What kind of trap do you use?
I've tried them all, but came to realize that the Victor Out O Sight mole trap is hands down the best. I have 6 of them.
First, let me say that I don't enjoy killing these critters, and I don't want to see animals suffer. The Nash choker loop trap doesn't kill the mole very fast at all. I've had the moles dig themselves and the trap out of the ground and haul it across the yard. I then have to find the animal, and dispatch it to end it's suffering.
I've tried the traps with the spikes that shoot down. I've had many trips, but never found the animal. So it either missed, or the animal scurried off wounded, living or dying, I do not know.
The Out O Sight trap seems to kill them very fast. I've only found 2 moles still alive in that trap, and both of those were just pinched by the scruff of their fir and uninsured. I let them go out in the woods. The other several hundred were all dead.
The advantages of this trap are that it can be set at any depth of tunnel, not just on the surface, and, the trigger pan can be modified with a pop-rivet and canning jar lid to make it work better in sandy soils that might fall away from the narrower stock trigger.
They are also relatively inexpensive, around $10-15, although I imagine they'd go up in price as everything else. Here's some for $10.
Victor® OUT O'SIGHT® Mole Trap Get rid of destructive moles and protect your yard with this durable, weather-resistant mole trap. As the professional’s trap of choice, the Victor® OUT O'SIGHT® Mole Trap is backed by years of proven field results. The trap effectively kills moles without the...
www.animaltrapsandsupplies.com
It takes some hand strength to set them with the setting bars.
But, they work. Plain and simple.