snapping turtles.

[fishdaddy]

is there a market for them?
thanks.
fish.

[RdFx]

It depends on where you are from and your states rules.... Newt  fm Jersey does market  snappers  on a big basis and  if he sees this he can comment more..... Here in Wisconsin we are considering a ban on trapping them as  we believe they have been overharvested.... Only growing during the short summer season    a turtle up here  around 18 inche across shell could be well over 50 yrs old if they get that big.  Small taverns and resteruants serve turtle soup and   deep fried turtle.   I noodle them and also jug  line them.

[Newt]

I buy'm
I sell'm
The questin is: Can you deliver'm

[fishdaddy]

i cath them sometimes trotlining i caught and released about 30 last spring .i can ship them if i knew how .but ohio is a long ways away from new jersey.
thanks
fish.

[fishdaddy]

newt what do you pay for them? is it worth shipping them?
thanks.
fish.

[Newt]

I pay anywhere from $.50 to $1.00 depending on size and the time of the year. For Live Snapping turtles.

[Wackyquacker]

Geez Fishy your plum gonna get rich sellin turtles to Newt

[jim-NE]

Newt:
don't know much about the business side of turtle trade. I'm sure were not talking thousands here like one may move finished coon hides, but what is your average turtle volume?
who is the end user? (I'm assuming restaurants...)
hope you don't mind my asking...just curious, that's all.
Jim-NE

[Newt]

I am only a one man operation.But I Catch,buy and dress out about 4000 pounds of meat a year.I sell manly to the wholesale market.

[jim-NE]

that's a lot of turtle meat. A good turtle might run you, what, maybe #10 to #20 pounds and I know you don't get nearly that back in equivilent of meat either. I'm guessing you only yield net meat from a speciman more in range of #2 or #3 pounds of straight meat or is there some bone in how it gets prepared for market?
Wow, 4,000 pounds of turtle meat. That's a lot of turtles. My hat's off to you. Paying in $0.50 to $1.00 range means your net yield or margin can't be that great on each on either. Volume would be the only way to make enough to justify that margin, too.
Thank's for the info!
Jim-NE

[brokenwing1]

newt i live in south jersey and was planing on catching snappers this summer,but cant find anybody to buy them.do u buy them from anybody or just people u know.

[Jacktheknife]

Newt,  I have managed to extend the trapping season by building two Hog traps,  each of which will hold 6 200Lb Hog. As long as the weather is cool enough to butcher them, I can catch and sell them.  Say nov. - feb.
I often run jug lines and trot lines in the summer, and used to do quite well, never coming in without 100Lbs of catfish. I never bait my lines before dark because of the soft shell turtles, so I rarely catch snappers. Do you catch most of your snappers in the daytime?
I was wondering what you use for bait to catch snappers, dead shad are good enough for blue and channel cats. Do you work creeks rather than the open water in lakes? And how many hooks? How often do you run them?  Creeks, and shallow water?  Limblines?        ?       Thanks      Jack the Knife

[fishdaddy]

jack. i cant answer for newt but i run my lines with no more than 50 hooks because of my states laws i use about anything for bait but prefer fresh cut shad and blue gill i also find that the turtles like bacon to.

newt wow thats a lot of turtle i think the biggest one i ever caught was 28# but the average is around 10 to 15#.about how old would would a 28# be .
thanks .
fish.

[Bim]

Newt are you talking .50- 1.00 per pound or for a turtle?

[Newt]

Bim, Thats per pound.
Jack, I set fyke traps for the turtles. Wire or net.
 Ifind you do better at night .But I dont pass up a daytime set eather.ALWAYS you catch the most turtles on the first tend.(weather permiting) And the biggest ones. Big turtles fight the litle ones away from the trap.
 Bait: I use Manhanden .If I cant get that I use any FRESH fish I can get.The oiler the better. Muskrat is good bait too. Coon and beaver work also.