Gophers - How do you get rid of these vile, evil monsters?

[k0NG0]

Luck has nothing to do with it. They're smarter than you, that's all...

[SRTDodge05]

I never seen this thread before and i read the hole thing and couldnt help myself but laugh. Makes me wana watch caddy shack again.

[specmike]

Originally Posted by Rick_EE

Unavaliable for comment.

"Great big gobs of greasy grimey gopher guts"

[GWillakers]

Never dealt with gophers, but I would try those big chlorine tabs they sell at pool supply.

[SpeedDMN]

Well...This year's gopher story went a little better then last one at least for me. I am putting this under a spoiler tag for any of you extreme animal lovers so be forewarned it is somewhat graphic!

Spoiler:

Bill Murray eat your heart out! Instead of all that dynamite, you should have got yourself a .30.30 Marlin! Ok that was a bit overkill but it was about a 75yrd shot and I wanted to get him good. I missed him a few days before by hitting a chain link fence. I was hoping the round would make it through the many holes but naturally I hit the wire which was enough to deflect the shot.

[Deer Slayer]

PEPPER SPRAY! Take a can of pepper spray, and tape it to the side inside a 5 gallon bucket. MARK THE POSITION of the can with a magic marker or something on the outside so you can shoot it with a pellet gun. Place the bucket over the gopher hole upside down, and shoot can from about 20 yards away so the WIND BLOWS THE CLOUD AWAY FROM YOU! That gopher will either die in the hole, or come out knocking the bucket over in the process. Unless the SOB has 2 exits, then he'll come out the other side. The pepper spray will keep them from going back into the hole for a while. So, put a live trap near by covered up so it looks like a good place to hide. You'll have a gopher that's gasping for air, and in severe distress, which doesn't usually bother me too much after the destruction they cause. You may want to give him some water (hose him down) to help get rid of the pepper spray.

Here I can just shoot the little buggers, take the .22, and lights out! If I want to get them from a distance, the .17 HMR does an awesome job. I leave them alone unless they decide to dig holes around trees I planted, or where the mower wheels go into the holes.

[SpeedDMN]

I would probably leave them alone too if they were not such a nuisance. Your method sounds interesting if a little involved. My just waiting for one of them to be seen has been working for me. I bagged another one about an hour ago so that makes 2 already this year. I decided I wont post any more gory dead animal pics (unless asked perhaps). This one was particularly gruesome. Lets just say she lost her head wandering in my field of fire. Last thing I really wanted to hear was a .30.30 in my ear this morning, but opportunity does not respect hangovers.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by Deer Slayer

If I want to get them from a distance, the .17 HMR does an awesome job.

A fine choice for varmint suppression.
Here's mine:

[TQ]

Originally Posted by SRTDodge05

Makes me wanna watch Caddyshack again.

Be the ball, Billy...

[Deer Slayer]

Originally Posted by SpeedDMN

I would probably leave them alone too if they were not such a nuisance. Your method sounds interesting if a little involved. My just waiting for one of them to be seen has been working for me. I bagged another one about an hour ago so that makes 2 already this year. I decided I wont post any more gory dead animal pics (unless asked perhaps). This one was particularly gruesome. Lets just say she lost her head wandering in my field of fire. Last thing I really wanted to hear was a .30.30 in my ear this morning, but opportunity does not respect hangovers.

I had one that made a hole under the concrete slab for the driveway. I saw that one @ 6:00am or so on a saturday morning after I was up till 3:00am having a few friends over for a bon fire. I dunno if I was sober at that point or not (probably not ) , I just got up to use the bathroom and in a T shirt and underwear. I leaned out the upstairs window with my .22 marlin and shot LEFT HANDED with my LEFT EYE, and my right hand out the other window (3 vertical pane where the sides crank open) to support the barrel for a distance of about 30 yards. 6 shots, one dead through the eyeball, another down the ear canal, and the rest in the heart. I wasn't sure if any of the shots were any good, so I just kept shooting until it quit twitching. Scared the crap out of my mom and made the dogs go NUTZ! I impressed myself with that one, didn't know I could shoot lefty! The empty brass was bouncing off the window which was rather amusing. I just went back to sleep, didn't find out the head shots hit until later. Made my ears ring, and sure didn't help my head any when I decided to go bury the dang thing about noon.

TQ, the .17 isn't mine, it belongs to a friend who's mother doesn't approve of guns. He's staying with her because he just broke up with his girlfriend. Anyways, the .17 is a Savage stainless bolt action with a scope that's designed for the .17HMR round. It's got different settings for different ranges. It's COOL, I usually guestimate between first and second for the far side of the field depending on distance. The -1 is dead nutz for the neighbor's driveway and the red dot on a 7 up can! 0 is good for anything on the close edge of the field. Anything closer, and I have to guestimate between the 0 and 1. If it's real close, it starts moving closer to 0. I eventually want to get my own .17, but hey, as long as I can use this one, I'm HAPPY!


Savage Arms 17 Series Model 93R17FVSS

Here's the one I plan on getting.
Savage Arms 17 Series Model 93R17BTVS

High Quality Optical Products, Rifle Scopes, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes and Accessories

[TQ]

Originally Posted by Deer Slayer

Here's the one I plan on getting.
Savage Arms 17 Series Model 93R17BTVS

Sweet. Savage has been doing some very interesting things lately and that model you've selected is quite lovely and distinctive.
The .17HMR is just such a cute little round. Like a miniature 30.06.

[Rickwell]

Man I would love to take one out with a 50 caliber barrett out a bathroom window left handed lol.

Barrett Rifles

[Deer Slayer]

Originally Posted by Rickwell

Man I would love to take one out with a 50 caliber barrett out a bathroom window left handed lol.

Barrett Rifles

Great big gobs of greasy grimey GOPHER GUTS!!!!! I've seen what a rabbit does when shot with a 12ga with a Winchester partition gold slug. I think the resulting EXPLOSION would be MUCH more VIOLENT if you shot the SOB with a .50 Barett! The rabbit looked like it ate a 1/4 stick of dynamite, I'm picturing what would happen if a gopher ate THE WHOLE THING! KABLOOEY!

[SpeedDMN]

Originally Posted by Deer Slayer

Great big gobs of greasy grimey GOPHER GUTS!!!!! I've seen what a rabbit does when shot with a 12ga with a Winchester partition gold slug. I think the resulting EXPLOSION would be MUCH more VIOLENT if you shot the SOB with a .50 Barett! The rabbit looked like it ate a 1/4 stick of dynamite, I'm picturing what would happen if a gopher ate THE WHOLE THING! KABLOOEY!

Well I can tell you a 160gr. .30.30 round does them no good. I pretty much took the last one's head off and the pic I posted of the other really doesn't show all the damage. There was a hole you could fit a coffee can in. Funny I had the same problem trying to hit him left handed. I couldn't really reach out the window right and get a bead on him. Finally I was able to get a queerish shot at him but took me 2 rounds. Funny he didn't haul *** after the first miss. I like my cowboy assault rifle. With the new Hornady leverevolution rounds for lever action rifles I could probably nail a duck at 200yrds. I do better with peep sights then I do a cheap scope. Speaking of Savage Arms. I have an old Stephens 16ga 2x2 (311A). I mean like circa 1930. It's in very good condition, but my gunsmith forbids me to shoot slugs through it. I would trade for a 12ga of about the same year and quality even though the 16ga's are more valuable for some reason. Hell the Marlin .30.30 was made in 1949. No annoying safety like the new mod. 336. I'm getting a .40 Taurus soon. I thought 13+1 was pretty high cap for a .40. See the girlfriend is supposed to buy me a pistol when I get a job. I just started one today (God am I tired and why can't people build their own houses?) So, I see more firepower in the near future. Guns are kinda like cats. No one has just one usually lol.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by SpeedDMN

With the new Hornady leverevolution rounds for lever action rifles I could probably nail a duck at 200yrds.

I've been very intrigued by the Hornady LeverEvolution ammo. I'd love to see how well in shoots in one of these...