I do not like the idea of poison, you never know what could happen. I have caught gophers since I was a kid, lived out in San Pasqual on a ranch, and have always used the (Macabee) metal traps. You must not be setting them correctly, I have never had a gopher backfill a hole. When I set a trap, you have to use two per hole, my success rate is 90%+ in a overnight time period. Let me know how you set your trap. Why pay somebody else?