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"