Of all the trapping I have done, the most fun was snapping turtle trapping. You just never know when you will walk up on a trap and it is stuffed full. Or you walk up to a trap and there is a 60 pounder in it. Cage traps I made myself, net traps purchased from Newt or Beaverfoot. A big snapper is just as smart as a trap wise coyote. Traps were pulled from water prior to picture being taken. These pics are not that old, they are from 2008 to 2016.




This net trap was in a ditch that had no bottom, just mud. I was unable to pull it from the water by hand so I tied a rope to it and drug it up to the access road with my truck. Bent the trap up some but could not be helped. Shows the strength of the netting. 22 keeper size turtles total weight 480+ pounds.





Snappers that weigh a lot are not the ones with the biggest shells. As a snapper ages he gets thicker thru the body. This makes his top shell curl around his body so that the edge of the top shell will be underneath the turtle. This pic gives a good look at that.



Between 2015 and 2016 I lost 100 pounds just to be able to trap turtles better and hopefully not cramp up so bad at night, especially after a day of sweating. The picture above I weighed 340 and in this one I was a shadow at 240. My whole life I have suffered with severe leg cramps, sometimes so bad that my legs are black and blue in the morning. Losing weight did not make a difference, I still cramp. Have tried every home remedy and prescription meds but none relieve it totally.


Loads of about 175 snappers taken to the buyer.



This is the first load I took to Maryland in 2008. Average weight was 29 pounds a turtle. got over $12,000.00 for 'em.




Summer sunrises while turtle trapping. Hot and steamy mornings are the norm.

Wow! Thank you for sharing.

Nifty. What is your turtle market? Meat, shells?

That's awesome. I spent summers at a lake in Vernon, and there was a kid who trapped snappers! Not sure if he was supposed to, but it was so cool to get to check traps with him.

Outstanding!

I agree with Eric. So much fun tossing traps into a quiet body of water that looks "turtley", and coming back to 20+ turtles in a net.

Just adding a photo of a couple nice ones.

Eric, I enjoy all your pics and adventures, but the turtle trapping ones are my favorite! I appreciate all the help you've givin me over the last few years or so. I do wish I could have run up there and gotten one of your cage traps though. I've tried to make them, have all the stuff but they don't turn out right. I can't seem to get the net part right.

I will say this, you're right about beaverfoots traps. I got 2 from him 5 years ago and then another 2. They are top shelf and so is he in my book. If my body let's me I plan on gettin after them in July. Thanks again and keep those pics comin!!!

X2! I think I enjoy trapping turtles more then any land critter now. Does anyone else pressure wash them before butchering lol?

Great posts Erik! There's no doubt in my mind that if you would have taken up bowhunting biggame, you would
have put even Tom Miranda and Chuck Adam's to shame!
You've done well pilgrim !!!

Amazing what all you have taught us. thanks a lot......jk

Dang! If that don't beat all. Snappers are not native here but I guess we have a few anyway. Two years ago had a submerged beaver partially eaten and when I posted pics on here everybody said snapper.... so I guess it was.

Cool! 12,000 bucks! Seems like the most profitable trapping a guy could do!

That was 2008 by 2010 that same load would have brought maybe $5,000.00 and by 2020 about $3,500.00.
Most times all the turtle is used except the guts and some bones. Skin gets tanned for cowboy boots, bigger turtle's claws for necklaces, shells and skulls used too.

Great share Eric, thanks again. I have several turtle traps, I have some rigid traps and net hoop collapsable types. They all work for me. Some from Newt, Quarles and Jerry Shilling. Jerry catches a bunch of turtles out of Indiana.

Great post! Always enjoy catching some turtles. Sold to Millington Seaford a while back. Now I just catch a few to eat

Are there regulations and limits ? What is their main diet ?

In NJ you need a commercial permit which is good for 10 waterbodies. No bag limit with permit. I always say that snappers will eat anything that is not a rock and get fat on it. They eat a lot of plant life but like fish, crawdads, fresh water mussels and birds. I have found mink, muskrat and beaver hair in their droppings in my transport barrels. Love to eat herons, often the bills were in their droppings too. A couple of times I have had them kill smaller beaver that I had snared on summer complaints. Here is a you tube video of one killing and eating a porcupine.

That is a great video that you made. Was it by pure accident or were you aware of something going on in advance? We all have seen soe great thing in our travels but most of us had no way of recording them at the right time........jk

Thank you Eric . This is the real Trapperman stuff .