I was watching some food show last night that had a segment about eastern North Carolina and snapping turtles.

So give me some ways on how to catch and process these things. I hear of local fishermen catching them on accident all the time so I know they're around here.

snapping turtles are evil.i'd rather wrestle a pit bull.they lay in wait in the mud and will bite your achilles tendon so you can't run then they have all their buddies over for a sit down meal. me hatem snappers.i don't hurt them i just go way out around them.don't know where my phobia came from.

LOL!

Master escape artists. Somebody always had one. Usually in water tank for livestock until one day it just ain’t in there. Poof...gone

Toughest creatures I’ve ever seen. Shell shaped like a dumbell wearing a 330 or 220 across the throat, trap jaws nearly touching, remove trap and they’re in business. Awesome creatures, delicious as well

Only thing you need to know is they are Delicious! Turtle trap, hunk of carp, ...best thing to do is buy the DVD https://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/Turtles_A_to_Z_med.gif

......and another shell appears on the side of my barn.....bwaaaaahaaahhaahahah!

We always had a piece of 16gauge wire hung on our belts when trapping turtles.If one ever got a hold of you all you need to do Is shove It up their nose and they will let go. Glad I never had to use It.

Mephis net and twine makes a wi leagal hoop net trap. I run 1 up here in manitowoc county. I trap tributaries to lake michigan generally so I use a salmon carcass for bait. When I set inland waters I usually catch a couple small gills for bait. If I have time I like to run some fish scraps through a grinder for bait along with the carcass(hang it in a sock or bait bag, the carcass goes in a hardware cloth cage)
We have a slot size in WI so know the rules. I have set inland on a lot of small lakes right at the side of the boat launches and caught, but I dont set the trap till just before dark and pick it up early morning. I do better in the river where I can set away from curious people and can leave a trap for full 24hr checks.

Butchering is nothing special I only do 5 or 6 a year so Im not to fast takes me probably 45min a turtle. I prefer to completly debone all the meat. I make turtle nuggets and turtle soup.
I learned how to butcher them on youtube.

Jerry Schilling puts out a nice DVD. It covers start to finish, a really well put together dvd.

Doh! Lol

I catch mine with a fishing pole. On hot summer days any time they move on a muddy bootom they leave a bubble trail. Cast in front of the bubble trail and snag them! I use a medium size treble hook with a bait casting sinker attattached to one arm of the treble hook! Another easy fast way is walk around a frozen pond on a sunny day they sit snug to the bank sunning just under the ice! we make what we call a turtle rod it a 3/8" round rod with a small hook on the end its used to hook a shell and pull your turtle from the water. a miniature gaf kind of. Don't count out dry ponds either they have a sink hole they will bury in . Use your turtle rod to probe for them it makes a distinct bonk when you find one! then its just a matter of snagging it and dragging it to the surface

Trapstickman could tell you about snapping turtles but he would rather just show you:

awesome info...thx

My dad, kinfolk and neighbors have caught a world of turtles wading the creeks in the spring. They use their hands. Find a hole in the bank back under a tree root or rock and pull them out. Walked many a mile packing burlap sack of turtles. They get real heavy real quick if there isn't enough water to let them float along beside you. Always enjoyed it. Nothing beats a good meal of fried turtle, fresh wild greens,mashed taters,gravy and biscuits

Two weeks ago I was pulling a dam out and something bumped my leg, he was a big ole po'd dude. Jesus ain't the only one that can walk(run) on water.

As a kid in SE USA I learned about snapping (loggerhead) turtles by poking small sticks for them to bite in to. Extend a finger if you no longer need it. In the Fall I found them where they buried in soft mud near lakes to spend the Winter. I would look for air holes then probe with a metal rod to verify.

Don't eat them; they are at the bottom of the food chain and can be full of chemical contaminents

They are actually safer to eat than chicken, there was a study done on this in Minnesota. And they are very tasty!

Seriously?

Thanks!

I'd be interested in reading the study if you can post a link to it.

If turtle is at the bootom of the food chain id hate to see were hotdogs are! I will never forget those coons on THE GREAT OUTDOORS!

The last day I was pulling some beaver traps this year, the biggest one I have ever seen came up about ten yds from me. Thing looked almost like a sea turtle lol. I was glad I didn't step on it, talk about drawing back a nub.

Jerry's DVD,and my TURTLES BY THE TON.
Are the only turtle DVD's that I know of that have good information in them. The others that I have watched are about worthless.
Jerry and I have traped turtles for our living. We are both profesanals.
One that I have seen, could'nt even catch a turtle.

True



Fause, A common snappers main diet is live vegation.

and me Newt,they wanna eat me too.

Hey Newt - are all the turtle traps on your website Jersey legal? If not, which ones are?

The Truth About Snapping Turtles

At last, something I know allot about!

They are pretty close to the bottom of the food chain, and while they do catch some prey, most of their food is scavenged. Never ate one 'cause I have too much respect for them, but bio-accumulation is definitely a concern. In Ontario, fish populations are monitored for contaminants every year and the results published .. I would use that as a measure as to how much I can safely consume, I don't think I would feed it to my kids.

They can live about a hundred years, or more! The literature is full of accounts of turtles found to have musket balls in them when they are processed.

The eggs are not "cookable" like chicken eggs.

The most human way to dispatch a turtle is to freeze it. Just bag them and put them in the freezer, they will go into stasis and slowly freeze to death. Don't rush it, give it a good while or he may not be dead yet!

I have caught and released hundreds. In the water I have yet to have one "snap" at me, they are too concerned with getting away at this point. The safest way to catch them is by the tail being certain the bottom shell is towards you. Try to hold them as close to the body as possible to avoid stressing the tail.

If you have a choice release the females. A turtle caught on land is most likely a female. The bottom shell on males is concave (so he doesn't slide off her back when breeding), females are flat. They are not doing as well in some areas as people might think, really. In 5 years of field studies I never once saw a clutch survive to hatching.

Turtles migrate downstream in the fall (to bigger water) and back up in the spring. When I start catching/seeing them it's pretty much done the end of muskrat season.

We used gallon milk jugs to hold our bait. We cut v shaped opening all over the jug. That would help keep the smaller turtles from robbing all our bait.But still left a scent trail to attract the turtles. WE would fill the jugs with fish scraps then freeze them till we needed them. Then just hang the frozen jug In the trap. It didn't take long for the jug to thaw out.

I think the main thing I have learned about snappers is that they are not stupid. They could not have survived for millions of years if they were. I set a spot only one time a year, once they see others caught they avoid the trap, sometimes for years. If caught and released or escape they may never enter a trap again.
They also can eat and survive on anything that is not a rock, but they will not go for sour or rotten bait . Fresh bait is best.

Now that is so full of untrouths. Better get your facts straight.

Sorry Newt, not falling for it.

Mclaugh19 I make and sale a lot of 2 inch webbing turtle traps for people in new jersey. So if you go with trap with 2 inch you should be ok. I would go with a D hoop trap over a round one. Dave 318-465-5961

1- common snappers ,In the wild have a adverage life span of 26 years.Unless you studied Alligator snappers in Canada which there is none.alligator snappers can have a very long life span.

want more ?

When turtling for a living. I was gett'n bit about 5 times a year. NOT one EVER hung on.
Also Never been bit by a turtle in the water.(not pen)

I used to trap them commercial in Iowa, before the "green" people put a stop to it. [Thats another story]. What Newt and Eric are saying is spot on. What kills me in the whole debate about snapping turtles is, if they are so dang fragile how in gods creation did they survive for the last 200 million years.

They climb trees don't they?

Hal, as I said they will eat anything that is not a rock. Often they will climb trees in search of hawks and owls to eat. Must be why there are so few hawks and owls around.
They also eat leaves. You will notice trees overhanging the water where all the leaves have been eaten. This is only on trees overhanging the water. Why so you ask? Well as I stated before turtles are smart. They know they will fall off the small branches so they only climb trees over the water so as not to be injured when they fall.
Now this here is the gospel truth: turtles have a sweet tooth (maybe sweet jaw is more accurate) and they love fruit. Apple, mulberry, and chokecherry trees overhanging the water will draw them in like a magnet when the fruit is dropping. Late last August I set up a large lake and noticed an apple tree. I put 2 traps under that tree and had 12 big snappers the next morning.
If it ever stops snowing here I will trap snappers again this year. Have a great weekend, Eric

Does anyone no of anyone buying them in western pa?

Dont beleave you'll find a buyer out there.In all my years buying turtles never heard of anyone. Even in the "Turtle Boom". The feds put most all turtle buyers out of busness. I'm one of those out of busness turtle buyers.
Buying only on a small scale now.
New Jersey reglated me out of the commercail turtle trapping busness too.

Guess, I'm a dinosaur

I can say "Been there,Did that"

Nasty critters.
Lived with my grandpa and everyone we come across we took home and butchered.
I can honestly say, i never saw the fascination with eating them, other than to say ya ate one.

The smell turned me off before they ever hit the pot.

i love turtle meat. Whats with the feds newt? Did they put some kind of protected status on turtles?

I don't know about the protected status, but they wanted to add them to the cites tready list, and I believe they have. As far as diet goes I have butchered a few here in Iowa that have had corn inside.

The feds made so much paper work. It like every turtle needs a Pass Port

A good bait cage is a metal suet cage used for feeding birds and holding suet bricks. I have a rectangular cage about 3" x 6" that snaps shut easily once filled with fish scraps.

I like to dump about 8 ounces of fish oil in the water by the trap in back waters and if the current isn't too swift. I believe it gets the turtles downstream aware of something good to find and gets them moving.

Also pm on dispatch.

I take several precautions getting them out of the net trap.

They tend to tangle in the net of the trap once on shore. I have several about 12-18" handled picks that have have bent hooks that allow me to pull the net from the turtles body and legs while holding its tail and pulling from net. Keeps fingers from getting to close while untangling the turtle especially around the neck and head. I bought a set of the pick tools at a hardware store for a couple bucks.

I also wear a pair of Kevlar ( knive proof) gloves when handling turtles. It won't save my finger from getting crushed but I figure I'll get the pieces back lol

I was told a large sponge soaked In fish oil works well. And the best bait/lure Is you just leave the female turtle In the trap.

Leaving a turtle in a trap is illegal in most states. When deciding on a good bait try to stay with what they are accustomed to. Beaver meat works great in the early spring and oily fish works good mid/late summer. I do use fish oil the entire season regardless of bait, but never caught a turtle using a sponge soaked in fish oil by itself, tried it a few times.lol

Average vs can live are 2 different things.
I counted/measured the growth rings on about 200 snappers (just like annual growth rings on trees). My results agreed with the literature.

False

The making (rings) mean nothing.

Example- Count the rings on a hatchling. DO YOU SEE ONE RING ONLY ?

IF- you open the cod end of a net turtle trap they will dump out.

I don't care for the net style traps. I made my own out of 2X4 inch metal galvanized wire. The trap collapses flat so you can transport many at a time. Much easier to set and get turtles out of than net traps.

I used to trap turtles commercially, but MN pretty much put a stop to that. Now, you can have a recreational turtle trapping license which allows you to only take 3 a day. Rubber back or soft-shelled turtles are as good to eat as snappers, only there's not as much meat on them.

It's a good idea to wear knife proof gloves when butchering turtles to prevent scratches from the claws. A turtle buyer I used to sell to always wore heavy duty rubber gloves when he butchered turtles. He said he started after he got blood poisoning from getting scratched. The claws can carry a lot of bacteria.

How do you age em Newt?

Ask their mother ?

I have never meet anyone who I trust that said "I can age a common snapper".

I have cought,bought and sold 10's of thousands of pounds of turtles.
We can only guess. Judging from where they were cought,( different geografical areas have larger or smaller turtles)sex,(Males are bigger than females) size and weight.GUESS is the key word

I cought a turtle one time which had a tag wired to its shell. The date and weight was on it.5 years after that date I cought it. When I weighted it. It weighted 6 pounds LESS. Like anythig elst .We reach out peak then go down hill from there.
My mine thinks I'm Still 35. But my body says "NO" I'm 67

Never thought of that. But, it's a good point, Newt. I've never noticed a concave underside on males either. Maybe that's just common on Canadian snappers.

Well those Canadian female beavers can get pretty big...the fellas need to adapt to what they're working with.

Never thought of that. But, it's a good point, Newt. I've never noticed a concave underside on males either. Maybe that's just common on Canadian snappers

That is TRUE.

Some times when sexing snappers you have to look there,to make your final call. At on time females sold for $2.00(even more) a pound more than males.

Haven't noticed anything special about the male beaver I've caught. Another Canadian commonality, I guess.

Beavers ?

turtle trapping DVD?
I have turtles by the ton but where can I pick up Schilling's Snapping turtles from A to Z?

When I was commercail trap'n turtles . I got bit at least 5 times a year. NEVER had one hold on.

I did have severed off heads bite and hold on. THEN the wire trick worked.

Never had a turtle bite me ,while they were in the water.

they manly eat water plants. not meat

I stop and move turtles off the road so they don't get smashed. I see no reason for killing them. Same with snakes.

I should probly be dead then.

My younger son has a good Turtle Beak shaped scar on his leg from one.

Will carry a wire with me now, worst bite I ever had was back of my calf. Glad I've never got a finger

'Gators are protected in Mo.

Do you ever come to La Crosse WI.I could sell you some traps and show you how to use them.

Heck ya don’t have to know what you’re talking about! If folks waited till they did, Crickets!
At least you read the post. I doubt you will be able to convince many about bio-concentration that’s just too scientificy.
If they are such vegetarians, why isn’t even ONE turtle trapper using lettuce or asparagus or fresh turnip greens for BAIT? Nope dead fish.
Someone mentioned they are particularly fond of fruits. Hey we all know of several kinds of berries that stay fresh in water a long time.
I’m with hippie on this one,, nasty nasty nasty. A very primitive creature with a slow growth cycle and low reproductive recruitment. I won’t ever ( unless there are no alternatives) eat any critters that live on the bottom of
stinking water and move so slow MOSS considers their shell a viable grow site.
Same thing goes for fifty lb catfish, carp in stagnant water or coons & possums.

Yup those critters belong on the survival foods menu. Yuans can have my share. I’ll shoot a YOY jackrabbit first LOL!

And remember the French consider SKUNK a delicacy. And snails wow! Did ya see that S Car Go?
Back guite now...

there is a demo this summer at NTA in lowa

I've been told the best way to catch snapper's is to noodle for Catfish!

cmcf, the fish used for turtle trapping is fresh I always preferred to use frozen, it will thaw out quick in the water. If you don't keep the bait fresh you check a lot of empty traps. The "scientificy" studies I have seen they have less bio-concentrations than fish in the same waters. You are right on about not knowing anything about a subject to have an opinion.

Have a friend who uses groundhogs for bail with success.