Quick verdict
A solid steel tool with a pointed probe on one end to locate the main tunnel under a gopher mound or mole run, and a flat curved blade on the other to clear soil from the tunnel so a trap sits cleanly. Trapping fails when the trap is in the wrong tunnel or a collapsed one; the probe finds the run by the sudden drop into open space and the blade opens it. It is the tool professionals carry and it turns trapping from luck into method.
Strengths
- Pointed probe finds the main tunnel by feel
- Curved blade clears the tunnel so traps seat properly
- Solid steel for years of use
- Works for gophers, moles and voles
- The method professionals use
Weaknesses
- Takes a little practice to feel the tunnel drop
- Heavy for a long walk across a field
- Only part of the system; traps or bait are separate
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Traps Work When the Tunnel Is Right
Most failed gopher traps were set in the wrong place: a side tunnel, a feeding run already abandoned or a collapsed section. Professionals find the main run with a probe before any trap comes out. This tool is a solid steel bar with a pointed probe on one end and a curved cleaning blade on the other, for locating the tunnel and opening it so a trap sits where the animal travels.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on standard gopher and mole trapping technique. We have not used this tool ourselves and the product is unbranded.
Finding the Run
A gopher mound is a fan of soil with the plugged hole off centre. The main tunnel runs 6 to 12 inches deep on the side of the plug. Push the probe into the ground 8 to 12 inches from the plug on that side; when it meets the tunnel it drops suddenly into open space. That drop is unmistakable after a few tries. For moles, probe along a raised surface ridge to find the deeper run underneath.
Opening It
Turn the tool over and use the curved blade to dig down to the tunnel and scoop it clear of loose soil, so the trap sits on the firm floor of the run facing the direction the animal will come from. Set the trap, cover the opening to block light, mark it and check it daily. A clean tunnel is the difference between a trap that fires and one that is pushed aside with dirt.
Build
Solid steel does not bend in hard ground and lasts for years. It is heavy, as a probe should be so its weight does the pushing. The point dulls on stones and files back.
Part of a System
The probe locates and prepares. Traps such as the Victor Black Box or a bait applicator do the rest. Owners who added a probe to their kit describe their catch rate changing from occasional to routine.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone trapping gophers or moles and failing.
- Homeowners with recurring mounds in the lawn.
- Growers protecting beds and orchards.
Common Owner Complaints
Weight and a learning curve for the feel. Both pass after the first few tunnels.
Alternatives to Consider
A long screwdriver or a thin rebar finds tunnels less comfortably. Bait applicator probes combine probing with bait delivery. A gopher trapping shovel suits those who dig rather than probe.
Verdict
A probe is the tool that makes gopher and mole traps work, and this steel one does both the finding and the clearing. Feel for the drop, clean the run and set the trap on its floor.
Full specifications
Get Gophers Solid Steel Probe and Tunnel Cleaning Tool for Mole and Gopher Trapping FAQs
A gopher mound is fan shaped with a plugged hole on one side. Probe 8 to 12 inches out from the plug on the mound side; when the probe suddenly drops an inch or two into open space, that is the main run.
A trap set in loose soil does not fire or is pushed aside. The blade scoops the tunnel clear so the trap sits on the floor of the run where the animal travels.
Yes. Probe along a surface ridge to find the deeper main run, which is where traps work, and clear it the same way.
No. It locates and prepares; a trap or bait does the rest. Probing is what makes the trap work.
