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#42168 07/24/02 10:13 AM
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newbee Offline OP
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First of all I want to let you guys know that I appreciate the responses to my questions I have posted. I have not found another magazine or web page that offers more information than what I have found here.

That being said I have a problem that may be someone else out there could help me with. I was out at my pond feeding my fish (loving every minute of it), when one of my ducks began to squack and flutter around on the surface of the water. I could not figure out what was wrong until I got up close and found that a large prehistoric looking turtle had the duck by the leg. I was able to get close enough and grab the thing by the back legs. Wrong thing to do, because the thing let go of the duck and extended what I believe to be the world record longest neck and almost got me. I paniced (Of Course) and flung the thing into the air and it landed back in the pond. I must have set by that pond with a shotgun for at least two hours with no sign of the thing coming up for air.
My wife was witness to this event and has told everyone we know that I screamed like a little girl, but she did not get a close look at this thing. My question is that since this turtle does not come up for air that often, how do I get ride of it. I have seen these things in the bayou where I go fishing, but I had not had the pleasure of an up close and personal meeting and I hope to avoid it in the future. Thanks in advace for your help.

#42169 07/24/02 11:27 AM
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Well the good news is that although you screamed like a girl, you are now a girl with a shotgun.

You can try trapping them, I believe if you do a search on this site there is a post about building a floating trap. Or try catching it using rod and line with a dying fish as bait. Or keep waiting... sooner or later it has to come up for air.


Owner/Builder of Ottawa Canada's first official off-grid home.

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#42170 07/24/02 05:18 PM
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One way that I have seen is to use a 2x10 board and nail 16 penny nails thru the board. Bend them so they angle all in one direction. Lean the board from the water to something out of the water (Like a saw horse). The idea is that the turtle climbs up to sun, gets snagged on the nails as it trys to back down, and poof, no more turtle. Make sure they bend over far enough to let the turtle pass over the nails.

I also use a floating turtle trap where they climb up and fall in. A weighted barrel with planks to crawl up to might work.

Good luck.

#42171 07/24/02 06:10 PM
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Dear Turtle Boss:

Typically, turtles are only a nuisance if you think they are. But if you insist on removing these slow-moving creatures that are part of the natural eco-system, then check the Resource Guide in the next issue of Pond Boss. Several outlets sell traps specifically designed to capture turtles.

Mark McDonald
Editor, Pond Boss

#42172 07/24/02 10:11 PM
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Got a video of it?????? lol......that's some funny stuff. Don't worry about the turtles, unless you plan on eating the ducks.

#42173 07/25/02 04:29 AM
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newbee,
I believe that the ducks will do more damage to your pond than the turtles. Turtles in a reasonable number are beneficial in a pond.
\:\)

Larry

#42174 07/25/02 09:36 AM
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Newbee, You have an alligator snapping turtle which is a heckuva predator and not at all like the run of the mill turtles you usually see sunning on a log. One is an opportunist and the other a hunter. Depending on size, he may be ancient and worth keeping around for sentimental reasons. It sounds like a whopper. On the other hand, if you intend to be the only predator on the pond, I'd eliminate it. I'm not much of an environmentalist but I'd try to live trap it and relocate it. Size of the pond might make a difference. I like turtles a lot more than ducks.

#42175 07/25/02 11:07 AM
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newbee Offline OP
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Guys I appreciate all the good advise I recieved and will look into purchasing a trap. In my defense this turtle was not slow moving (and meant business lol). I hope some of you are not confusing the turtle that has taken up residence in my pond as a red ear or some type of lazy reptile that suns itself on a log all day, it was a killer. Just kidding, my five year old loves feeding the ducks and the fish and since the attack the ducks have been pretty cautious about getting back into the water. I think I'll just relocate him to my friends pond, who has enjoyed laughing so much about my girlish yell. \:D

#42176 07/25/02 10:00 PM
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Newbee, I didn't see you say how big your pond is but I'll bet you've got more than one of your "MONSTERS". I have a 7 acre pond and always have small (3" to about 6") painted turtles on various rocks & logs sunning themselves. I never saw any of the larger turtles and I'm at my pond several times each day for various lengths of time, sometimes all day if I just want to get away. Several years ago I put a suspended line in with half a dozen 4 ought or 5 ought hooks on wire leaders with a chunk of liver on each hook. Within a few days I caught the legal limit of the monsters most of which were in the 15 to 20 pound size range. Some would fit head first in a 5 gallon bucket but several were too large to go in the bucket. I removed and "relocated" the legal limit for 3 or 4 years in a row but I'm sure I didn't get all of them. I did occasionally see a half eaten duck or baby goose prior to removing the monsters but I haven't seen any the last 2 years. I also haven't tried to catch any the last 2 years. Your post reminded me of them and I think I will try again next week and see if any "MONSTERS" are lurking about.
DAN


Mistakes are proof that you are trying.


Dan
#42177 07/26/02 06:18 AM
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You guys are talking about ducks being worse than turtles in a pond. Why? The wife wants some ducks in our new place and I need some ammo as to why we dont need them...I think I'd be too tempted to snipe them when they get to loud!! That,and I feel like we have enough animals to feed as it is!!

#42178 07/26/02 08:02 AM
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Hi Monty they have a nasty habit of keeping the bottom stirred up looking for food. Their droppings are great food for algae blooms and they make a mess along the banks unless you like stepping in soft items! Hope that helps. Bob

#42179 07/26/02 11:25 AM
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I've read for years that turtles do no harm so I haven't bothered with them. Fortunately I have seen no snappers.
However....after planting an expensive water lily which will not spread to deed water something curious happened. It grew great and bloomed with 7 or 8 pads. Then we found the pads floating to the bank. After inspection it was obvious that something had chewed through the stalks. The first thing that came to mind was a turtle. What else could it have been? I can't afford to have $25 lillies eaten.

#42180 07/26/02 08:19 PM
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mike,
Have you considered muskrats? I planted some daylilies around my pond this spring and the muskrats practically cleaned them out. I also tyried to establish eelgrass in my pond and the muskrats ate all of the eelgrass in a few days, and I planted a lot.

Larry

#42181 07/27/02 11:55 AM
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Hey newbee, I would catch them with hook and line with a dead fish for bait. A small gill or half of a 8 incher or so. Just last night we went fishing at my pond with live bait and caught a very large snapper, its head was as big as my fist and he was not happy to have been caught. We put him back because that turtle was probably pretty old and I dont care if he wants to eat my smaller fish as long as he leaves me alone. By the way we were fishing in the evening and then after dark with lighted bobbers. Lots of fun was had by all!

#42182 07/30/02 11:07 AM
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Thanks larry but there are no muskrats here.Any other ideas?

#42183 08/08/02 03:50 PM
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Hi guys.

I built my own version of a floating trap a lot like this one - http://www.texastastes.com/p239.htm

I wish I had made the basket deeper like the site's version since I've only caught small turtles so far, but it works. I'll catch 8-10 at a time. The bigger boys can crawl out, so make it deeper. I used white sewer piping about 4" in diam. 4 ft long. Used elbows to make a square frame like the picture. The basket and ramps are hardware cloth. Whole thing cost about $20. This keeps 'em alive and I can transport them to a big nearby public lake. If you have an afternoon to blow and like building things, the homemade version is great. For $99, tho, the commercial version might be a good deal.
It helps to throw some old meat or dead fish in the basket as an attractant.
Good luck with the monster. Here's a good site on snappers. http://www.chelydra.org/st02.html - mean looking critters!
Happy hunting
Dave


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