"Top Trip" Trap Bags More Gophers

Most gopher traps are set on the bottom of a tunnel, waiting for the gopher to crawl over them to trip the trap. Ken Sprick's trip mechanism hangs from the tunnel roof with trap arms to its sides. A gopher runs through the tunnel and bumps the trip, springing the arms.

"I had gophers in a field of alfalfa and set out 18 traps," says Sprick, recalling why he came up with the idea. "When I checked them later, all 18 had been plugged with dirt."

Initially Sprick, a retired tool designer and machinist, tried to improve existing traps. He soon decided he needed an all-new design.

Sprick's trap looks a bit like a four-legged insect with a long tail. The front legs are slightly shorter than the rear. The main body contains the tensioning spring at one end of a long pin. The four legs are the arms of the trap. They are the only elements of the trap that touch the gopher tunnel floor. The tail of the trap, at the opposite end of the pin from the spring, has a loop for attaching a stake.

Setting aids similar to two beer can openers are used to pry open the arms of the trap for setting. Holding them in one hand, a latch mechanism is slid along the pin to hold the arms open. The trip mechanism is then slid in place to secure the latch.

"I set it so the trap rests on the longer arms while the shorter pair of arms are raised giving the gopher clear passage underneath the trap," explains Sprick. "A small stake through the loop at the end of the pin holds it in place so the trip hangs free and doesn't touch the dirt."

When the gopher crawls between the arms and hits the trip, the arms crush the gopher. Even if a gopher were to push dirt through the trap toward the trip, it would release the arms and trap the gopher.

Sprick uses purchased springs, but makes the rest of the trap from 3/16-in. and some 1/8-in. steel rod. He also designed and fabricated the various hydraulic press jigs needed to bend the rod. The entire trap takes 29 steps to make, including one weld.

"The trap can also be used to catch rats," explains Sprick. "Set it and slip it inside a piece of pvc pipe with wire mesh attached to the end. Extend the looped end of the pin through the mesh with bait between the trip and the wire mesh."

Sprick has sold hundreds of the traps. At 80 years of age, he says he would prefer to license his design rather than manufacture the trap himself.

Sprick has modified his design slightly to make an easily moveable bird feeder hanger that quickly attaches to trees or posts. The hanger uses the same spring as the trap, but with the longer arms.

"It works great on smaller trees, up to about 10 in. in diameter, " says Sprick. "The hanger extends out about a foot from the tree and swivels."