13 stripe ground squirels

[springer78]

I have a major infestation of streekies to take care of. any ideas other than traps?

[garman]

pellet gun, .22 and a couple soda pops, poison, water and a lasso trick, pretty easy little critters to deal with, back up the car and run the exhaust in the hole (plug all other holes of course)

[springer78]

I'd love to burn through a couple of bricks of .22's, but the area is an apple orchard so I will need to get it done fairly quickly. Been looking for a good poison or something along that line.

[trappnman]

go to Runnings and get some mole and gopher poison, drop down holes- works pretty good for some of my farmers-

shooting is the best way-

[springer78]

lets have a ADC convention and target practice session. Thanks for the lead TM I'll check it out.

[northof50]

One of the rules of the gopher shooting is that a shooter can keep shooting till he misses then it's the next guys turn , till the next miss. 10 second standing gopher rule, if the shot is not taken then considered a miss. It does get competive that way. Consider a 1/2 mile movement at this time of year. Most adults will be going down for one week sleeps now, and down for topur sleep by 1 Sept.

[trappnman]

Most adults will be going down for one week sleeps now, and down for topur sleep by 1 Sept.

they start hibernating now? if so, not all- I still trap streakies until freezup here well into oct-

[thorsmightyhammer]

Keep in mind steve that john lives north of you and even a bit north of me.

Come to think of it he brings up something I hadnt considered before.

I dont think I see many if any striped gophers in the fall.

I'll have to ask around and pay a little more attention this year. It seems they are on an uptick around here.

[trappnman]

I'll see when I quit seeing them as well- very active now- guess I always thought would be about like the pockets and go until freeze-

[northof50]

Check the tails; the adults are worn on the bottom and the juves have hair all round. Then you will see how they go into sleep cycles that start to last for sometime. Once they have obtained a certain body mass they start the sleep cycle. They do not trully hibernate.
If there is rains and the moisture levels rise in their burrows they re-activate and go about to collect dried grasses for bedding, which will show more activity.
Steve remember my handle is my lattitude location...north of 50...one degree of separation from 49.
Many of the adult live captured 13 liners that I handled were not seen past the first of August till April the next year. Some made 3 years of sniffing ether their hobby daily it would seem.

[trappnman]

very interesting- so you are saying, Im seeing the young and not the adults?

[trappnman]

and that they go into "hibernation" because of weight, and not time of year (yes, time of year as well, but not the dominant factor?)

[northof50]

The day light hours are leaning. Once they have obtained a certain body mass, the sleep cycles start and they go for extended time down, usually not feeding, just voiding urea when they get up. If they are under weight due to internal parasites or such, hibernation usually does not kick in. Check the tails and you will see what you are catching. The winter coats are slowly growing in and they look funny on the worn tails. The young of the year have hair on theirs and a little wear.
By Nov 15 they have full winter coats, and are sold as ( Susauclicks; spelling) to the Russians if you can catch any.. certain Officers use them in the squirrel coats.
If you are catching them in the pocket gopher burrows it is they are travelling the tunnel system and searching one of the 10 -15 foot deep chambers if the pocket gophers to sleep in.

[trappnman]

I catch 30 a year or so in pocket gopher tunnells usually early summer- haven't had one for several weeks-

I've never, ever, caught a pocket gopher in a tunnell where I've taken a streakie, even if its fresh tunnells, and a steakie the next day- resetting trap always empty, occasionally another streakie

[northof50]

Have you seen where this fits true;
Tunnels diameters vs shapes; northern pockets= oval, southern pocket= elipical shape. streakeees= round smaller than fist, but they will travel in anyhole.
Richardson ground sq= fist size round

[trappnman]

boy hard to say- yes on the streakies-

on the gophers, I'd say more of a round hole than anything- not sure te difference betwene an oval or an elipse- unlessl ike an egg- one upo/dpwn, other side ot side? I'd say up.down if not round.

but many times, the tunnells of the adults are round and just a little bigger than my arm.

now, Im dealing with a lot of those little "greybacks" young, they so small and light, and have holes about 2-3 inches round- lots of work and lots of plugs.

[bud24]

Jim Bethel has a ground squirrel trap out on the market for $10.00 a piece. very simple design.

[1yoteskinner]

2.5" RBG over the hole works.

[bud24]

depending if you still have the infestation, give me a call, I may be out that way doing other work this coming spring. I strictly trap animals, very fast and effectively.

[ltgrey2]

Scott Balts of Pine City, Mn., makes the best 13 lined ground squirrel trap out there, bar none!
If used correctly and with the right technigue, you can trap a ground squirrel in 15-20 minutes or less. Scott can be found on the Trapperman website, as 330trapper or by calling him @ 1-651-246-0567.