Author Topic: Gopher Stew (Read 572 times)

Left Coast Chris · « **on:** January 15, 2012, 10:41:21 pm »

A few more and I will have enough for a stew.

This is one days trap sets of five mounds in our pasture. Last winter I got 67 out of this same pasture. The neighbors do no gopher control so it looks like Im off to another big year. The count is 15 so far for 2012. These things are high maintenance and we had pretty much none for the first 10 years we lived here. Something is out of ballance but hopefully I can even it up a little.

sawguy21 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2012, 10:57:48 pm »

Can we send you some coyotes?

Left Coast Chris · « **Reply #2 on:** January 15, 2012, 11:22:35 pm »

Ahhh...... there in lies the problem.... no coyotes!

I would rather have the coyotes since Im trying to grow orchard trees and the @#$%&* gophers eat the roots.

We have had some grey crane looking birds (blue heron?) stand around in the field then peck a gopher and sollow them whole. They are not too agressive though and only stop by once in awhile.

Please point the coyotes in our direction......

Jeff · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2012, 11:26:22 pm »

We will not be moving this topic to the food board.

Mooseherder · « **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2012, 11:33:41 pm »

Quote from: Left Coast Chris on January 15, 2012, 11:22:35 pm

We have had some grey crane looking birds (blue heron?) stand around in the field then peck a gopher and sollow them whole. They are not too agressive though and only stop by once in awhile.

Say What?
Hosenosejeezuswaldos!

sandhills · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2012, 12:00:04 am »

Those traps are different, where do you find them? Dad caught 60 some of them in our hay field in about a 40' diameter circle one summer between knocking the hay down and when it was ready to bale (they make windrowing a nightmare), and we have the coyotes here too so they may not be the answer

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Left Coast Chris · « **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2012, 12:26:49 am »

I know what you mean Jeff, as much as I hate to see good rodents go to waste, there is a distinct lack of recipies.

Snadhills, the traps are Victor Black Box gopher traps. I get them at the local hardwear store. Wear gloves when you set them in the tunnel and carefully cover all openings with dirt. I also rub the inside with dirt to mask any scent. They really put the whammy on the little buggers. Some how the dead bodies relieve most of the anxiety of all the damage the little critters do.

WDH · « **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2012, 07:45:57 am »

Kinda like miniature versions of wild hogs

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bandmiller2 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2012, 07:50:43 am »

Chris ask around if theirs a local air gun club,those guys love potting those varments, little noise and little danger. Or get one of those pre-charged pneumatic airguns yourself,you will like the wap sound and one less rodent. Frank C.

Tom L · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2012, 08:32:08 am »

I actually ate them once, at a camp-out and one guy showed up with a large platter of barbecued chicken(or so we thought) we found out after we all ate one piece and liked it that it was wood chuck. he quartered them and then boiled them for a time. then marinated them. finished cooking them on the grill. like dark meat chicken

Kansas · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2012, 08:52:33 am »

Chris, I don't know anything about your area, but if you have anhydrous ammonia, you might get a tank and blast them with a hose in their holes. We did that when I worked for an alfalfa dehydrator plant.

Magicman · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2012, 08:54:28 am »

I tried armadillo once, but it was not good.

mooleycow · « **Reply #12 on:** January 16, 2012, 10:20:23 am »

in 1992 we kill 189 grounhogs in the va mountains-patrick,carrol, and floyd counties. i have killed 2 that went 20lbs. had some folks offer to pay us for attempting to reduce the population.

Left Coast Chris · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2012, 12:02:08 pm »

As far as air guns, the little buggers are always underground and if you have enough patients a hoe can work but they seem to do their digging close to the surface real early in the morning. I did have a retired neighbor one time that stood for hours on his front lawn with a 410 shotgun and discharged down towards his feet.

I like the amonia idea. Another I read about from an Agg professor recommended aluminum phosphide. Not sure if you set it on fire or if it gasses. He still said the traps are the best then if you have a miss (gopher is now trap shy) then use the aluminum phosphide.

A dead gopher is a good gopher.......

beenthere · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2012, 12:31:32 pm »

Quote from: Tom L on January 16, 2012, 08:32:08 am

I actually ate them once, at a camp-out and one guy showed up with a large platter of barbecued chicken(or so we thought) we found out after we all ate one piece and liked it that it was wood chuck. he quartered them and then boiled them for a time. then marinated them. finished cooking them on the grill. like dark meat chicken

I recollect woodchuck is a bit different in size (being larger) than a gopher. But prolly doesn't cook up much different.

Like the guy in "Never Cry Wolf" story of the bioligist who lived out among the wolves to try to discover what they ate when the caribou were not available. Turns out it was mice, but when he dined on mice he couldn't maintain his weight. Discovered then that he had to eat them whole.

Made into a good movie later, with the same name.

BaldBob · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2012, 09:53:20 pm »

Quote

Like the guy in "Never Cry Wolf" story of the bioligist who lived out among the wolves to try to discover what they ate when the caribou were not available. Turns out it was mice, but when he dined on mice he couldn't maintain his weight. Discovered then that he had to eat them whole.
Made into a good movie later, with the same name.

The author of "Never Cry Wolf" later admitted that although he really believed what was portrayed was real, he had made most of it up.

D._Frederick · « **Reply #16 on:** January 16, 2012, 10:37:21 pm »

I gas gophers by burning sulfur, put about half a cup sulfur crystals down the hole and burn it with a propane torch, makes sulfur dioxide.

beenthere · « **Reply #17 on:** January 16, 2012, 11:31:41 pm »

Quote from: BaldBob on January 16, 2012, 09:53:20 pm

..........The author of "Never Cry Wolf" later admitted that although he really believed what was portrayed was real, he had made most of it up.

I googled it, and Wikipedia account was an interesting read. Sounds like the Canadian Author Farley Mowat had several challengers of his book implying it was fictional like "Little Red Riding Hood", but haven't found where Mowat admitted he made it up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Cry_Wolf

Do you have a resource?

Manorwood · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2012, 12:06:25 am »

Pocket gophers are a PITA. Out of sheer entertainment I've started blowing them up. I take a tiger torch, and remove the "flare" end. I bury the nozzle in the gopher tunnels, and let it run for couple of minutes. Igniting it can get interesting, with the gas sometimes sitting on the ground and starting fires. I've got to come up with a more reliable inition system, and am leaning towards rocket motor ignitors... Ground is still very, very frozen here, and will be until April or so...

Manorwood · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2012, 12:08:07 am »

Oh yeah... Chain or cable your traps down so when the coyotes try to steal the pocket gophers, they don't get the trap too. More than a few go missing here that way...

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Author Topic: Gopher Stew (Read 572 times)