In another thread there was mention of snapping turtles eating baby ducks. I had that problem last year. I have a creek and I don't pen the ducks during the day once the babies are big enough the cats aren't interested. Last summer I was losing a baby a day.

Is there a way of trapping the turtles? Do they live in the water? Or is there a way to watch for them on land? Habitat? Habits? I could use some experienced snapping turtle advice !

Judy

-- J McFerrin (JMcFerrin@aol.com), March 10, 2002

Answers

if your in a creek or river,,wade in there,, and feel under the banks, you should find a hole/tunnel ,, reach in, and when you find something hard,, go lower,, till you find the tail,, then PULL it out, throw it up on the bank to someone else,, kill ,, clean,, cook, eat it. Thats assuming the criter is NOT on the way out though,,

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 10, 2002.

Yes snappers usually stay half hidden in the water, you see the top of its shell and head. You can shoot them if you see them, or try trapping with some rotten meat, but then you could bring coons or opossums. If they spot you coming they will quickly submerge in the water and mud. They lay eggs in holes around the water, watch for that, too. Also let people know you have them if they want them, some people will come and remove them for their soup pot!

-- tricia (never-enough-pets@excite.com), March 10, 2002.

Stan there ain't a chance in hell I'm going to do that! I am too big a coward, and I need all my fingers and both my hands for farm work. How's about you hopping on over here and sticking YOUR arm in the hole!

Laughing!

-- J McFerrin (JMcFerrin@aol.com), March 10, 2002.

I've never trapped a turtle, but do remember seeing plans for a home- made floating turtle trap that looked as though it would really work. Maybe do a search at Google.com for "turtle trap."

-- Elizabeth in E TX (kimprice@peoplescom.net), March 10, 2002.

Stan's idea works on streams only if you want to take a chance of going through life with the nickname of Stubby. Better idea for streams is a turtle pole. That a long wooden rake handle with a gaff hook on one end. You walk along the edge using the bare end of the pole to hear when you hit something that transmits a hollow sound back. Then reverse the pole and use the gaff end to bring up the snapper. It's almost a lost art now but a few oldtimers still do it for their own eating.

For Judy and a pond, there are turtle traps that commercial turtlers use. But probably more than you'd want to pay just for a probable pair of snappers. Assuming that you don't have any big catfish in your pond, you can catch them without attracting the raccoons and other critters. Get about 10' of heavy nylon cord, not fishing line. Attach it to something heavy on shore. Add a heavy, 25# test metal leader, and a 3/0 treble hook. Cut a chunk of firm fish flesh to about the size of a ping pong ball. Force the eye end of the hook through the chunk of meat and clip it onto the leader. Add a lead sinker at the end of the nylon to keep it under water. Snappers mostly feed at night in shallow waters so you only have to get it out to where the water is about 2' or so. Then check it every morning. The day when you see the line stretched straight out, you'll have your snapper. Any snapper big enough to take a duckling would be big enough to swallow that bait in one gulp instead of picking at it like a small pond turtle would. Second choice for bait would be chicken liver but then your small fish would pick at it. A firm chunk of fish flesh would last much longer.

-- Martin Longseth (paquebot@merr.com), March 10, 2002.

Martin is pretty much on the money. you can also use a jug line, attach the wire leader to an empty gallon bleach bottle (or something similar, milk jugs are too fragile) bait with a whole palm size bream cause the little ones will pick until the big boy chases them away. after he gets tired of fighting the jug he will come and rest in the shallows and he'll be easy to spot and you won't have to play him like a fish. jug lines are best used in ponds. for the set line Martin described attach to a sapling or branch small enough to bend but stout enogh to hold the turtle will play himself out and be easier for you to handle. if he tries to fight let him fight the tree or the jug and come get him a few minutes later.

-- Pops (pops762@hotmail.com), March 11, 2002.

Come to think of it, once when we were fishing in a pond, hubby caught a LARGE snapper with a plastic crayfish, and I caught one with the bluegill I was reeling in. How big is the creek? Small creek, more chance you will catch them.

-- tricia (never-enough-pets@excite.com), March 11, 2002.

you all sound like a bunch of chickens to me:-] snappy turtles?? where are they?? I was fishing,had my fish in basket nearby,saw 3 huge snappers pile on top of my basket,having gun,and asked ahead with owners allowed 3 less snappes in their pond:-]

-- Dusty Ross (ourpinkroses@yahoo.com), March 11, 2002.

I buy hooks from the bait shop they also carry a heavy cord.I tie the hook about 1 1/2 foot away from the milk jug,tie the cord around the handle,this will act as a bobber.then from the handle about 10 to 15 foot of cord to tie to the bank around a small tree.check the lines every day to see if you still have bait (chicken gizzards are great) when you get one call dad to come get it,he eats them ..yuk Pam

-- Pam (pams65@hotmail.com), March 11, 2002.

Hey Dusty! Want to hear a better story? I was fishing one time and had several catfish on a stringer. They started making a fuss and I saw that a big snapper was after them. Then I crouched down at the water's edge and waited for it to come back. About the time when a big old mossback male figured that I was a stump and decided to take the tail off a big cat, I jumped into the water and flipped out a huge 30 pounder. Two guys were out in the bay in a boat and watching my antics. When I flipped that huge snapper on shore, one commented to the other: "Did you see what that crazy SOB did?" Piece of cake! And turtle burgers for a week off that old patriarch!

-- Martin Longseth (paquebot@merr.com), March 13, 2002.

I had the same problem. I bought a commercial wire trap that worked great. I used a heavy rope and tied it to a tree so i wouldnt loose it. Set the trap at the shore so it is half in the water and half out. This way they can swim in it but wont drown. I have heard if a turtle dies in the trap the other ones wont go in it, dont know how true it is but this is what i heard. I used a full can of tuna and punched holes in the lid as bait. You can either relocate the turtles or eat them whatever you perfer. Good luck to you!

-- Corey (ctallen100@aol.com), March 15, 2002.