What to do about Snappers

[gvbcraig]

I do not know what it is about my pond, other than it is very well stocked, that is attracting giant snapping turtles. I caught the one in (photo) sunning by my house two years ago. Last and this year I have a couple that are larger than the one I caught. I am concerned about small kids getting too close to them, especially in the water. I have tried trapping them with cages, but these guys are too big for that. Tried shooting with buckshot, but cannot get a clear shot since they are in the water.

Any suggestions of how I can get them. If I can get them out of the water, I can take care of it. Or if I can use any type of bait and tackle.

 

[snapping turtle]

YOu can go noodling for them in the holes. That is if you do not need all 10 fingers.

Look at the floating traps with the net around them and a plank to get out of the water. They sun themselves on the trap and as you approach with a boat they jump off and into the nets. It does work with snappers but they do seem to sun themselves less than others.

Bait and hook em like they do on swamp people. Shoot the heads when they come up for air. Just going to have to see what works for you.

 

[ruger1800]

Tie cable to gallon milk jugs with a hook and bait, or tie the cable to a tree, snappers taste just like chicken just chewyer.
Have swam in ponds and lakes that were infested with big snappers since i was a child, have never heard of anyone getting bit while swimming.

 

[mrjarrell]

I used to use trot lines on my dad's farm. Bait 'em with chicken livers and check them once a day. Use the hook and line to pull their head out and then cut it off. Save the meat, tho! Snappers make great turtle soup and it freezes well, too. You can even can the soup. Plenty of recipes for turtle soup out on the 'net.

They really are too dangerous to leave in a pond. Kids could lose fingers or toes to them, quite easily.

 

[Bunnykid68]

.223 or 7.62. Hell even a .22. thats what we used to nail them with

 

[Wesley929]

we used to catch them on chunks of chicken on large fish hooks. Steel leaders heavy line to something that floats. usually used a block of 2x4 then attached the block of 2x4 to a small nylon rope to a steel stake on the bank or tree or what not. checked them twice daily. Took a few weeks but we got 20 some snappers out of my fathers pond.

 

[Fenway]

that's a big one

 

[CopperWires]

We used to jug for turtles using chicken liver in our farm pond. We had a pole with a hook on it so we could retrieve the jugs or we would just get in the boat. Tying the line to something on the bank would work, it just uses a lot of line. We fried them up after catching them but I'm not sure how to clean them. They can be cooked in a pressure cooker to tenderize the meat before frying.

 

[gvbcraig]

we used to catch them on chunks of chicken on large fish hooks. Steel leaders heavy line to something that floats. usually used a block of 2x4 then attached the block of 2x4 to a small nylon rope to a steel stake on the bank or tree or what not. checked them twice daily. Took a few weeks but we got 20 some snappers out of my fathers pond.

How long were the leaders? Surface or bottom of pond? Not sure at what depth the snappers like to feed.

 

[Yukon227]

"CHOOT EM!! CHOOT!! CHOOT!!"--Troy Landry

 

[Yeah]

They will eat about anything. I've caught many with fish, stew meat, chicken.

You can build a simple trap by making a square out of 2x4s and attaching a chicken wire 'basket' to it. Attach some floats to make it float, and a ramp for turtles to climb in. Drive nails around the perimeter to fence them in and wrap up some bait to throw inside. It will work 24/7 until it fills up.

I've hung lines for them too, and never found it to matter how long they were. Snappers are not only tasty, they have good noses.

 

[lovemywoods]

Here's a site with some useful info!

Rogue Turtle: Trot Lines and Jug Fishing

 

[Yeah]

"CHOOT EM!! CHOOT!! CHOOT!!"--Troy Landry

For $75k an episode I'd cultivate a cajun accent no problem.

 

[futureofwar]

You could use a net with a long handle then shoot, I say that cause the few snappers of much size I've seen didn't run off like most turtles do. Just don't kill em and let them rot. The meat is delicious.

 

[AZ Hunter]

Easy fix man..... Kite string, big hooks, and a nice chunk of beef (from the neck). Tie several lines maybe 8-10 feet to limbs or something sturdy on the bank. Toss em out in the water. Check em a few hours later. If you use livers and u have catfish, they will likely get to the bait before the turtle. Pull the turtle out of the water and carry it by his tail out away from your body. Then call someone you know that lives close that wants to clean and eat em. Dont just sink em by shooting them man.

 

[fennsta_78]

shoot em in the head with a .22 when their noses are pointed up outta the water.

 

[88GT]

Tie cable to gallon milk jugs with a hook and bait, or tie the cable to a tree, snappers taste just like chicken just chewyer.
Have swam in ponds and lakes that were infested with big snappers since i was a child, have never heard of anyone getting bit while swimming.

Just don't let the men go skinnydipping.

 

[kevman65]

Tactical nukes man.

 

[kobra]

A family I know loves to eat turtle. They would catch them and put them in a big tank with fresh water for at least a week. It helped to clean them out. The last one they caught, they cut the head off and hose clamped a garden hose to it's neck. Turned on the water and flushed it out.

 

[Jack Ryan]

shoot em in the head with a .22 when their noses are pointed up outta the water.

I've done that a lot. Until I started seeing the results, turtles starving to death with their nose and snout shot off and I was positive it was taking their brains right out. It was my own pond and I was the only one shooting them. It bothered me enough I didn't kill them that way any more.