Here is a little of how I do snapping turtles;
I know I promised a video but try as I might I just cannot get it to download. I have tried making it as short as 30 seconds and still no luck. So I will try to show with a few pictures off of my cell phone. I will not repost pictures of how to make the traps they are available in the archives here, only 1 with the how the bait is held
Anyway: I use both cage traps and hoop type net traps. I MUCH prefer the cage traps. The biggest negative about the cages is they are bulky. The positives are, ease of setting, easy to hide from passerbys and fishermen, allow for a rise in water depth of up 12 inches without drowning catch, easy to bait, and real easy to remove turtles (average time to get all turtles out of a trap is 10 seconds).
For bait, at present I am using carp, but I prefer salmon or bluefish as they last much longer in warm water and are very oily. I freeze the fish laying flat, and when ready to use, cut them into 2 inch thick “carp steaks” with an old skil saw. (see pic). The heads I use in net bait bags in the net traps. A 15 pound carp will make enough steaks for 6 or 7 traps (the last cut is just above the vent, so the tail section can also bait a trap.) By having the bait frozen the guts stay inside the steaks until they thaw out in the trap in the water. Being “steak cut” gives maximum access to let out the oil, not much skin to hold it in. To bait the trap, I simply lift the back door, lift the wire flap that has one side hog-ringed onto the bottom of the trap, put the carp steak under the wire and secure with another hog ring.(pic #2) Baiting a trap takes about 5 seconds.
I have 2 sections of aluminum ladders fastened to the top of my truck cap, with snaps on a rope every 2 feet to fasten the traps to. Can easily put 8 traps there and inside the cap will hold another 12. I set traps in the evening and pick up all in the morning. Most nights I set 12 to 14 traps. In the morning I have 3 barrels in the back of the truck to hold the turtles, a garbage can (to carry turtles from trapsite to truck, if needed)and a small cart to wheel turtles from catch site to truck. This way I can put 6 traps inside the cap and the rest on top. I rarely trap out of a boat, mostly I trap within 100 yards of the truck. I leave the house at 4:30 or so and am home to go to work by 8 AM.
I prefer to set in small rivers or streams (see the stream pictures), picking a spot just upstream from a deep hole. I live in what passes for mountains in Jersey and most streams I catch turtles in are pure enough you could drink the water except for the beaver fever. These are not the polluted waters of central Jersey. The stream pictures show an upstream view, a trap set underwater, so it does not attract attention from passerbys and the content of that trap.
My turtles are held in a Spring House, a structure dug into the ground, with concrete sides and a gravel bottom that fills partially with cold spring water. These spring houses were used before electric refrigeration was available to cool cans of milk before shipping to the city on railroad cars. The one I use (pictured) is 7x7 and 9 feet deep. Water depth varies from 5 to 7 feet and the temperature is about 50 degrees. The turtles stay cold, almost dormant and lose very little weight. First picture is with lid slid almost closed, second is lookin’ in at turtles.
The last 3 pictures are from this morning. This is the first time I have had to call for help when turtle trapping. Threw this trap in a stream last night below a vertical bank of about 6 feet. The bait was the same carp steak in the pictures above. When I looked over the bank this morning the trap was full! I tossed out my grapple on a rope but could not lift it up the vertical bank, (full of poison ivy, which I get). A call to my son and he came and we got it lifted to the bank top. (last pic) 13 keeper sized snappers.
I have trapped this location for 8 years (1 time per year)and it is always good for 3 or 4 turtles. It seems that they replenish faster in the streams, and now towards fall they are all on the move to a swamp to winter over. Eric
