308 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 
fields, orchards, gardens, and irrigation em- 
bankments, where only a few gophers are pres- 
ent; but in the case of large areas that are 
badly infested, the method involves too much 
labor. An ordinary No. 0 steel trap may be 
employed with success, but there are on the 
market several special gopher-traps which are 
better adapted for general use. 
In using the ordinary steel trap, the first 
step is to make an opening into the main go- 
pher tunnel. The trap should then be sunk 
so that the jaws are level with the bottom of 
the runway and lightly covered with green clo- 
ver, alfalfa grass, or even loose soil, care being 
taken that these do not clog under the pan, or 
trigger. No bait is required. The hole should 
