Another Columbia ground squirrel trapped

Back in June I had mentioned trapping Columbia ground squirrels in my hayfield.  They had returned after 15 years.  I trapped three of them.  Then nothing.  Once the irrigation lines reached that part of the hayfield I removed the traps and filled in the holes.  I think the gophers were gone.

Thursday I turned off the irrigation for the year.  Friday and Saturday, and the last thirteen pipes today, I removed the irrigation line pipes.  Friday evening when I started to remove the mainline pipes in the hayfield I noticed a Columbia ground squirrel hole was now open.  Saturday I set a trap.  Then saw another open hole.  I got another trap.  The hayfield alfalfa is tall and thick and it is hard to see the ground in the hayfield so I didn't look for more open holes.  This afternoon I found one trap had caught a Columbia ground squirrel.  Another one now gone.

For now I removed the traps.  Tonight I started cutting the hayfield.  Once the hayfield is done I will look for more open holes.

The pocket gophers and the Columbia ground squirrels seem to be acting differently this year.  In the past the Columbia ground squirrels disappeared for the year by the end of July.  It is now August 10 and they are still active and above ground.

A good sized Columbia ground squirrel in a trap.