2021 Turtle trapping thread...

I had a lot of help, a lot, from Eric Space. He is so kind to share his knowledge and it's very appreciated. Also, I bought some hoop net traps off of beaverfoot and they are built so well, he does such a great job on them plus he answered a lot of questions for me too. So thanks Dave and Eric!!
Anyone else after snappers this year???

If you can’t find it start a new one

http://sniperstrappingplace.com/tmansearchresult1.php?q=Turtles%20turtles

Good idea Dave!

Thanks sniper, I found it but it's archived so I'll look through it again and try to change the name of this thread.

Think I missed that one.

Do you guys scald them before skinning?

I just started trapping turtles using hoop nets and will have some wire ones built too. I'm trapping a 5 or so acre pond and have only caught one keeper so far. I'm using fish leavings and beef liver for bait. Any pointers???

Oily the better. Play the wind/current and cage your bait to keep over scavengers from stealing the bait.

Nice looking traps

Trying to catch some carp but only getting bowfin lol.

Where’s the turtles?

Set for one day . Traps going in the water Friday.

I liked carp, split right down the middle as bait. I used 4' by 4' chicken wire and an old landing net to make my traps.

I saw a good sized snapping turtle on Bear Swamp Road yesterday. I stopped. I would guess it weighed around 22 pounds. Someone else had hit it and probably regretted it. It had damage high on the tail and on the back of the shell, but was still mobile. I left it where it was.

I've been thinking that I should start carrying a couple of pillow cases in our vehicles again. I usually see some pretty decent snapping turtles migrating this time of year. They are probably laying a late clutch of eggs or looking for new water as theirs drys up.

Keith

Lol, here's one.

Hi Keith, I would have loved to see one of your traps. I'm making a couple like Eric's and a few like these. Were yours like this guys?

Don't leave the trap in the same place for more than 1 night. In fact only 1 night in a pond. After one night in a pond situation what you have not caught are going to be trap shy. Got to get them that first night. That makes it important to use proper bait, in Ohio that would be carp. Closer to the ocean, bluefish or bunker are available and a better option. Remember carp rots fast and snappers want bait that is not sour, so use frozen carp chunks and set traps as late in the day as possible. When setting ponds you want a pond that is a mud bottomed, not many snappers are found in gravel bottomed ponds. Best ponds are ones that were larger but have silted in to at least half their former size. I catch far more turtles in rivers and streams. I think the current putting the bait smell down in the current really helps your catch. Back to ponds, if the pond has a stream entering it THAT is a key location to place your trap.
On a personal note: I have not received my permit from NJ yet (the lady that does them is on maternity leave) they cashed my check but I cannot get them to send my permit out. I sent for it as if you skip a year you are banned. I really was not planning on doing turtles again but today my buyer called and has just about convinced (connived, cajoled) me to do it again. Probably will not be until August as right now I am busy raising turkeys and freezing garden veggies. Gonna' take me a few days to shoot or catch some carp for bait.
Trapping snappers is like fur trapping, the excitement is in seeing what is in the next trap.
I tend to blather on but these 2 suggestions will help: #1 fasten a net trap down, a big turtle will often push the trap into deep water. #2 never walk or boat up to a net trap without a big landing net in your hands. I have caught hundreds of turtles that were on the outside of the trap fighting with another that was in the trap.

Awesome stuff as always Eric, thank you!!

Eric, do you trap any shallow creeks? There are some around here that aren't very deep but have some deeper holes here and there.

Jeff, my traps were very similar, except I used 4' long hexagonal, chicken wire, cut 4' wide. I tied the back wire panel on with bag ties, so I could easily open it to get the turtles out. My escape hole was exactly the mandatory 6 inch diameter. I put it far in the back of the trap at the top. I put an empty 2 liter bottle in the back of the trap to hold it up, so the turtles could breathe. The traps probably cost less than $10.00 to make and worked well. I mostly targeted painted turtles for the pet trade, but caught large numbers of snappers and other turtles too.

Someone stole all 4 traps I was using in Piqua, Ohio back in the nineties.

I made one later, but never used it. I might have it in my barn or I may have loaned it out. It was smashed. I'll look for it.

If I was making one today, I would use cheap 6' horse fence, 4' wide with a top flite throat. It would cost around $12.00 to make one.

Keith

Keith[/quote]
Hi Keith, I would have loved to see one of your traps. I'm making a couple like Eric's and a few like these. Were yours like this guys?
[/quote]


Ugh wish I could make a video that short

They can be in very shallow creeks. Just make sure the bait is in the water. Snappers are like a bull in a china shop, they will crawl up the throat of the trap to get to the bait.

That's a shame Keith. That's why I'm gonna make some cheaper wire traps for high theft areas and use my hoop nets for private ponds. Kinda like going with Duke's on public land lol. And that's ok Wolfie, your video's are great, very detailed and worth the watch!

I don't.

Has anyone tried putting in some fish oil with the bait to make a better slick?

Yes Jerry Schilling told me to use fish oil. It does help a lot.

Around here many do, figured I'd ask.
I have a pretty good one here about ready. Been so long I could use help if
anyone wants half.
I might can the meat for soup making later.
My Grandma made the best.

I have caught snappers in shallow streams, above deeper holes is good. Also good above where a small stream goes thru a bog or into a swamp.
Turtles can smell under water so I never found a big advantage to a "slick".
Couple of years ago I shot a carp with my bow. The wires on the point broke off so the arrow came right out. The carp went about 50 feet, crashed into an island, then turned and swam right at me til it hit the shore by my feet. Then it went back out about 10 feet, turned and crashed back to shore about 20 feet from me where I was able to grab it. A few minutes later here came a good sized snapper walking on the bottom. He went to where I hit that carp and then tracked out all the fish's exact movements, just like a coonhound on a coon track. Where I pulled the fish out of the water was the first time the snappers head broke the water surface.
That was a real learning experience for me besides being fascinating to watch.

WB, just drive on over and we'll knock it out! Caught another keeper this morning.

That's an awesome story! One of those rare Ah Ha moments that change the way you look at things.

We had best luck with live sunnies tied high in the water column so that they splashed a lot. Havent chased them in 5 year thought........jk

X2!

Any recommendations on some good bait bags. I'm using suet baskets and a earth anchor with a quick link right now and it's working ok but I'd like to find a better way. Also prebaiting the bags in the freezer would be nice.

I do it all the time. I think it would be even better if you had fresh blood from a butcher.

Well I somehow lost a spreader stick in the pond I'm trapping and they're pvc but open on the ends and sink like a rock. So I took care of that from now on lol.

shoot spray foam in the ends

Great idea Newt, thank you!!

looks great I might try this , hope some one at NTA has turtle traps

I fillet all my sunfish and use the carcasses for turtle trapping bait. Make sure you put the bait in a wire basket or the first turtle in will eat it all and you're only catch one turtle.

What would be the smallest gauge wire to use for wire cage traps. There's a guy up the road with a 100' roll of 16 gauge wire for sale cheap. Is that to thin??

yes

Crap lol. I thought it might be. Thanks Eric!

I used wire baskets similar to the one in the photo. But, chicken wire works too. They will beat it up some, but it still prevents them from getting all the bait. I like using that the best.