Management of Pocket Gophers | Utah Approved

Instructor: Stephen Vantassel

The site of a fresh mound of soil in an otherwise manicured lawn or alfalfa field can be enough to send a landowner into a tizzy. Pocket gophers can be devastating to both lawns and agricultural fields if they are not properly controlled. The damage caused by pocket gophers can sometimes be confused with either moles or ground squirrels. There are multiple control methods available to manage pocket gophers. This course will cover the basics of pocket gopher management including biology, damage, trapping, and toxicant use.

After completing this course participants will be able to:

• Correctly identify the difference between molehills, ground squirrel mounds, and pocket gopher mounds.
• Describe the different types of toxicants labeled for pocket gopher management and the pros and cons of each.
• Locate the different parts of pocket gopher burrow systems and correctly place traps in each tunnel.