About Us
Pete Encinias Jr
Owner "The Gopher Whisperer"
Pete founded Gopher Guys, LLC in Albuquerque, NM in 2013. He grew up in White Rock, NM. Being raised in such a wild life rich area he quickly realized his passion for animals. Pete along with his brother Paul franchised a company in Los Alamos, NM in 2005 called Kritter Gitters. This company was dedicated to humane trapping and relocation of animals and specialized in rattlesnake relocation. While growing his company Pete also worked full time as a veterinary technician specializing in ophthalmology. As an ophthalmology technician he dedicated many years to helping wild life. Some of the wild life Pete helped includes Wolves, Mountain Lions, Golden Eagles and Owls. As the founder of Gopher Guys, LLC he is dedicated to the humane treatment of all animals. He understands that the wild life we sometimes call a nuisance were here before us and are trying to carve out a niche in today’s busy metropolitan areas. Pete enjoys fishing, camping and football. Most of all he enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife Lara and his daughter Aria. He prides himself in being a hands on company owner and is always available to speak with directly.
Isaiah Marquez
"Field Agent"
A New Mexico native, Isaiah was born in Los Alamos. Isaiah joined the Gopher Guys in 2019. Since then he is dedicated to solving our customer’s gopher problems!
NMDA-CAL #64496 | Nuisance Permit #145
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Get Rid of Gophers Myself?
People not trained in gopher removal often underestimate the extent of the problem. Gopher tunnels can be very deep and wide. You also may not know exactly how many gophers you’re dealing with or the most effective treatments to use. This can lead to frustration and an even bigger problem. Additionally, most people don’t want to deal with cleaning out the traps. With our service you don’t have to worry about a thing. We take care of it all.
Why Don't You Use Poison or Gas?
Through our years of effective gopher removal, we have found that professional grade traps are the most effective and safest method. Not only do you not want to run the risk of your kids or animals encountering the poison, it can seep into ground water and cause extensive safety issues.
Are All Traps the Same?
The short answer is no. Like with many things buying non-professional grade products to do the job proves to be ineffective. It’s far more economical to use our service than pay for professional traps.
How Big are Pocket Gophers?
Pocket gophers generally do not exceed 5- 14 inches and weigh less than 12oz. That said, there are species that get considerably larger. They include the Giant Pocket Gopher which inhabits southern Mexico and Central America.
What’s the difference between a Prairie Dog and Pocket Gopher?
Prairie Dogs are social animals, unlike pocket gophers which are very territorial. Unlike prairie Dogs gophers are non-communal and do not live in big groups. Pocket gophers are much smaller and do not leave open burrows in their network of tunnels. If you see a rodent running above ground or entering an open burrow it’s a safe bet you are not dealing with pocket gophers.
How many Pocket Gophers Do I Have?
One Pocket gopher can produce a lot of tunneling activity and can look like you’ve been invaded by dozens of these rascals! In fact oner gopher can move 1-2 TONS of dirt per year!! In most cases a typical residential property will only have anywhere from 1-2 gophers located in different areas. That said, chances of encountering multiples can in increase during breeding season in Spring and Fall.
Is Trapping Safe?
YES! Pocket gopher traps are designed to target gophers specifically. The traps are located in the tunnels and away from any other possible non target species. That said, we take every precaution available to us and will explain in detail what to expect during our services.
Why do Gophers Choose my Lawn/Property?
You can think of pocket gophers as rogue missiles. Chances are it was in the area and may have found you have a juicy apple tree or unfortunately found your rose bushes! If you property is in its path it is fair game. That said, if you live in an area with a high density of gophers or in an area with agriculture production your chances will increase significantly.
Do Gophers Carry Disease?
Yes. Pocket gophers can different many types of diseases. Some of these are specific to gophers and cannot jump to humans. Other diseases gophers carry can jump to humans and can create health issues. This is called a zoonotic disease. The diseases that pocket gophers can carry that are harmful to humans include Monkey Pox. Plague, hantavirus, and rabies. Although these diseases are extremely rare to catch from a pocket gopher every precaution must be made to handle them with care.
Are There Deterrents?
Unfortunately not at this time. There are some experiments in the works that are showing potential but nothing definitive. We have found the best approach is being proactive about pocket gopher control. As soon as you see the problem address it immediately! Pocket gophers are very fast breeders and it can lead to an infestation in a short period of time. They also can wreck landscaping quickly!