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.
Grain laced with strychnine alkaloid is the most common method of poisoning gophers.
Probes or other devices are used to place the bait in burrows. Be careful about non-target animals when using these compounds. Fumigants are also sometimes used over limited areas. Traps placed in burrows may be used if gophers are in a limited area. Many trap styles are available.