Best way to "catch" snapping turtles ??????

[patandchickens]

Last year the ducks wouldn't use the pond, and I finally figured out why when we saw a huge snapper cross the road from the ditch across the road.

Well that's the thing. They'll just keep on doing that, unless you make a turtleproof fence all the way around the pond paddock to keep them out.

Pat

 

[miss_thenorth]

Turlte proof fence is not in the plans, so I guess turtle meat will be on the menu this year

 

[k0xxx]

I've made several types of turtle traps. But by far the easiest and one that seemed to work the best was just a PVC square, with a basket under it, and boards for the turtle to climb up on.

Once a turtle was up on the boards, and over the basket, it would just drop off of the side of the board when it was finished sunning (or when startled). Then it was trapped in the basket and couldn't climb out.

I could go into greater detail about how to make one, but once you see it, you'll get the idea. So, here is a link to someone making and selling them.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I've made several types of turtle traps. But by far the easiest and one that seemed to work the best was just a PVC square, with a basket under it, and boards for the turtle to climb up on.

Once a turtle was up on the boards, and over the basket, it would just drop off of the side of the board when it was finished sunning (or when startled). Then it was trapped in the basket and couldn't climb out.

I could go into greater detail about how to make one, but once you see it, you'll get the idea. So, here is a link to someone making and selling them.

wow, that is a really good idea!! but alot of money!!! I could def make one of those,.

 

[patandchickens]

Yeah but is that going to work on *snappers*? I do not believe I have ever seen a snapping turtle hauled out on a floating log or suchlike to sun. They are either in the water lurking, or on the edge of the shore. (Or trundling overland to nest or colonize a new pond).

I mean, I'm not absolutely SWEARING that it wouldn't catch a snapping turtle, I am no expert on them although I did recreationally catch a bunch of 'em in grad school (otherwise-all-male herp lab that tended towards the 'lets see who can barehand a copperhead' end of the spectrum ) and have been around them a lot, but I have not personally tried to trap them. So I *could* be wrong. But I notice that the website illustrates pond turtles (slider types), NOT snappers, and that trap seems waaaay too small to catch any snappers that are big enough to menace ducks anyway...

Just sayin',

Pat

 

[miss_thenorth]

Ill take your word for it,--I am def not an expert on snappers. I went fishing once and had one bite my line, but the line broke off. I'm sure the reason my ducks don't want to use the pond is for snappers. So I'll go witht he first reccomendation.

 

[k0xxx]

I have caught snapping turtles up to about 20 inches long in one of these traps, as well as plenty of sliders. However, where I lived at the time, we had alligator snappers, and not the common snapping turtles. Whether there is a difference in the behavior of these two I couldn't say.

We would tie two ropes to the trap, one on each side, so that we could position it in the center of the pond and keep it there until we pulled it in.

When I was young, we caught one of these turtles that measured just short of 30 inches long with a chicken neck tied to a piece of small nylon rope (we were catching blue crabs). No hook, the ornery thing could have let go at any time, but it would not give up the chicken neck. My dad made a really nice soup. My brother still had the shell until Katrina.

 

[Denim Deb]

The best way to catch snappers is very carefully.

Someone gave my hubby a snapper once and he made soup. It smelled awful when he was cooking it. I refused to try it, so he offered some to the dog. She smelled it, then turned her nose up at it.

 

[patandchickens]

I have caught snapping turtles up to about 20 inches long in one of these traps, as well as plenty of sliders. However, where I lived at the time, we had alligator snappers, and not the common snapping turtles. Whether there is a difference in the behavior of these two I couldn't say.

Huh, well then, I stand corrected -- while I do not know much about alligator snappers (other than they are way cool) I am under the impression that behaviorally they are pretty similar to the regular kind.

So, miss_thenorth, it sounds like it would be worth at least MAKING some of those traps, it should be quite easy and can't hurt, and hopefully it'd take care of your problem. (And in a kinder way, for the turtles, than baited trotline hooks).

Be careful once you get a turtle in the trap, as if you try to pick them up not only are their necks surprisingly extensible but the claws are quite sharp and strong too (incl. on the rear legs)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Boogity]

OMG I have not seen this type of turtle trap since I was a teenager. My father used old tractor tire inner tubes to build traps just like that. Yes some old tractors didn't have tubeless tires. As I recall we caught snappers as well as other types of turtles. We used 1" hardware cloth to make the basket and tied it to the tube with bailing wire. The turtles would "bail out" into the basket and the tube would block their exit from the basket. This brought back old memories of what I guess were the good old days.