When the gopher stuck its head into the snare it was triggered and the willow sprung loose, tightening the snare and killing the gopher by strangulation. Today's methods are far more efficient. Nowadays, you can catch gophers with steel traps or shoot them with a rifle. A .22-calibre rifle is all the stopping power you would need on a gopher safari. Once you have the gopher, it is up to you to decide how you want to cook it.
Some people skin it, others singe it in an open fire.
If you are feeling especially adventurous you may want to try boiling the gopher with its fur still on. For this example, we will say that you decide to singe the gopher and boil it. The first thing is to start a fire. Once the fire is going, turn your attention back to the gopher. Take a stick and sharpen one end of it.