Anybody eat em ? I've had them down south the big swamp bugs but I built some traps tonight because my 4 yo wants to catch and eat them just wondering if anyone has an opinion on these ones up north

We do it, boil them just like down South does. Taste the same.

Just gotta boil the Yankee out of them...

When I was a kid in Pewaukee we'd go out and get a bunch of them and boil them up. I remember them as being excellent! Just eat the tails, though.

Moosetrot

Since my teens, I've eaten a lot of rusty crayfish I have caught in Ohio and a few other species. In my experience, the Northern crayfish taste good too.

Keith

Ours aren't as big as they get down south,,but I built 20 traps and get enough to make some nice snacks.Very good eating.Also,,great mink and coon bait.

Eaten piles of them. Make sure to have them in an escape proof container and no lake or river water. I bring a bucket of fresh water once I leave the "shore" boat landing I pull over and add the fresh water to the cooler (held shut with a ratchet strap). Also make sure you dont have ANY fishing equipment in the boat while setting or checking traps.

Ain't WI law fun?

Excellent eating.

Yeah haha I actually had to call the DNR last night because the rules on building the traps were not clear to me and I needed someone to clarify it. Thanks for all the info folks, if we catch some ill put up some pictures

Used to catch a bunch when the kids were little, put them in the kiddy pool with fresh water for a few days, boil and eat.

I have caught and ate them in Michigan - small piece of meat but good dipped in butter.

Waiting....

Had them a few times and built couple traps too. Never caught more than couple in traps I made. Just didn't have them in good spot. I did more than once catch enough while diving on some lakes up north. Only time ever had a really big bunch. Guy I worked with came with 5 gallon pail full he trapped on lake up by Gordon.. We boiled the whole 5 gallons in salt water and then dumped them on the table. Several of us just had at them ate until whole mess was moped up. Best feed on them I ever had. If I could catch a good bunch and shuck them. My wife likes to make etouffee.

Show us some pictures of your traps and catch I'll be waiting to see that.

Mac

Personally, I've eaten them for decades. I used a minnow seine to catch them, and we would get gobs of them at a time. We just treat them like shrimp.....boil and dip in either butter or cocktail sauce. A friend is married to a Louisiana girl and he is 100% all in, like a Cajun.....uses commercial traps and has huge crawfish boils like his wife's people. He gave me one of those "pillow" traps and I've used it successfully. He has a couple plastic square traps with funnel shaped entries, and those things are crayfish catching champions.

Well that's 2 done ones a little shorter just because the way the chicken wire laid out, the short on is 15" long and the other is 20". Going out with the boy to set them tonight so hopefully well have some catch pictures tomorrow. Hey it ain't coyotes but I guess its still trapping and ill take that

Use to catch um as kids and boil them down at the creek in anything handy. An old hubcap was our "pan" for a while lol