Does any one hunt snapper?

[MarkM]

Does anyone on here hunt snapping turtle? If so how do you do it? I just wade through whitelick till I feel a shell with my feet. Then I check and see if its a snapper. I'm looking for some other ways to do it. And maybe some more places if you want some gone. My spot kinda ran out.

 

[Expat]

I just watch when I am out driving in the country. I have picked up more than one on the road.

 

[Clay]

I used to a LOT, but now my wife wou....... oh, wait............ nevermind.....

 

[clt46910]

Look up turtle traps. Number of different kinds. We used the ones with a hinged board and bait on the end of them over the barrel. We always had a large water tank to keep them in until we could get around to cleaning them. Some say that if you keep them in clean water a few days they taste better. Not so sure about that, never really noticed a difference in taste.

 

[MarkM]

Neither have they always taste the same to me. Where did. You buy the traps?

 

[clt46910]

We made them. Half a 55 gal barrel, a board, some wire and a hinge. You cut the barrel in half, drill holes in the bottom and sides of the barrel, mount the board on the side of the barrel with the hinge on the bottom. Drill two holes in the end of the board over the barrel, wire bait on the end of board using holes to keep it there. Sit the trap next to the bank of your favorite turtle place with the end of the board on the bank.

The turtle will crawl out to the end of the board to get to the bait. When they get so far over the barrel, it will tilt and they will fall in the barrel. I forgot to say you have to weight the shore side of the board. It will then reset for the next turtle. You can catch more then one turtle in a day or two. We only checked them every other day or so.

 

[JBusch8899]

I used to a LOT, but now my wife wou....... oh, wait............ nevermind.....

Remember the film "King Ralph", the discussion of "fox hunting" and the "collection" of pelts?

 

[All_Clear]

Caught a few fishing... heck of a fight too. P!ssed as all get out once you get them in. Always caught mine while catfishin. Never eaten one tho always let them go, you wont catch me trying to get my circle hook back. If you find one with a pierced tounge or lip it's mine. If anyone wants to make up some soup or something i'm game for trying it.

 

[MarkM]

They make some good soup. Or you can cut it up into chunks and fry it, with fried okra or some hushpuppies and its real good.

 

[dhnorris]

When I was a boy I would nail a steel trap to a 2 x 12, bait it and float it upside down in the water. An old farmer down the road paid $2.00 a pound for the meat. The turtles never complained I was in-humane.

 

[Goosepond Monster]

I've always enjoyed this guy's method...

YouTube - The Turtleman

 

[erik7941]

I've always caught snapping turtles the same way I catch catfish. The thing about turtles is that they like to bury themselves in the mud and under submerged trees when they've been hooked so if you have one on, do what ever you can to keep it up off the bottom or you're gonna be doing a lot of pulling and heaving (and possibly some swimming to get the line out of a submerged tree) to get the turtle up. As far as gear, I just use a heavy action rod and 20lb test or heavier line and stiff circle hooks (I like to use Gamakatsu hooks in a 2/0 or 3/0 size) and bait it with fish or liver. You can also use a limb line and if you want to catch catfish, put the line in the water and if you want to catch turtles keep the line a few inches above the water. Just make sure the limb you tie the line to is a live, sturdy limb because the turtles will pull harder than you think to get off that hook.

 

[sticks4walking]

The old man and I picked one up from the middle of the road when I was a kid. He thew it in the back floorboard of the car. I thought the ol' boy in the back seat was going to come unglued. Funniest I ever seen. Good eatin'

 

[Bigum1969]

I hear the deliverance song in my head when I look at this thread.

 

[E5RANGER375]

i always throw out heavy twine with big hooks and bait it with meat that i let sit a day. i tie the line to a sapling along the bank. and booya, turtle the next day

 

[MarkM]

Thanks for all these replies. I'm sick of almost losing my digits. There's nothing like the thrill of pulling em' out with you hands. But I don't know how I'd shoot missing fingers.

 

[All_Clear]

I hooked one in the neck yesterday fishing with the kids. Got him to the bank and he wasn't to happy to see me. Bout the size of a basketball. Hook flew out before i could get his heavy butt out of the water.




Nathan

 

[hountzmj]

We have set lines in farm ponds for them on occasion. Get yourself some stakes and and nylon cord. Wire on some big hooks. We always used wire for the last 18" or so so they couldn't bite the line off.

Bait with beef heart or other cheap meat. Toss them out into the water with the stake pounded in as deep as you can from the edge. Check daily or so.

 

[Expat]

I hear the deliverance song in my head when I look at this thread.

You sure do have a purty mouth

 

[E5RANGER375]

We have set lines in farm ponds for them on occasion. Get yourself some stakes and and nylon cord. Wire on some big hooks. We always used wire for the last 18" or so so they couldn't bite the line off.

Bait with beef heart or other cheap meat. Toss them out into the water with the stake pounded in as deep as you can from the edge. Check daily or so.

thanks brother!! I forgot about the wire on the end of the line. stakes will work too your right. i have just always used strong saplings cause when you come back the next day you can tie your flag higher to see where your trap is incase he came back on land, so he dont snap your foot off. (for all you without turtle experience, these bad boys can bite through your shoes!! and when they bite they wont let go sometimes.) Also the sapling will be bent usualy and that lets me be on guard cause i know ive got a turtle on the end of my line.
unfortunatly i havent been turtle hunting for a few years because of no where to go. the pond i went to changed owners and i no longer have permission. most pond owners will gladly let you hunt their turtles because they eat all the baby fish and adult fish too. so if they are trying to stock the pond the turtles will have a bad effect.

if anyone has a snapping turtle problem and wants it taken care of and would also like some meat off them, i will gladly come and do all the work for you (catch and clean them) in trade for a little turtle meat. you can PM me.