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i found one almost that big the other day at the creek,i thought it was dead. i reached down and grabbed it by the tail,well it wasnt dead , it took off like a bass! well maybe not that fast but it scared the heck out of me.....
People forget how much plant matter turtles that size also eat. Ask Newt. Do they eat frogs and ducks ? Sure, and fish. But they also eat a tremendous amount of plant matter too.
Turtles that size, at least here, would be full of toxins, especially RIVER turtles. They wouldn't be fit to eat and I've argued that point for a very long time. Turtles that large are very old and are worth FAR MORE alive than dead.
Ask a turtle farmer, which is where a large portion of snappers are sold to.
I bet that thing has human fingers in it. I don't think I could help but play chicken with it either.....like a kid finding a hornets nest and a pule of rocks.......like y'all never did it.
The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle.
People forget how much plant matter turtles that size also eat. Ask Newt. Do they eat frogs and ducks ? Sure, and fish. But they also eat a tremendous amount of plant matter too.
Turtles that size, at least here, would be full of toxins, especially RIVER turtles. They wouldn't be fit to eat and I've argued that point for a very long time. Turtles that large are very old and are worth FAR MORE alive than dead.
Ask a turtle farmer, which is where a large portion of snappers are sold to.
Can I answer that ?
South Jersey Trapping and Snaring School January 17-18-19 2025 NEWT -----------------OVER----------------
Lima ? NO went turtle trap'n. Dont have to drive 500 + Miles to do that. Just as much money,or more,less work,No restocking,No people ,did I say ? More fun too.
Most turtles go AIR FREIGHT to China alive
South Jersey Trapping and Snaring School January 17-18-19 2025 NEWT -----------------OVER----------------
Lima ? NO went turtle trap'n. Dont have to drive 500 + Miles to do that. Just as much money,or more,less work,No restocking,No people ,did I say ? More fun too.
Most turtles go AIR FREIGHT to China alive
Hope they become an invasive species there in return for their carp.
Get the US out of the UN and the UN out of the US.
Cant fill your shoes huh Newt ? ha i can do what you do and i'm wearing pink shirts designer sunglasses and acrylic nails. try that. Another man told me the same thing.
Now if I were to do that.Would you still respect me ?
South Jersey Trapping and Snaring School January 17-18-19 2025 NEWT -----------------OVER----------------
mr. newt, you inspire me, you snare, so i learned to snare. you catch turtles, so i learned how. just tell me one thing. how did you get so many homes to place a statue of you in their gardens? this i must know. lol
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
lots of people ask how i bait the traps. here are two different kinds of bait holders. one is heavy netting, the other wire screen. I much prefer the wire screen bags, as turtles cant destroy them. anything less a large turtle will shred to pieces. the bait? skip jack herring and carp will work pretty good too sometimes.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
yes, in some water you will have a good many. which is the reason i wear wadders. doesnt help you when you fall or step in a drop off over your head. lol
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#3944336 08/15/1309:11 AM08/15/1309:11 AM
most hoop nets can be ran just by tossing them in and pulling them back in with a garden rake or tator rake. much easier and also faster. you will have days where you catch the wrong kind of turtles even with 8" escape rings.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#3944404 08/15/1310:06 AM08/15/1310:06 AM
lol. why do you think they call me mousie? i am 5'4 115 pounds. i dont think thats a midget. that turtles is nearly 50 pounds. almost half my body weight.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#3944457 08/15/1310:56 AM08/15/1310:56 AM
a good day would be not going in over my wadders or my head not getting a trap stolen or washed away or torn up by a beaver or muskrat or a very large turtle and not having to turn back too many undersized ones.
like these. all just a bit shy of our 13" law. oh well. lol
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
always repair them. these nets are too expensive to throw away.and you better know how to do it in the field too. guess i m the last girl scout standing as i am always prepaired.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#3947174 08/17/1301:18 AM08/17/1301:18 AM
marshes are always good especially early on before the water gets hot and turtles head to deeper water. if there isnt deeper water turtles will often bury in mud to regulate their body temp.find the vegatation find the turtles. many snappers eat a great deal of plants. most turtle trappers dont even know this i ve found.early in the season and as summer winds down are the times they eat the most. here we have cattails arrowhead pond lily or lotus and several others. Erie you say? how about i come up and we also take in a day of walleye fishing? know anything about that? lol
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Catch walleye whenever I go out but I do not get out often as I used to. I wanted to get some others here out also " LT " for one Buzzy wanted to go out too. Anyhow yes to walleye. Early in the season and late is the best time.
I know where there are some heavy loads of lotus on some rivers dumping into lake Erie. Marshes are full of cattails and there are some other weeds too. But all those places warm up in the summer. Some area just off the lake have all kinds of different weeds, arrowhead, cattail, phragmities, curly leaf pond weed, eel grass, lotus, duckweed, and well just about everyweed imported or native.
Michigan tends to have many spots that I mentioned. But Ohio does also.
The shells are easy to save. Snipe off the ribs with diagonal plyers and smooth with heavy sandpaper of a drum. Scrub outside of shell with soap and water, dry then varnish. This is just a small one I kept for myself. And don't throw away the head, clean them with ants them varnish them too, they sell easy.....jk
Free people are not equal. Equal people are not free. What's supposed to be ain't always is. Hopper Hunter
usually a good sign when i see the water clear in heavy vegetation. most always means a turtle/turtles are in the trap. care should be taken to also stake traps that are on a slanted bank as larger turtles can drag the trap towards deeper water. a mistake you'll only want to do once!
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
here are a few turtle pics for you. you can opine about newt bein in all the gardens, I want a percentage of the royalites he gets from them "travilin Knome TV adds"
Hi Mousie, those D-shape net traps are fine but here by me the lifespan for them is 4 nites before fisherman slice them beyond repair. so I use my own homemade cage traps that are designed to be set completely underwater,as far as 8 inches, can be covered with water plants and not be seen by fisherman or passerbys. I have not lost a trap in 3 years. I have posted them here before but here are the pics again. 12 inches high, 2 feet across and 4 feet long, net throat, hog panel flap back door for easy turtle removal, hog panel reinforced 6x8 inch breather hole in the top near the rear of the trap. level set trap works far better than one set on a steep angle.bait is held under a 1x1 wire flap on the floor of the trap
J.Morse, I got that one this year, was a female, I assume it hatched that way. was not nasty at all. here's one I got a few years ago that was a victum of the plastic 6 pack holder, was some plastic still embedded in its shell, turtle weighed about 15 pounds. I figured it didn't deserve to die, so I released it. I have posted this before also.
Most of the time the trap is only 2 to 4 inches underwater, water can rise another 6 to 8 inches before small (10 pound) turtles could not reach air. I have had 20+pounders 15 inches under water and still they can stretch their necks enough to get air. It is surprising how long the turtles neck is. I prefer to trap turtles in streams and rivers. It is amazing how big the turtles are there and how the flowing water gets that bait smell over a much larger area than in a lake or pond. Also most river turtles are eating a lot more fish and crayfish and do not have a constant belly full of vegetation, so they are hungryier. I face the trap downstream and have watched many turtles come upriver as fast as they can go and literally jump into the trap. Caught a turtle this summer and he pooped out a ball of hair, mink hair! Can't say I was sad to see him off to the choppin' block. Turtle trapping is like fur trapping, its all location, location, location. In a lake or pond, set the shallows, thats where they hunt. In a river or stream set in the shallows just above a deep pool, or at the edge of a deep pool just below a dam. Picture below is the last thing millions of ducks, mink and muskrats have seen
eric when do you think the turtles quit feeding for the year? i think our climates might be the same or close to it. i think its around the first part of September but this year it seems warmer. what do you think. i just got more fish and am getting ready to make one more run at it.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
I was hoping to do my big end of the year set this weekend, but got pneumonia (I don't know if that is the right spelling but you can get the idea what it is). I am going to set the first few days in Sept ifin I can get this bug whipped. Most years by Sept 7 they are done here. Water colder here than normal this year, they might have quit before I can get back at them. 'Bout 5 years ago they quit on August 23. My experience, (for what little it is worth), is that the turtles over 15 pounds all shut down at the same time, just like you turned off a faucet. But they will feed like crazy for the couple of days prior to shutdown. My biggest catches are just before shutdown. Last year I made a big catch Sunday nite of Labor day weekend. The next nite (Labor day Monday) I caught 0 ! If a cold front moves through any day now that will finish them.
getting ready to make one more run for the season. nets ready.new water lined up and spme old water looked at again. bait filled containers are ready in the freezer and stuffed with carp. a storm could cool the water down and end the season in a flash. we will see what tomorrow brings but for now things are on hold. fear brings hesitation and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true !
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
if legal hoop nets offer a far better choice for harvesting turtles as they allow you to select and keep turtles of a larger size. it would be difficult to remove a hook from a smaller turtle without damaging or killing it.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#3976974 09/01/1311:52 AM09/01/1311:52 AM
I had a Asian guy that I sell scallops and lobster call yesterday and ask about buying turtle. PM me if any of you are looking for a buyer. The guy is from NY
Last edited by scalloper; 09/01/1301:50 PM.
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness
lots of people ask how i bait the traps. here are two different kinds of bait holders. one is heavy netting, the other wire screen. I much prefer the wire screen bags, as turtles cant destroy them. anything less a large turtle will shred to pieces. the bait? skip jack herring and carp will work pretty good too sometimes.
hmmmmm, I think I see the baitholder, but I know nothing about trapping RR
mousie, I have a question? The skip jack herring and carp are a oily fish, Have you ever tried beaver meat for bait?
I have had beavers devoured in less then 24 hours on some of me nuisance jobs during the summer time. I know it was turtles, they were still there. Just a thought. Dave
Knowledge is power, that becomes worthless unless you pass it on! Home of the One Hand Setters! on Face Book davidfsheldonjr@gmail.com
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#3980337 09/03/1308:26 AM09/03/1308:26 AM
I once knew a guy who used groundhog meat on hook lines and claimed it worked well... Like Dave, I have had summer nuisance beaver fed on by turtles, as well as muskrat and 'coon, (which were accidental catches in footholds set for muskrat). I have heard of guys using chicken meat and fat with good results. I myself, have only used fish. Trout would be my first choice but not readily available here. Carp is however and works fairly well.
I have a great source of road kill deer meat, liver etc. and I have tried it many times and have never caged trapped a turtle with it. Have tried beaver also with poor results, yet I have had snappers kill live snared beaver and like others have stated eat them. Best bait is still oily fish, salmon and bluefish the best.
I ( think ) and Newt will correct me if I'm wrong, that he ( Newt) used menhaden, which like Bluefish, isn't readily available this far east. It reminds me of a 'Ship Jack Herring', which is a common fish here in the rivers. That may, or may not , be the true name of them...anyone know ? The guys out east use 'carp caps', which is the top of a carp's head. They claim the oil gland is in the head, and if you toss one into the water, you can surely see oil float to the top.
The 'oil slick' is, of course, what 'pulls in' the turtles, as it has the taste and smell of fresh fish...
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#3983894 09/05/1301:43 AM09/05/1301:43 AM
summer is over and the turtles have shut down on their feeding. time to get all the nets cleaned and repaired before storing them for winter. i had a pretty good season but its getting time to start thinking about trapping season which will be here all too soon.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4032608 10/03/1309:19 AM10/03/1309:19 AM
thanks Aaron. this isnt a "look how big this fish is i caught" photo by holding it too close to the camera. i m holding this up against me. i m only 5'4 and 115 pounds. snappers this big are few and far between.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
people have send me questions asking what the poles are or made of. are they wooden? no. they are pvc (and scheduled 40 to be exact.) they have a notch cut out on each end for a quick set up / take down. they are also light weight. much lighter than wood. the ones pictured above are camo painted. these are shoved in the mud vertically to stake the trap from moving. a cattail head and stem is broken off and shoved in the pvc to resemble a cattail from a distance. few fishermen recognize it or just avoid it altogether. the two side ones are just left white as this stands out under water. turtles eat some plant roots and stems and dead fish. these are somewhat white so i think white attracts them. please dont think i came up with this. i didnt. it was passed down to me as i am doing it with you.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
i m already preparing for next year by freezing cut bait in my bait bags. i have a freezer full so i should be pretty good to start the turtle season with. unless of course i run out of coon bait have to raid it. lol
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4041453 10/08/1310:52 AM10/08/1310:52 AM
Thanks Grey.....doing some reading it looks like guys were using box turtle shells not painters.....I always assumed they were made with painter shells. If you happened across a box turtle shell and its legal to keep it holler.
yes i know but its been too cold. cant make gas money back at $3.85 a gallon. water's too cold to run on a large scale. its all about making money at this point. a few snappers can be caught but it is better to let the water warm up then the turtles will respond better to bait. many are still feeding on water vegetation.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4447770 04/25/1409:28 AM04/25/1409:28 AM
i ve got buyers on here contacting me. i havent heard anything unless its recently happened. no matter. we ll have the worlds largest turtle fry. lol sent you a pm anyway newt.
mousie
getting bait ready for season. individually wrapped and heading to the deep freeze.
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
Guess it's good I don't sell them, if the price went and crashed. I haven't cleaned one yet this year, but I currently have 7 in my holding tank, so I need to cook a sauce and put some the rest in the freezer, soon. I even released a couple loggerheads this year. Just curious, do you know why the price dropped? I would have thought that the Asians would be buying just as many, since they already overfished their own turtles...
They were getting cheaper and harder to move in quantity late last summer and fall. I expected it as the same problems that affect the fur mkt. are depressing the live turtle mkt. China again.
Never argue with a fool - they will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
I gotcha. Speaking of snapping turtles, some of you may find this video interesting. It was filmed back in the 80s, I guess, some of the fellas catching them are from my neck of the woods. I thought it was an interesting video, even down to the commercial fishermen saying themselves that there wouldn't be any alligator snappers left if the unregulated trapping continued.
I would have loved to have seen what it was like to trap snappers back in the early days.
As much water and limited access there is in La. I don,t see how you could trap the turtles out especially with a low market price. Even the predators.
The Real Reasons Animals Are Detecting Your Sets And Devices by Kirk Dekalb https://amzn.to/2Hn1hxv
It'd take a whole lot of trapping, that's for sure.
Sure, there's plenty of water that has never been trapped. I realize that.
However, when you think about how long it takes for turtles to reach sexual maturity, the odds stacked against a turtle egg, how many people eat them here, and how easy they are to catch..... it's just a matter of "getting ahead" of the turtle numbers.
I'm not advocating shutting down commercial turtle trapping, I'm just saying that catching them faster than they reproduce happens, and it has happened in a lot of places.
However, when you think about how long it takes for turtles to reach sexual maturity, the odds stacked against a turtle egg, how many people eat them here, and how easy they are to catch..... it's just a matter of "getting ahead" of the turtle numbers.
I'm not advocating shutting down commercial turtle trapping, I'm just saying that catching them faster than they reproduce happens, and it has happened in a lot of places.
You been reading too much junk. They shut us down here. You want to help turtles catch coons, shoot crows. You don,t see them promoting that do you.
A snapper can have fertile eggs for years without being bred. Do they tell you that? NO.
One of the biggest killers of small snappers are the large males. Promote your programs with targets of removing the large males.
The Real Reasons Animals Are Detecting Your Sets And Devices by Kirk Dekalb https://amzn.to/2Hn1hxv
However, when you think about how long it takes for turtles to reach sexual maturity, the odds stacked against a turtle egg, how many people eat them here, and how easy they are to catch..... it's just a matter of "getting ahead" of the turtle numbers.
I'm not advocating shutting down commercial turtle trapping, I'm just saying that catching them faster than they reproduce happens, and it has happened in a lot of places.
You been reading too much junk. They shut us down here. You want to help turtles catch coons, shoot crows. You don,t see them promoting that do you.
A snapper can have fertile eggs for years without being bred. Do they tell you that? NO.
One of the biggest killers of small snappers are the large males. Promote your programs with targets of removing the large males.
I'm with Kirk. A few years back I caught the largest turtle I have ever seen. On a river that at least 4 of us commercial turtle have trapped since the early 70's. He weighted 68.75 pounds. To let you know how many turtle I handle. In the last two years I caught,bought and sold over 125,00 pounds
South Jersey Trapping and Snaring School January 17-18-19 2025 NEWT -----------------OVER----------------
However, when you think about how long it takes for turtles to reach sexual maturity, the odds stacked against a turtle egg, how many people eat them here, and how easy they are to catch..... it's just a matter of "getting ahead" of the turtle numbers.
I'm not advocating shutting down commercial turtle trapping, I'm just saying that catching them faster than they reproduce happens, and it has happened in a lot of places.
You been reading too much junk. They shut us down here. You want to help turtles catch coons, shoot crows. You don,t see them promoting that do you.
A snapper can have fertile eggs for years without being bred. Do they tell you that? NO.
One of the biggest killers of small snappers are the large males. Promote your programs with targets of removing the large males.
Let me say this in a way that isn't taken as rude....
First of all, don't tell me what I have or haven't read. I know that they don't have to breed every year, they can keep the semen.
As I said, I am not advocating for ending commercial season. Just because they can be trapped out of one pond, doesn't mean that there aren't healthy populations in just about every waterhole a person can imagine.
Very few snappers reach adulthood, there are so many things that eat them. However, once they DO reach maturity, they can almost live forever. That works out for them, because they live for so long that the few that do make it, make up for the ones that didn't.
I do shoot every crow at my house that I can, not because of turtles, but because they are crows.
Don't try to make me look like I am against commercial trapping. A few people make a living doing it, and the rest just catch a few, so I think that their population is safe. They may get fished out of a certain area, but the population remains stable elsewhere. I understand that, but don't attack me, telling me what I read is junk, and don't tell me that they can't be trapped out if they are over harvested in a given area. Even the buffalo numbers got short, and I know the buffalo hunters probably argued otherwise.
As I said, I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm not going to have someone tell me that I'm spewing false information--you don't even know me.
If it wasn't for the coons and skunks in this area there would be no shortage of turtles I would guess 90 percent or more of the nests are dug out, they track them right from the waters edge to the nests. We used to buy a few from a old guy who tracked them with his dog during egg laying season, if his dog could do it no doubt a coon can.
My dad used to buy a lot from a couple old brothers who used to keep the females they caught early in the spring and put them in a fenced pond they had until they layed there eggs, they would then hatch them and release them back in the fall, this was years ago but they were just trying to put some back, the state eventually came with a 12 inch size limit which meant it was illegal to raise any babies, better to let the skunks and coons dig them up I guess. (you can get a turtle farm lic now if you want to jump through the hoops).
Its just a matter of time before it is shut down here, they don't issue any commercial license's any more just us that have been grandfathered in, I am third generation in my family that has been in the turtle business in some capacity , although it is just a little sideline once in awhile for me now. We used to do numbers comparable to Newt back in the 80's and 90's but it was all for the meat market in the states at that time.
The turtle harvesters would never get the turtles down to where there wasn't any, it just isn't possible, Frogs and salamanders and garter snakes are just a small fraction of what they used to be in this part of the country but nothing will be done about that, agriculture is big business.
Dang good info on here guys! Keep posting. Like the 'mouse', I'm gearing up to trap turtles this coming July. I'm a nuisance trapper full time, so I can't go at it like I want to but, I will have about 40 hoop nets in the water opening week... Hope to make it pay but, I won't go at it hard if the money isn't there. I can't afford to. We have a 13" law here , which means over half your catch is tossed back... Sucks to toss a hundred turtles 12" back but, I support a regulated harvest...like it or not. A lot won't! It's the reason I stopped using hooks on snappers. Try getting a hook out of a deep caught snapper that swallowed it and it only 12". And don't injure the turtle...or let it injure you. Easier said than done !
Interesting point on the big males killing females. I have seen 30 lbs and bigger males 'jump on' smaller females and breed them in tanks before the law changed the slot limit. They're rough on 'em...
Thanks to Kirk De and Newt and the others who've posted on the turtle market. Please keep us posted with any up dates. IMO, the whole China market deal is disappointing both on the fur trade and turtle market...well, all around really... I can sell a good many here locally. Not all as buyers in Iowa was my intention.
Regardless guys, keep safe out there. And have a good season ! We're stocking freezers up with fish here and hoping for the best!
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4506515 06/06/1404:31 AM06/06/1404:31 AM
However, when you think about how long it takes for turtles to reach sexual maturity, the odds stacked against a turtle egg, how many people eat them here, and how easy they are to catch..... it's just a matter of "getting ahead" of the turtle numbers.
I'm not advocating shutting down commercial turtle trapping, I'm just saying that catching them faster than they reproduce happens, and it has happened in a lot of places.
You been reading too much junk. They shut us down here. You want to help turtles catch coons, shoot crows. You don,t see them promoting that do you.
A snapper can have fertile eggs for years without being bred. Do they tell you that? NO.
One of the biggest killers of small snappers are the large males. Promote your programs with targets of removing the large males.
Originally Posted By: Newt
I'm with Kirk. A few years back I caught the largest turtle I have ever seen. On a river that at least 4 of us commercial turtle have trapped since the early 70's. He weighted 68.75 pounds. To let you know how many turtle I handle. In the last two years I caught,bought and sold over 125,00 pounds
The reason why I said that is because Louisiana, unlike your states, is a free for all with (common) snapping turtles. From what I've seen, it appears that the states in your area have some sort of regulation that helps to keep the populations healthy. As far as for Louisiana, there isn't for the common snapper. There isn't a season, there isn't a size limit. There's a few gear restrictions, and methods of take restrictions (can't use gasoline to flush them and other common sense laws), but nothing as far as for keeping them, at least that I'm aware of, and I've read the recreational and commercial restrictions. People can catch them all year, and they can keep all the catch. That in itself wouldn't be bad if people were responsible, but you know that's not going to happen. I've seen someone keep some 6" turtles. "It just takes more of em when they're this size".
It's ridiculous, I know, but that's how it is, for now. Even if the law would change, it wouldn't be followed by the majority. They just don't care.
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4514877 06/11/1408:04 AM06/11/1408:04 AM
The reason why I said that is because Louisiana, unlike your states, is a free for all with (common) snapping turtles. From what I've seen, it appears that the states in your area have some sort of regulation that helps to keep the populations healthy. As far as for Louisiana, there isn't for the common snapper. There isn't a season, there isn't a size limit. There's a few gear restrictions, and methods of take restrictions (can't use gasoline to flush them and other common sense laws), but nothing as far as for keeping them, at least that I'm aware of, and I've read the recreational and commercial restrictions. People can catch them all year, and they can keep all the catch. That in itself wouldn't be bad if people were responsible, but you know that's not going to happen. I've seen someone keep some 6" turtles. "It just takes more of em when they're this size".
It's ridiculous, I know, but that's how it is, for now. Even if the law would change, it wouldn't be followed by the majority. They just don't care.
_________________________
It is not ridiculous. We had no restrictions except for endangered turtles. Always plenty of turtles. Now they got restrictions it is not profitable to trap. Never caught fewer from one year to the next when comparing time trapping.
Never saw another turtle trapper while trapping, ever.
The Real Reasons Animals Are Detecting Your Sets And Devices by Kirk Dekalb https://amzn.to/2Hn1hxv
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4516721 06/12/1410:58 AM06/12/1410:58 AM
aixsponsa are you trapping turtles in La. ? arent there turtle farms there that buy them alive? we cant use wings or leads here in ohio.
Haven't done it commercially, just trapped what I wanted to eat or give away. Down here, selling snappers is just a matter of holding one up by the tail when there's people around, and I'm not kidding. I'm not sure how many people eat turtle there, maybe a lot of people do, but down where I am...everyone eats it. I've heard of people getting in a fight over a dang snapper on the road. If you see a snapper down here crossing the road, ya better stop on the first pass, because the second pass it might be gone.
I've heard of the farms, never looked into it. As I said, they're easy to sell to individuals, and most markets will buy them too. Down here it's easy to sell frog legs and snapping turtles.
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4516751 06/12/1411:13 AM06/12/1411:13 AM
Mousie, I do like how you wrap your bait individually in foil. I usually freeze bait by 5 trap lots. It's a pain to have to break each trap's bait off of the block. I'm definitely going to start freezing in foil.
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4516754 06/12/1411:14 AM06/12/1411:14 AM
The river system went from an unregulated flow to a regulated flow with dams. Starting just before WW2. Help some but hurt others.
In 1960 the screw worm was eliminated and all predators increase more than hundred fold.
More otters, coon, now than ever before. Otters seem to be one of the biggest problems. They are restricted to seasons and cites tags.
We have alligator snappers so plentiful in their areas they prey and kill the other turtles. Just because they are listed as endangered or protected doesn,t mean they are scarce.
We have more alligators than the state will admit. Maybe they don,t know. They are in every drainage here. Hundreds of thousands and only allow the legal harvest of less than 500 under a drawing.
Last edited by Kirk De; 06/12/1411:15 AM. Reason: addition
The Real Reasons Animals Are Detecting Your Sets And Devices by Kirk Dekalb https://amzn.to/2Hn1hxv
Re: Ohio turtle trappers
[Re: mousie]
#4516760 06/12/1411:20 AM06/12/1411:20 AM
Some thing also, many of the endangered small turtles due to the way they swim and the habitat they need it makes them more appealing and easier to catch for otters.
The Real Reasons Animals Are Detecting Your Sets And Devices by Kirk Dekalb https://amzn.to/2Hn1hxv
[quote] Just because they are listed as endangered or protected doesn,t mean they are scarce.
I definitely agree with that. Being endangered doesn't mean there aren't locations that they're plentiful, perhaps even as many as there's ever been there.
Elsewhere, they may be hard to comeby. Trust me, I get it on the alligators. They were "endangered" at one time, now in some places, I think it's safe to say there's way too stinking many. I guess the market can impact that, if the money's good everyone wants in, if market slacks, not enough of them are being taken out. If I'm not mistaken, the gator farms have to even release a percentage of their gators to the wild. I guess the gator numbers are good in a lot of places, but in other places they look like yellow belly turtles basking because there's so many.
That's interesting about the otters though. Most of my life, I didn't see an otter around my house. They were in the crawfish ponds, but not in the sloughs and bayous near my house. In recent years, I've started seeing them in the sloughs where I turtle trap. Thats probably not a good thing for the turtles, seems like I read about otters doing a number on snappers whenever they're burried in the mud, especially in the winter. Guess I'm going to need to make an otter fur scarf or gloves for the wife, this winter LOL
Mousie, I do like how you wrap your bait individually in foil. I usually freeze bait by 5 trap lots. It's a pain to have to break each trap's bait off of the block. I'm definitely going to start freezing in foil.
i also as you see have my bait bags already and filled up for opening day! im using fresh(frozen) carp to start with and skipjack herring in another. i will use a whole fish or two if needed. often these will go side by side to see which one will produce the best. theres no waiting around until opening day to figure out things for this kid. i ll be chumming ponds before opening day with ground carp to draw the turtles in the area. opps did i just give that away? lol
mousie
never make someone a priority when they make you an option !
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