Pocket gopher control workshop 2019

Published: 2019
By Marko Manoukian

Stephen M. Vantassel State of Montana Vertebrate Pest Specialist discussed pocket gopher control workshop for 10 Phillips County producers. Pocket gophers dig tunnels eating root vegetation like alfalfa roots, leaving mounds that can cause damage to field equipment and reduce forage production. Pocket gophers get their name from the large, fur-lined cheek pouches used to carry food. The continental U.S. hosts more than a dozen species of pocket gophers. But Montana only has one, the Northern pocket gopher Northern pocket gophers are small rodents 6½ to 10 inches in length (not counting the three-inch tail) and weighing only three to six ounces. Pocket gophers are rarely seen because they spend almost 95 percent of their time below ground in complex burrow systems up to 800 feet in length. They create deep tunnels, two to six feet deep, that lead to dens and food storage chambers. Vantassel also had a hand on field demonstration. This is where he allowed participant to find holes and set traps to get a better understanding of control efforts.