That's horrible Diane! I'm so sorry! Keeping things in perspective, though, Mt. St. Helen's reforested a full decade faster than expected after the volcanic eruption. Gophers were protected from the pyrotechnic blast by the soil they were under. When they burrowed out for air, they brought seed bearing soil out with them, mixing it with the mineral rich ash. Trees and other vegetation began germinating, honestly ten full years earlier than scientists had expected. Initially, they theorized that the seeds buried under the ash would never germinate until that heavy layer of ash was eroded. It would take decades for Nature to remove it, but the gophers did it nearly immediately.

Gophers probably did more to create the American prairies than anything other than prairie dogs as they aerated the soil, mixed the nutrients from other wildlife with it and churned seeds around with the soil they moved. Kim

You are right, Kim, we are all in the web of life together, but I just wish the gophers would leave plant roots alone when they do their soil aeration. Plants do great things for the soil, too, including breaking up clay, and preventing erosion, among many more benefits. Still, I guess I was over the top in the hatred thing. I think I meant that I hated the damage gophers do. Diane

No, you weren't, Diane. I hate the "damage" they (and the bloody rabbits, squirrels, rats, moles, etc.) do but they are eating what they require to live, which just happens to be what we plant. The moles disturb everything to get to the worms and other insects in the soil. They aren't going to leave the plants alone. They'd starve. Unfortunately, we have this wonderful tendency to eliminate their predators, because those predators either gross us out, scare us or eat our pets. Many are dangerous to us, as they are to the 'vermin'. I won't kill a snake unless there is no other way to remove it from my space. Thankfully, most often the stream of cold water from a garden hose has been sufficient to convince them to move on. Coyotes come into the space in the evenings when I'm not there and that is fine with me! The hawks and other birds of prey in the area are welcome to any and everything they can catch. The family pets are only outdoors in the front walled garden and only with a member of the household while they are out. Kim

I try to remember that they were here first and it is us that have invaded them.
I remember this when the deer turn my garden into a dessert bar.... out comes the Deer Off (which works well).

We have gophers, squirrels, rabbits, wood rats and mice, but none in great abundance because there are still bobcats, coyotes, hawks,owls, road runners, snakes and lizards who help to keep the population down. The only animals I go after are gophers because they cause the worst damage. If every property owner, even if they only have a tract house with yard, were to create a habitat that is friendly to all wildlife I think we could do a lot to balance nature.

I really have a similar situation to yours, Ingrid. We live outside Boise in the foothills surrounded by totally undeveloped land, and my backyard even abuts an undeveloped gulley. I've suffered the loss of only one rose to gophers in the nearly eight years we've lived here, and I attribute that to the predators that live all around here--coyotes, foxes, hawks, and that most misunderstood, but beneficial creature, the badger. I do really think the vole, mice, and gopher problem has been suppressed by these predators. I'm actually concerned because our pygmy rabbits seem to have disappeared, and feel a little guilty that I've chased them out of my garden from time to time (yes, an old lady running at top speed after a tiny rabbit--a scary sight, I'm sure). Thanks for your thoughtful replies to my post. Diane

I would be happy to supply a gopher or two to those in need....lol

Oh and the bunny too

How do you fax a mole? LOL! Kim

Nanadoll ... that is a sad story. It's impossible to monitor roads for that kind of thing.

Kippy...

My heart goes out to you. I am only fighting with one gopher. We are at war because he is going after my newly planted star magnolia tree.

The roses behind the deer fencing in back are in glacier slurry. Gophers cannot tunnel through it. In fact, the other day as I was watering, I found myself looking around in amazement to see that I had a rose garden planted in the terrible stuff and it's doing very well.

I've wanted to get rid of the lawn out in front where Mrs. J imported soil since day one. I guess I should thank my dang gopher for helping me tear it up... BUT he's after my tree.

Smiles,
Lyn

I like critters, where I live, I have a deal with the rattlesnakes, I stay off their hillside and they stay out of my parking lot (I manage rental property so I have a big parking lot and get the call when a snake violates my policy)

We have had fewer rattler issues since the ground squirrels moved in. Of course it looks like much of our parking lot will have to be dug up and their tunnels filled before the cars drop in sink holes.

I also have a deal with the coyotes, no outdoor cats-maybe that is more of a deal for the cats though, coyotes really love them. The coyotes have not had an impact on the gophers or squirrels here and the hawks (6 of them) also have not made a dent. (Coyotes hunt night and day and are not bothered by people yards away)

To really have nature in balance you have to not only have the prey but the hunters. I can not see inviting a bob cat and a coyote (they do walk our street at moms) to come and help the hawks with the rabbit and the gopher in moms back yard. And I really do not want to add gopher snakes, although they would help. I also have skunks, raccoon and opossum. I know I do not want a Mt Lion to help with those....

So, if I want a veggie garden, lawn or roses, I will have to trap myself a gopher or two.

Hi Kippy....

I have all of the above mentioned critters plus a few more. The bears, raccoons, cougars and other cats, all kinds of members of the weasel family, the deer, foxes, etc., but it is simply part of living in the mountains. AND, I can see bald eagles when I look out of my front window.

I never tire of watching the eagles and hawks hunting in the meadow in the park across from my home.

They are talking about introducing wolves into the county because the elk herds are getting too big. Should be interesting. Personally, I'd rather have the wolves than the gun toting mj growers.

I am ever hopeful that the fox that has decided to stake a claim to my property has a successful gopher hunt !

Smiles,
Lyn

One coyote here picked off all my free-range chickens--300 or more of them over a period of a year. Chickens are easier to catch than, say, wild bunnies. He could have had all of the bunnies he wanted, just not my chickens. He picked off a chicken every morning for breakfast. My father admonished me that "everything has to eat". Well, what did he eat before I got chickens? I shot at him numerous times. I once tried to run over him with my car. He was sneaky and clever and always escaped. I really love wildlife, just not wildlife that eats my personal belongings, including chickens and roses.

Florida, we have chickens too. Ours free range in the veggie garden even with the hawks above we have not lost any to them. With our old coop we would loose them regularly to the opossum and raccoon.

The skunks are just a pain, digging at the freshly planted roses and others for bugs. And making it so your nice evening in the yard is not possible with out the worry of getting sprayed.

Lyn,

Enjoy your wolves. My guys ranch is in a wolf zone. He is always mindful that there and that he is not at the top of the food chain.

But most people living in the city probably do not want to add coyotes to keep the gopher population down. Though it is one way to deal with cats and dogs (coyotes do hunt in the day time, people regularly forget that here and there is a constant supply of lost cat posters. Our city has details on how to add rollers to your fence just so the coyotes wont jump in your back yard and eat fido)

I'm not going all nicey-nicey on predators--they certainly can do their damage, as well as rodents and deer. We lost two prison (house) escapee cats, which I'm sure became coyote lunch. Our current male, neutered, declawed housecat is a constant escapee, and it takes him less than thirty minutes to catch a mouse, vole, or the occasional gopher. I wish there was some way to reconcile the coyotes and the cats. Idaho reintroduced wolves back to their original environment, and they have very successfully repopulated. So now our state has a wolf hunting season, I think primarily due to the political pressure of elk hunters and cattlemen. It's a really serious disagreement amongst these groups and those supporting the wolves. California sent us one of their fish and game men for a little wolf trapping (legal here), videoed himself laughing in front of a bloodied live wolf still in the leghold trap, and still trying to escape. I guess he finally shot the wolf (nice of him). The video went viral and, boy, has that raised some hackles (sorry). We just can't seem to get predators straight in our heads. Diane

kippy...

A bear ate a friend's chickens for lunch. He just reared up and leaned on the chain link fence and he had full access.

The proposed wolf program would reimburse ranchers for lost stock, so they are not opposing the introduction of wolves because the elk herds are getting too large.

The elk get into orchards by leaning on the fences, too.

You really don't need to be afraid of being sprayed by skunks. I had them in my back yard for years, until the fox arrived, and they would pretty much go about their business even when I talked to them. Of course, no sudden moves on my part.

Even my cat got along with them. The funniest sight was seeing three skunks going up the stairs to the upper slope of my property and Scamp was fourth in line. No, he did not come back smelling of skunk. That said, since they are wild animals, there is probably a skunk out there that will prove me wrong ... lol

However, the bears are a huge problem. In our county, we have the largest black bear population in the state.

The cougars that come to town are very young or old and are not efficient hunters. They come after the tame deer. However, if they are hungry enough, anything is fair game.

Wild animals don't have a concept of food chains. They do what works to stay alive.

Smiles,
Lyn

Lyn

Skunks are a rabies concern here, and judging from the fragrance, they do spray something in the neighborhood...lol (one neighbors dog gets it regularly-one would think the dogs would learn)

I don't have traps set for those larger animals, but gophers...oh ya! FYI rats too in case anyone feels all cuddly wild animal about them too. (mean old me)

Kippy...

Rabies is a concern for all wild animals where rabies has been reported. I also believe healthy caution is appropriate. I've had my run-ins with critters that could harm me, but, so far, have been able to avoid trouble.

I think the fox and Scamp have had a less than pleasant encounter, too. However, the fox goofed and grabbed Scamp's tail. No one touches Scamp's tail .. lol. The fox ended up with more cat than he expected and Scamp couldn't lift his tail for about a week. Scamp doesn't know he's little. I've seen my five pound cat stalking deer.

I do wish the kind-hearted tourists would not feed the bears !

I agree about gophers. I am still at war with mine. He's still after my new tree.

Smiles,
Lyn

We have bears come into the east end of Boise occasionally (usually a young one all confused about where he is), and on a more regular basis cougars arrive in town. Fish and Game always ends up shooting them. Everybody hates F&G's lack of resourcefulness in this kind of situation.
But what is pretty funny out here is watching a fox trot up a sidewalk. It just seems a little out of sync to me. Diane

Once, while horseback riding, I rounded a curve and surprised a mother skunk and four babies crossing the trail. The mother didn't do anything, but all four babies raised their little tails and sprayed. Evidently, the fumes can burn, because the horse I was on got down on his knees and rubbed his face in the dirt and started rolling in the dirt with me still on his back. I'll never forget that trip. You could actually see the fumes, like gasoline fumes, rising from their tails.

I haven't seen skunks around here, though, in more than 20 years, not even out on the trail. I'm not sure what's happened to them. Too bad everybody's gophers don't suffer the same fate.

one less gopher eating our zucchini and green beans....