way leads to the open tunnel.  Dig the plug out and open the tunnel and place the trap.  Do not pug the hole back up.  If what you have is pocket gophers this should get them.  Good luck.

[Glanceblamm]

Hi Bill
I stand corrected :oops:

The 110 connibear is good medicine though. I usually loan a few out every year when the ground squirrels get up around the farmers impliment shed's and are heading for the yard.

[BillP]

glanceblam,
That's OK, he probably has ground squirrel type gophers rather than pocket gophers so your traps are the thing if he can't shoot them.  Here in lake country MN we have more trouble with beaver than gophers.  They do use connibear traps for them but usually snares.

[trappenjoe]

This is kinda like the domino effect, where theres rodents there are snakes.To get rid of you golfers plug up all the holes,find you a 100
pound propane tank put the hose down the hole. Propane is heaver
than air and will sink to the den.. I have seen amany farmers do this
on there erigation danms. I have also seen this done fore skunks.

I'm like lawdog on poisening animals,BUT when it comes to golfers
digging holes to break my livestocks legs or to draw rattle snakes
into the area my kids play in,NUKKKKKKK THE VERMIN

LITTLE JOE
P.S get acouple boxes of mothballs to throw around your place this to differs snakes and golfers.