hi from GopherHunter

Hi guys, Gophers are making a mess of my lawn (and have been for years), and I found this forum on google. If I was ever able to "retire" from my day job selling trade show booths I'd love to work for myself, and a lawn care business working outside would be AWESOME. Anyway, for now I hope you don't mind if I nose around a bit looking for some tips on "gopher hunting" and maybe anything else I can learn about lawn care. ~ Steve, the gopher-hating trade show booths guy, aka GopherHunting

[Little's]

Lawn care business tips

HI, welcome to the forum. I recently became a gopher trapper and have had some great success at it since I began selling my services to people. Let me know if you have any questions.

__________________
Northern California

[Steve]

If I was ever able to "retire" from my day job selling trade show booths I'd love to work for myself, and a lawn care business working outside would be AWESOME.

What got you into selling trade show booths? What do you like or dislike about it?

What do you think stops you from going off on your own and starting your own business?

hi Steve,
"What got you into selling trade show booths?"
It's a long story, but its a paycheck. That's a good thing to have these days.

hi Little's,
Please tell me more! Do you have any "secrets" to trapping them varmits?
I use what I call the "black hole of death" trap. A few years ago I had great success, but now I mostly catch dirt. I've got a few of the wire traps but have even less success with them and they are more work to use. It seems to me I need to "bait" the black hole to get the gopher to come in and trigger it, instead of just filling it with dirt. Any ideas on what they like?
Any and all suggestions are mucho appreciated!
~ Steve, seller of trade show booths during the week, hunter of gophers on the weekends

[Little's]

I use cinch traps. They work by exploiting the gophers weaknesses; sunlight and air. NO bait required. You find the gophers main tunnel and open up both ends. You unplug the ends and place the trap in both sides. LEAVE the ends open. This is what gets them, usually over night, but sometimes within minutes, I have been setting the next set of traps and heard the previous ones go off after only a few minutes.

See gophers cant stand to have an air draft, or light shining in their tunnel, so they will immediately come to plug up the door that is left open. That is when they trigger the trap and WHAM! They are done.

The traps I use require minimal digging since they are considered external traps because the body of the trap sits mostly above ground, but the trigger and cinch are underground in the tunnel. That way you can see if the trap has been sprung just by walking by it, there is no need to do any digging to check it. I have had great success with them. I buy them from the person who manufactures them (family friend). He has been trapping for many years and is one of the best, See his site here

By the way, what part of Cal. are you in?

Hi Little's,
Thanks! I was going to ask what a "cinch trap" was, but then I saw the link. I'll check it out. The "black hole" trap I use is a black pipe with a little air hole in one end. The gopher is supposed to come into it to check out the open air hole (and then BAM) but they don't seem to go into it. They just turn around and fill it with dirt! I'm going to check out your friend's website.
Santa Barbara

[arthur712]

Welcome to the forum.

[Steve]

Steve,

You should consider making a post in the promote your product section and promote your trade show displays. You never know, members of the forum might be able to use them at home shows.

Little's,
Those cinch traps look great. I'm impressed that the US Forest Service uses them. I'm just wondering why I'd never heard of them and why they aren't in our local hardware stores. I just bought some Macabee traps last year and would have gotten cinch traps instead. They look like they are easier to use and more effective. I've got three fresh mounds out back from last night...
Artie, Thanks for the welcome.
Steve, good idea on posting about our trade show displays. I'm going to find your products section and do that right now.
And then go set some gopher traps! Wish I had those cinch traps.
~ Steve

I have used almost every trap I could find in my 30 years of gopher trapping. The Cinch trap really changed things for me especially once I learned about surface trapping - no digging to the main burrow and opening burrow entrance. Then placing this particular trap in the open burrow. The Cinch trap is designed to be used this way and the spring stays on the surface where you can monitor the trap action. So no digging to check traps. For much more information and videos see my web site www.gopherslimited.com