Killing Gophers

[Weasel]

Has anyone tried the gopher killing poison pellets compared to just trapping them? I need a way to stop their invasion on our hay field and wondering if this is a good alternative. Has anyone used the victory clamp traps with the pellets? Last spring a lot of the ones I caught with the victory clamps chewed off their legs or tails to get out and I would like to prevent that. 

[dew2]

Has anyone tried the gopher killing poison pellets compared to just trapping them? I need a way to stop their invasion on our hay field and wondering if this is a good alternative. Has anyone used the victory clamp traps with the pellets? Last spring a lot of the ones I caught with the victory clamps chewed off their legs or tails to get out and I would like to prevent that.

Where ya located weasel ? Poisonmay be illagle? Maybe the general can help ya or his kids,They seem to do pretty well wit da traps.I know their bassturds to get rid of,But poison will take out more than the target. Whats the size of the field?

[Weasel]

That is the reason I didn't want to use poison, because I don't want to kill anything besides the problem. I was just wondering because lately I've had low success with the clamp style traps. I have really started to like the pincer style trap that catches them in the guts, but I don't have many of those traps. I will probably invest in getting more to increase my success

[Dotch]

Assuming you're talking pocket gophers here Weasel? I've used both the traps and the poison with relative success. Most of the gophers stay in the CRP or road ditch but every once in a while one gets loose in the pasture or hayfield. Generally I use the "death klutch" traps that I grew up trapping with. Occasionally I'll get a small pocket gopher that's difficult to trap so I keep some poison on hand in case. Zinc phosphide is the active ingredient in the stuff I have. Used properly on pocket gophers, exposure to other animals is minimal. Opening the hole slightly, dropping a few pellets in then covering it up is all it takes. Typically the pocket gopher expires far underground where secondary poisoning is unlikely. I don't use it on striped gophers. There the risk of poisoning something else is greater as it's easier for dogs or cats to get at and sometimes I've seen striped gophers expire above ground near the hole. More fun to shoot them anyway. 
 

[The General]

Myself and the boy would be happy to help of you live close enough.

[ray634]

Assuming you're talking pocket gophers here Weasel? I've used both the traps and the poison with relative success. Most of the gophers stay in the CRP or road ditch but every once in a while one gets loose in the pasture or hayfield. Generally I use the "death klutch" traps that I grew up trapping with. Occasionally I'll get a small pocket gopher that's difficult to trap so I keep some poison on hand in case. Zinc phosphide is the active ingredient in the stuff I have. Used properly on pocket gophers, exposure to other animals is minimal. Opening the hole slightly, dropping a few pellets in then covering it up is all it takes. Typically the pocket gopher expires far underground where secondary poisoning is unlikely. I don't use it on striped gophers. There the risk of poisoning something else is greater as it's easier for dogs or cats to get at and sometimes I've seen striped gophers expire above ground near the hole. More fun to shoot them anyway. 
 

I use that zinc phosphate and it seems to work good. You do not need a permit/license to use on your own property as far as I know. This stuff is not like the strychnine used for wolfs and coyotes that was banned. And not like the warfarin for mouse/rat poison. It is a nerve agent and once they eat it there is no drinking enough water to flush it out.
Drop a few pellets on each run into the field and see what happens. It should clean them out in a week, but you may need a second treatment if the little ones survive without the parent around. Good luck.