When a site is disturbed by harvest or fire, many of these plants move in, and with them come pocket gophers. Most nursery-grown seedlings have been well watered and fertilized, making them very attractive to pocket gophers. Pocket gophers may clip seedling roots, pull seedlings underground, or clip or girdle seedlings above ground, often working under winter snow cover. Reducing gopher damage First, estimate gopher damage risk by looking for fresh dirt mounds. If no mounds are currently present you still need to be concerned.
Gophers can reproduce rapidly once they invade a favorable site.
Remove forbs and other gopher food. Gopher numbers may be reduced by using herbicides prior to planting, to remove plants they feed on. Enhance natural predators. Badgers and many birds of prey feed on pocket gophers. Leaving a few snags as perches may help owls and other raptors prey on gophers.