I know there have been quite a few conversations regarding pricing of our services, but I can't find a thread in the archives that covers pricing for trapping snapping turtles. My potential customer has a 4 acre pond and the turtles are over-running it. His Grand-kids are catching more medium size turtles than fish.
I'm thinking about a weekly flat rate. Property is about 25 miles from me. Any thoughts on this from those of you who offer this service?

What are you using for trapping them. Type trap.

Since turtle trapping is so much fun, we charge the minimum service fee to set traps, and then so much per turtle. We have a commercial license to sell the snappers so that is a bonus. The money number is something you have to figure out. What works for me is not what may work for you. Read between the lines.

Hi Kirk,

I would be using a steel one-way door trap (2' wide by 4 ' long)and a net, hoop trap. I also was planning on trying to use a couple of your beaver traps, but I'm not sure of the bait placement. What do you suggest?

Hey Phil,
Down here we're not allowed to sell any wildlife whatsoever.
The only time I've trapped turtles "commercially" was a job I did for a Special Forces Vietnam Veteran. I ended up doing the job for free. Well, he did give me a signed copy of the book he was mentioned in.
Time and effort on my part that was truly well spent.

I got one for you guys , how do you build a leech trap . There's big money in leeches here in the north , there about the best bait there is for fishing . I even seen a guy catching 3 to 5 lbs brown trout of the pier at Frankfort one time , thats northern lk Michigan . Thats also the best port for catching big king salmon in Michigan .

That just got outlawed commercial turtle harvest here in mi , they claimed only two guys were getting the lic anyway . And they felt if they removed to many turtles out of one area it would take 30 years for them to come back . Ya right because turtle don't Roma around . So them two guys were added to the list of job lose . We have them soft shelled turtles here as well I've never eat one of them before , they claim there the best . Some of them soft shelled ones are the size of my truck door

What does this have to do with pricing a turtle job?

I trapped turtles for a living for a few years. I had the best luck with this trap from Memphis Net and Twine.
It is three foot in diameter, with a flat throat. I sure would reccomend this net, set up this way or a 30" one.



That is Robb beside me.

Well if your trapping turtles to sell then one could trap the leeches and sell them . They like the same type of water there buck wheat

God bless you John for helping that Vietnam Vet pro-bono.

Hey Ryan, we both know the government knows a lot more than us. Especially about how to park a fat arse behind a desk and spout bullhockey. Yup, them 2 trappers would have no doubt extincted all turtles.
Oh and by the way, keep these threads pure. Leech talk has no place in a turtle thread.
ps
How much are leeches worth? Is it legal to sell them? Can leeches be farmed? Will my wife get mad (madder) if she finds a leech farm in the basement?

Nothing at all as far as I can see. But you have to look at it from Ryan's place.

Then, look at his overall contributions to this forum. Whether you agree with him or not, the content is always interesting and thought provoking (AKA this.) and funny

That was a good question, I hope you stay involved here.

Ive tried to see things from Pesky's point of view on several ocaisions.... but all I end up seeing is my own collon.

"wow it just got real"

i would charge a weekly flat rate on turtles.

There three bucks a dozen . I'm telling you leeches are big bucks . They say to take a garbage bag and put a bunch of holes in it ,then place some bloody meat in the bag . The problem I had with that the turtles just chewed up the bag as fast as I could put them out there . So then I took a 5 gallon bucket and drilled holes in that and that works good . If I were turtle trapping I could put the bucket in the turtle trap and catch both at the same time . Nice thing about leeches is there easy to keep alive . They just need something wet to lay around . Most people walleye fish with them . Blue gills and bass and about every thing that swims can't pass one up . You could even sell them on EBay . There's no shortage of monster turtles in Michigan . There everywhere you look ,people just don't play in the swamp anymore . They like to eat that frozen boxed premade food from china

Now that is seriously funny.

You don't need any lic . Not like minnows and wigglers . There just like night crawlers when you sell them .

Thanks for the info Kirk,

I'm not seeing a flat throat trap on their website, just the fingered throat style. Do you think they will work just as well?

I had to special order mine.

My son and I have tried using traps that others have shown on trapperman. They didn,t work for us like the ones we were using. My son even had friends that bought 20 or more. Their numbers were no comparison as to what we caught. He caught several times in one week to what the two of them caught in three weeks. They ended up giving it up due to unprofitability.

You want to get them dipped.

You want to use fresh bait and traps set for snappers need to be baited in late afternoon. You probably already know that.

Sure hope you have good luck.

Thanks again Kirk.

Memphis net will build what ever kinda net your looking for . That's where we got are nets when we caught bait . Nice people that knows nets .

Thanks Pesky.

Louis Quarles turtle traps are good traps and easy to use and carry around. Newt Sterling of Snare one also sells a good turtle trap and portable. Search Snare one, Newt Sterling and he can help you with some good traps and most likely pricing as he does it commerically.

Thanks Bob. I will research both. By the way, love your lures.

Kirk,

I just found out that the Memphis Net and Twine, flat-throat turtle traps are called "Arkansas Style". Thanks for your help.

I for one hope pesky never quits posting he actually make me look good I thought I was the most ADD person here

John, did Memphis Net & Twine Co. mention a price?

Scott,

They said it's the same price as their fingered throat traps. The 3" net ones that I was looking at are about $55.00.

Here's what I can tell you...( about Ohio)

In Ohio, we have a season...and a size limit.
13" length of shell, front to back.

If it's smaller...you CAN'T keep it !
Doesn't matter if it's 12.5" and eating the customer's ducks and goldfish.
Dang turtle has more rights than a person !

So you catch a 12.5" snapper... Then what ?
So it's a month before season... Then what ?


You're an ADC trapper..won't mean anything. You're hands are tied.
Now once season opens...and it's a legal size...GAME ON !

Forget hooks, jugs, all that crap !
Hoop nets are the only way to go !

Fish in a bait bag in the back of the trap.
Trout, because of the oil, is hard to beat...carp a close second.
Actually the cap of the skull, which has the oil gland, will out produce the flesh of a carp.
Two-three days tops in warm weather is all the bait will last. If your bait floats, it's shot !

Cooters ? You don't want'em...just the snappers and softshells.
One night should be all it takes to fill up the net.

Set mouth of trap with the current ....even an pond has a (wind) current...which way the wind blows the oil on the water.
Oil slick( fish ) on the surface is EVERYTHING !

Otherwise, the best bait WITHOUT wind/oil slick/ location is not the best set up....

You want the turtle surfacing, tasting the fresh fish and making a B-Line to your trap !!!

Price is set-up and per turtle. But doing what I just said, will catch every turtle in the pond, bar none !

Want any more info, just call me or send me a PM.

Isn't season here yet....SO LEGALLY, YOU CAN'T DO SQUAT !

LT. That's a lot of good information. Our permits down here cover "reptiles", but I still have a call in to our governing body to clarify. Will PM if I have further questions. Thanks.

So the state wont give your customer a permit if they called? That sucks!

Lol 330 in front of a bucket with trout in the
back

Can't you just catch and relocate out of season? Wink wink, nudge nudge.

Also, is Ohio law.