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When I was a boy some of the men around here use to go out on a Sunday afternoon and wade the creeks and feel underwater in the creeks and catch snapping turtles,the turtles were actually in a hole underwater in the creek bank,I remember seeing 4 or 5 feed sacks full of turtles crawling and trying to get out,I never did hunt any turtles myself, but I remember the men going and seeing there catch.Anyone on this forum ever "turtle hunt" ?
Steel_Wheels, Hmmm Railroader? Or too cheap to buy alloys?
Anyway, I used to hunt desert tortoise before it was a big no no. Only got one. Kept as a pet for a time and released.
I have shot several turtles (mostly red ear) before I learned that they are only carnivorous as juveniles, become omnivorous as they begin to grow up and when mature they are strict vegetarians. So since the big ones don't eat fish, I leave them alone.
I did catch a snapping turtle in a beaver trap. I tried several times to release him unharmed but snappers can run their necks so far out of the shell they look like snakes and can bite you just about anywhere you take hold of the shell. I eventually gave up trying to be Mr. Nice Guy and dropped a spade on his neck with my foot on the spade.
Here in south central Oklahoma we have both regular snapping turtles (pretty fierce) and alligator snapping turtles (downright dangerous). The gator snappers are easily recognized by the alligator like ruffled ridges down the carapace. They are not to be treated casually if you would like to stay intact. I have at least one large one 2 1/2 - 3 ft shell length but was not prepared when it was spotted. I confess, I'm not a shoot everything in sight sort of guy B U T I could make an exception for a turtle that could take off a hand or foot from ambush along a pond bank. I'm not going to start an intensive search and destroy mission but if the oportunity presented it self , we'd be eating turtle soup and there would be one less hazard to navigation in my ponds.
Years ago, I saw pongas full of sea turtles that were threshing around trying to get out of the "native" watercraft prior to being the specialty of the house at a small beach resturant at Bahia de Los Angeles on the sea of Cortez in Baja California Mexico. They are an endangered species now, and protected too but you can imagine how well that is adhered to in the poor neighborhoods on Baja.
Patrick
I've never gone in the water after turtles, but I've shot a few with a .22 just to get rid of them, I've caught several on rod and reel and on trotlines. I've also caught catfish on trotlines and only had the head when I ran the line because the turtles had eaten the rest. But the only turtles I've ever dressed out and make soup with were what we just called "soft shelled turtles"; don't know the real name, but light to medium brown smooth shell, feels a little leathery on the edges, and they have a very sharp pointed nose.
Bird that is what we call them around here too. As with every thing else we usually fry them. The snappers are harder to dress but the meat is prettty good. They claim that there are 7 kinds of meat in a turtle. I guess they are refering to the flavors of the meat. I like the neck because it has white meat and sort of tastes like poultry.
Tobacco stick, strong line, and a piece of electric wire as a leader and big hook. Frog body, from previous thread, and 22 hollow point is my prefered method. Soft shell, sandy river bank and a single shot 20 gauge. Gotta keep them from sliping back into the water.
I have watched my great uncles catch a few while graveling for flatheads. Never brave enough to have the pleasure personally. Man those things are mean. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Old saying is that when they bite you they won't let go until it thunders. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] I have had them bite my boot with their heads removed. Talk about relentless.
Patrick
Bird, Just remember to cut the red eared turtle some slack as the adults are vegetarian. My mom and aunt caught a large eatin' turtle (soft shell) in Coldwater, MI. My aunt didn't just clean/dress it, she disected it. I can still remember the heart in a glass of water beating away. Unfortunately we were only at the cabin for a week or so and the ants didn't get the shell cleaned off very well. It smelled and was abandoned. Us kids wanted it as a souvenir.
Patrick
Steel Wheels,
I have never hunted turtles, and don't ever plan to, but I did see a TV show that featured a bunch hunting the rivers as you described. It was amazing that these guys would work their way down the banks and rock levees looking for holes that snapping turtles were in. Often the hunters would go underwater, stick their upper body in a hole to reach the back where the turtles lived. The idea seemed to be that you let the turtle bite you so you could pull them out. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] Each to his own I guess. Some of the turtles they pulled out were huge. They also said that several people a year drowned by getting caught in a hole. I am not sure but believe this filming was done in Louisiana and it seemed to be a family tradition amongst many of the hunters
MarkV.
These guys I know just waded the water in the creeks and reached in the holes and pulled them out,I would consider doing it if I went with someone who was experienced and I had thick welding gloves that went to my shoulders.It was odd to see those feedsacks full of turtles and the tops tied off and the turtles inside the sacks trying to crawl. This was a Sunday afternoon recreation for these old farm boys.
According to some, the alligator snapping turtle is not as aggressive as the common snapping turtle. I've seen some large specimens, and they are really neat creatures. Here are some sites to find some more information.
here
here
and this one with a neat picture.
I don't know about ya'll, but I'd have to be pretty p-o'ed to kill an animal older than myself [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
That's a BIG turtle! I had no idea they got that big.
Thanks for the link.