# Turtle trapping



## jonathan

Season started here in pa on the 1rst and I was curious to know how the rest of the country goes after there snapping turtles. I.e.. Bait, line, etc.. I run bank lines, here's some pics of what I've got so far:

















































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## lovetogrow

How cute is your little guy  Looks like really good eating!

Not much turtle hunting up here, though south of here friends have a very large pond well stocked with turtles that are protected - though tempting.


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## talob

Dont know about a season here in KY, got snappers going across the yard all the time (had to evict one off the deck a while back) I get em off the road when I can so they dont get run over, I look at em as a future supper if times get bad theres some good eating there.


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## camo2460

Most people here in Missouri use limb lines set in ponds and streams off of the Lake of the Ozarks.


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## Davarm

Saw the thread title and my first thought was something to do with our own "Turtle"! 

Glad I was wrong. lol


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## hashbrown

The turtle man is gonna be pissed!


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## Turtle

*GULP!*. It's turtle season?!?


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## bacpacker

Nice catch there. The little man looks like he's having a great time, as well as, the bigger fellers.


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## cnsper

Turtle said:


> *GULP!*. It's turtle season?!?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


NO! It's wabbit season!


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## Davarm

cnsper said:


> NO! It's wabbit season!


NO! Its DUCK SEASON - SHOOT!


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## NaeKid

Davarm said:


> NO! Its DUCK SEASON - SHOOT!


You mean ...

Like this?

:eyebulge:


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## Davarm

I thought I'd seen em all but dont think I ever saw that "Looney Tune" but I guess it fits, aye?


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## ContinualHarvest

Remember, the larger turtles are more reproductively important to maintaining a viable population. Larger females carry more eggs than smaller ones. Please leave some for next year. : Happy hunting.


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## jeff47041

We normally use raw chicken livers for bait. A line with a turtle hook, tied to a branch or stick on the shore. Check the lines twice a day.

There are a lot of guys around here that finger for them in creeks. But that's not for me.

We always wait til after 4'th of July to start setting lines because they lay their eggs by the 4'th. It's time to get started! Thanks for reminding me.


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## kappydell

In wisconsin we are limited to turtle traps (pricey!) or a bank pole set up. Plus we have to have tags on each set-up. I have never found anybody who traps turtles, though I considered getting the tags/permits and trying a bank pole set to try to get the one that keeps eating the fish of the fishermen's stringers! Pesky thing!


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## k0xxx

kappydell said:


> In wisconsin we are limited to turtle traps (pricey!) or a bank pole set up. Plus we have to have tags on each set-up. I have never found anybody who traps turtles, though I considered getting the tags/permits and trying a bank pole set to try to get the one that keeps eating the fish of the fishermen's stringers! Pesky thing!


Turtle traps are easy to make for ponds. I'm not sure how they would work on a river, though. Here's one variation. Just do a Yahoo or Google search to see other traps.


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## jonathan

I use bank lines. Butchered first 10 yesterday.


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## AdmiralD7S

jonathan said:


> I use bank lines. Butchered first 10 yesterday.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


You wouldn't happen to have some pictures of the process, would you? I'm curious to know how it's done.


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## jeff47041

AdmiralD7S said:


> You wouldn't happen to have some pictures of the process, would you? I'm curious to know how it's done.


Camo2460 gives pretty good instructions in this thread.. http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f78/snapping-turtle-recipes-20740/


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## besign

I"ve seen turtle traps made out of halves of a drum, welding 4 hinges to the top rim, then screwing a board to each hinge, with a weight under the short end (ie, towards the center of the drum, above the hinge) put stones or scrap metal into the drum, so that the top edge floats about 4" above the surface. A cord to either side of the pond lets you check the trap without a boat. 

snapping turtles will wipe out your baby ducklings and goslings. They grab them by the foot, from underwater and drown them.


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## Backwoodsman1968

Here we're only allowed hook and line or fishing by hand for turtles. There never used i be a season or limit but now its 2 a day with 4 in possession and the season runs concurrent with bullfrog season. In other areas ive trapped turtles and a dozen ways from sunday will work. I can knot nets so hoop nets with 2 throats have worked well with a dressed carp or buffalo carcass in the back. With nets or traps you need to leave 4" or so out i the water so the trapped turtles can breathe. They spoil quickly in warm water. Drums, trash cans etc make traps too and you can knit a throat for such fairly easy. When it was legal we use to catch a lot of turtles thru the ice in winter while running traps or ice fishing. They are cold blooded so chopping thru the ice anas grabbing them wasnt complicated. Just cold and wet work. Ive caught a few in muskrat traps by accident. My uncle used big foothold steel traps for them, not legal even then but he was an outlaw of sorts. He also used bank poles with a can slid down over the hook so fish couldnt get to the bsit. Usually fish heads or shad etc.


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