my son caught a snapper last fall that was huge and lost it before he could land it ....he was fishing a nightcrawler...any members have any idea as to how to rid the pond of these beasts?

17hmr

What are your concerns with them being in the pond? Or are you just shooting them for entertainment, which I might add can be quite entertaining...

Anyone have a picture of one?

Leave em alone!

Here ya go..... But it's just a baby...

thats about the size of the one in our pond...i thought it had a leg and sneaker in his mouth when we hooked him....dont they eat everything theycan catch? I dont know how to shoot them when I never see them...any special way to set up hook lines?

Despite their gruesome appearance they are not a threat to swimmers or your fish. Leave him be.

I fully agree with our friend Omaha. Unless you are over-run with them, or you have an especially aggressive snapper, I'd recommend enjoying their presence.

They've been a part of my life since I was born. We lived on the edge of a river/muskeg when I was born. One of my uncles told me, many times, that he chased away a "washtub-sized" snapper that was scratching at one of the basement windows when my parents brought me home from the hospital.

My parents allowed me to have small ones as "guests." We allowed our kids to do the same, for up to about a week -- then they went back to nature. I've toyed with bigger ones. I've accidentally caught them while fishing. I've saved many. Many have been dinner.

In general, they do far more good than harm.

If you must take one, be respectful.

In any case, be careful. I'll let someone else describe how to best "dispatch" one. But, if you do it my way, be aware that an amputated head can be dangerous for quite some time after removal from the body.

If you plan to have one for multiple dinners, it is best to let it live in a tub of regularly replaced water for several days before butchering.

Ken

I echo the Boss's comment of "if a fish is slow enough to be caught by a snapper, then it deserved it." I wouldn't worry about them. They don't eat a lot, and stay away from people. They're part of the garbage crew that cleans up dead fish in the pond.

Thanks for the input...guess he got a pardon at the last minute from the govenor...

I use to shoot them until I figured how useless that was and some of the turtles might have been older than my whole pond. Now they have seniority over everything..

I once read that not a lot is known about age of turtles. Since they generally out live us, nobody wants to spend a lifetime researching them and then turn the data over to a younger Scientist.

That was a biggun'.

Thanks for the pic.

Tortoises in the Galapogos Islands live to be over 300 years of age.

I was concerned when we had one, that it would attack my dog.... My dog wanted to go up to it.... to play. other than those issues never had any problems with them.

Sounds like you may need to give the "Turtle Man" a call....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn8EQ0azXpQ

everyone has to be passionate about somethig....I guess

Once the dog got nipped, it'd learn. Or you could do the same thing with a shock collar. If the dog gets close, zap the dog. They train dogs to avoid rattlesnakes the same way. (shock)

I enjoy catching a few out of my pond,each yr. I like to eat them and show them to the little kids in the family. I'm too lazy to clean em anymore,so I give them to a buddy who does it for half the meat. As stated,be VERY CAREFUL around a snapper. They are faster than you think plus their neck can extend out quite far. Unlike a box turtle,you can't turn them over on their shell for long.They'll use their head as a fifth leg,and flip back over. To dispatch one,hit him on the tip of his nose with a pc of 2X4 dricing it back into hiss shell.

So... you are from Kentucky and know a lot about snapping turtles..... are you the "Turtle Man"????

Hey pigsticker..I don.t know a lot,just enough to be aware of their capabilities.From my youth I learned,don't mess with a snapper after a dozen beers.They ain't cute and they ain't cuddly. The "turtle man" is no kin of mine. I wouldn't swim in those slime ponds/sewage pits he does!I like to think I have some standards!

I'll have the turtle soup and make it "snappy".