Victor Trap Tunnel Intercept
Use classic Victor pinch traps in active main runs for fast, repeatable captures.
Difficulty Medium
Speed Often within a day or two
Best for Active main tunnel runs
How It Works
1
Identify what you have
Gopher or mole? Fresh mound or old spoil? Getting this right saves you from wasting time on the wrong fix.
Gopher vs Mole ID guide →2
Pick a method
Traps are the fastest. Barriers are the most permanent. Repellents buy time. Know which one you need.
Browse all methods →3
Get the right gear
Mark's field-tested picks — no junk, no filler. The stuff that's actually in rotation on real jobs.
Visit The Armory →4
Run the field process
Scout, probe, set, check — in that order. Skipping steps is the most common reason people come up empty.
Follow the Quick Start guide →Most-Used Methods
The three I reach for first.
Cinch Trap Mainline Set
Deploy cinch-style traps in open tunnel runs for quick mechanical control.
Difficulty Medium
Speed Often within a day or two
Best for Open tunnel runs
Install Gopher Mesh Barriers
Use underground wire mesh to physically block gophers from garden beds and root zones.
Difficulty Medium
Speed Immediate
Best for Garden beds & raised beds
Dealing with something specific?
Browse all 11 problem guides →Mark's go-to traps and gear picks with direct Amazon links.
Quick StartNew here? This is exactly how Mark and Taco did it.
Yard Wisdom of the Day
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to trap gophers?
Spring (February–May) and fall (September–November) are the two peak activity windows. During spring, gophers are breeding hard and expanding territory fast — fresh mounds appear daily. Fall is the second major surge as they cache food for winter. Hit both windows hard and you stay ahead of the problem.
How deep do gophers dig?
Feeding burrows run 6–12 inches underground, and the nest and food storage chamber can be as deep as 6 feet depending on soil type. In summer gophers work deeper to escape the heat.
How do I identify a gopher mound?
A gopher mound is crescent or fan-shaped with a plugged hole off to one side. If the mound is a symmetrical volcano with a center hole, you have a mole — which requires completely different treatment. See the Gopher vs Mole ID guide for a full comparison.
How long does it take to get rid of gophers?
A single gopher is often caught within a day or two with a properly placed trap in the main tunnel run — check daily, and if nothing happens in 1 to 2 days, move the trap. Complete elimination depends on how many gophers are present and whether new ones are migrating in from neighboring yards. No new mounds for 5–7 consecutive days is a good monitoring signal the gopher is gone — not proof, since a gopher can sit quiet underground for a few days without pushing fresh soil. If mounds resume, it's active again.