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#19927 09/15/02 07:54 PM
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Currently we are haveing a problem with several large snapping turtles. We have a 1/4 acre natural pond and have several domestic white ducks that like to swim in it. The other day one of them was being pulled under by a snapping turtle. The ducks will no longer go into the pond (who can blame them). We are concerned about the fish in the pond as well. We have catfish, blue gill, bass stripped and largemouth as well as carp. Any ideas on how to get rid of the snapping turtles?

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Personnaly, I like the firearm method. Works every time. Either a 22 cal. or 410 shotgun. Good luck. I sounds to me like they need to be neutralized .

BMorris


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Ducky, use a "night line" method. Get a 1 gallon or larger jug with handle and attach a large hook on the end of a strong nylon line from the jugs handle and weight the line with a large sinker at the mid length of your line. If your pond is deep or shallow have your hook resting in the water at a depth of approx 1' above the bottom. Bait the hook with a large piece of beef and let the jug or jugs (the more jugs and hooks the better)drift around the body of water. As the meat begins to rot you will attrack your friends.... Once caught on the hook and floating jug you can remove in your own thoughtful way! Good night lining>>>>>

Rowly

PS. Make sure the bait is a good size or you will be catching your larger catfish with this method

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Ducky,

So you can learn from my experience...I knew I had at least 3 big turtles. I bought a turtle trap from Ken's Fish Farm & put it in about 6 weeks ago. So far, no turtles caught & an empty wallet .

I called my pond builder (country boy) & asked him if he knew of a better way & he did.

I built this "trap": using a 3-way swivel, I tied 20ft of 20lb fishing line to an empty milk jug, attached a small weight to the bottom of the line & attached a large treble hook about 4ft below the jug. I cut up some bluegill & sunfish fillets & put them on the hook. Then, I put it in the pond where I've seen the turtles floating.

Within 4 hours the jug began "swimming" across the pond. The result, a snapper that weighed at least 15lbs :p . When I got him to shore, I took him out with a pick & ax (I don't own a gun).

Still got at least 2 to go!

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Around here I don't think there's a pond that doesn't have any snapping turtles. But that doesn't mean I have to just live with it. The jug methods described should work pretty well but I would think that you will want to keep a close eye on them when you put them in. I've personally watched a turtle that I had on a hook putting his claws in his mouth to try and get the hook out so if you leave him on the hook too long he will eventually find a way to get off.

I have another similar suggestion. I use a good old-fashioned home-made diddy pole. Just get a strong stick about the size of your thumb (bigger at the bottom and smaller than that at the top) maybe about 5 feet long. I tie some 30 lb or 50 lb Spiderwire Catfish Fusion (although any heavy line should work) on it, long enough to get into 3 or 4 foot deep water. I slide a 1 to 2 ounce weight on the line - don't tie it just let it slide back and forth on the line. Then - and this is the key - get the best circle hooks your local bait shop sells. I use sizes ranging from 2/0 to 5/0 for turtles. Then shove the fat end of the stick into the shore as deep as you can push it. You might have to whittle a point on the stick if you have really really hard soil. In my pond some of the shorelines are just too hard to push it in at all, but I can line the face dam with 3 or 4 of them if I want. It will hold in the ground better than you expect because the turtle is pulling down and sideways in relation to the tip of the stick; I've never had one get pulled out (except for a catfish that was big enough to break that 30 pound test when I found the pole a day later!) Then bait them and throw them out by hand, but not very far. The turtles will be able to smell the bait and they seem to keep a close eye on the shallows and shorelines when they want a meal. Wind any exta line around the top of the stick so the turtle can't run too far when he takes the bait.

If you haven't used circle hooks before they look a little bizarre but boy do they work! As that turtle pulls on the line he just keeps working that hook deeper and deeper into the boney insides of his mouth. I set these poles in and leave them for several days, checking morning and night or more often if I can and rebait as necessary. The more you check the less likely you are to lose a turtle, but the circle hooks will help minimize that if you know you can't check for awhile.

As far as bait I've caught them on accident on almost anything I use for channel cats, but the best results have come from 3 things. One thing I do is use a light pole and tiny tiny hook and just a little tiny piece of earthworm or a waxworm to catch some small fish in your pond. Any kind will work. The turtle is used to eating what's in the pond so it doesn't matter. Use these fish alive or chunk them into cut bait really roughly in big torn up chunks. I catch more on these as cut bait but the live bait works better sometimes.

The third thing is something I tried for catfish and instead caught just about everything else - including a really big snake and both snapping and softshell turtles. Get some cheap stew meat and cover each chunk until it's virtually white with a mixture of half salt/half garlic powder. Let it sit long enough that the whiteness is partly gone so you know the garlic is soaked in some (you can keep it in the fridge or let it sit in the sun or keep some in the freezer - it really doesn't matter.) Then put a chunk on the hook. I like this method because it's quicker than catching small fish first, and I can keep some fresh in a zip lock or sealed bowl in the fridge so it doesn't stink up my fingers worse than just a garlic smell which washes off pretty easily.

Just pull the line hand-over-hand and, if you have a turtle on, it will feel like you are pulling in a small log but it will come in nice and steady, unlike a fish or a log. Using that heavy line will allow you to pull him up on shore where you can deal with him. Just keep all fingers and toes a good distance from his mouth or you might not have one of them for long!!! And I can't stress enough the importance of a good sharp circle hook. Once I started using them I found out it wasn't fish stealing my bait but turtles and I've caught more of them than I could possibly have expected, even when I'm catfishing. So far this year about 8 snappers and even two big softshells in the river!

Sorry this is soooo long but hopefully it will help someone. If it's tooo long-winded let me know I won't type so much in the futute!

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contact your nearest cajun. give him a couple days and a six pack. he eradicate and cook the proplem. then........... no mo problem!!!!

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Giving a Cajun a 6 pack of beer is like feeding a stray cat. Might never get rid of him.

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And don't let a coonass near any holes with catfish, we'll try to pull them out by hand! \:\)

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I'm relatively new at the pond business, but so far I can honestly say that nothing has been easier than removing snappers. I've removed three good sized turtles in the last month. The turtles always show up when I feed the fish. Throw some pellets along the shoreline. It may take a couple days but I sit in a lawn chair at the edge of the pond and the snappers come right to me. Just scoop them out with a landing net. I didn't even have to stand up for the last two. True story.

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Steve, Are you talking about snappers or sliders? A snapper would probably dismantle the net.

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I'm definitely talking snappers (we also have painters, sliders and blanding turtles). The net is large, I've netted 30-pound salmon with it on Lake Michigan. The snappers I've been catching have had a 14-16" carapace. Saw another one this morning. We don't have alligator snappers in Michigan so I can't comment on those monsters.

Another interesting thing is that my bass are about 12-inches and the pond is very clear. When the snappers have come in to feed, the bass are curious and I've seen 4-5 bass swim up to the turtle (nose to nose) but have never seen the snapper try to grab them.

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Steve, I didn't know there were anything but alligator snappers. Those suckers are viscious. I haven't seen one in years around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They used to be quite common.

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All you have to do is get a stout fishing rod and reel with a good size treble hook and attach a weight to the bottom....when they come up for air cast and snatch them ..they put up an awesome fight which is fun and as a kid we would fill up burlap sacks with them and dispose of them many miles away in a river. Catch and release!

RufusCatfish

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Just thought I'd repost this for those who might want to enjoy turtle soup!
Ric

There are 2 methods I know of for cleaning turtles.
The first is the most dangerous: With a fairly sharp knife cut the breast plate away & remove innards. The breast plate is removed by cutting cartlidge btw the shell & plate. Seperate each leg, tail & neck from the shell & then skin each. There is also abundant flesh in the shell to remove. ALL is VERY tasty!
The second procedure .. my preference leaves the skin on: Using scalding hot water pour ample amounts over the exposed parts of the turtle while laying on it's back. The skin & toenails can then be rubbed clean. Then cut from shell as in above.
The danger in the first comes from the turtle pulling his legs out of your hand while you are cutting them loose which could possibly cause one to loose a finger. This is much diminished after scalding. Yes his head is removed but he doesn't know that. Head removed can even still bite! His heart cut free & held in your hand will continue to beat as long as kept moist for a looooong time!
Turtle soup is wonderful! I for one am an advocate of not wasting an animal when necessary/desirable to remove it from the enviorment. ....... Ric


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If you can read this ... thank a teacher. Since it's in english ... thank our military!
Ric
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Just thought I'd repost this for those who might want to enjoy turtle soup! Pottsy's comments not withstanding.
Ric

There are 2 methods I know of for cleaning turtles.
The first is the most dangerous: With a fairly sharp knife cut the breast plate away & remove innards. The breast plate is removed by cutting cartlidge btw the shell & plate. Seperate each leg, tail & neck from the shell & then skin each. There is also abundant flesh in the shell to remove. ALL is VERY tasty!
The second procedure .. my preference leaves the skin on: Using scalding hot water pour ample amounts over the exposed parts of the turtle while laying on it's back. The skin & toenails can then be rubbed clean. Then cut from shell as in above.
The danger in the first comes from the turtle pulling his legs out of your hand while you are cutting them loose which could possibly cause one to loose a finger. This is much diminished after scalding. Yes his head is removed but he doesn't know that. Head removed can even still bite! His heart cut free & held in your hand will continue to beat as long as kept moist for a looooong time!
Turtle soup is wonderful! I for one am an advocate of not wasting an animal when necessary/desirable to remove it from the enviorment. ....... Ric


Pond Boss Subscriber & Books Owner


If you can read this ... thank a teacher. Since it's in english ... thank our military!
Ric

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