These three varmints traditionally have never had any fur value for trappers, although recently there have been some unusual items at the fur sales. Taxidermy and craft markets are showing up more and more. Anyway, when I started doing animal damage control trapping I found these to be high-value targets to homeowners, golf courses, cemeteries and really anyone who is trying to keep an impeccable lawn. They eat roots, dig tunnels and pile up dirt, and make a general mess of someone’s hard work.
I found that some investigation has to be done so the trapper and the customer are on the same page. Lots of folks call ground squirrels gophers and confuse voles with moles. They are all very different critters and trapping them usually involves different techniques.
VOLES
A vole is a mouse-like critter, but differs from a common house mouse because it has a shorter tail and the tail has hair on it. House mice have scaly, hairless tails and are much longer. Voles make trails through lawns and pastures that can be followed sometimes to a hole or den. These trails are noticeable after the
