Turtle trapping...

[Buckskin]

Does anyone have any good methods for trapping snapping turtles???

[Swamp Fox]

I used to do a bit of night fishing.
I would set out drop-lines with 30 lb braided line and #8 trebles with beef liver for bait to catch turtles.
The set-up was similar to limb lines except the bait was in a couple of inches of water at the bank.
Soft shell and snapper would hit this.

[WylieKy]

We usually caught ours by the tail when they were running from the ditch to the pond. If they beat us to the pond, we relied on the 10/22.

Last spring, I saw one crossing a main road by my house, and my wife wanted me to catch it so my daughter (3) could see it.  I walked out to the road and was waiting for a gap in traffic so I could go grab him, when a woman in a pick-up with several childeren in the back slamed on her breaks, actually leaving skid marks.  She jumped out of the truck, eyeballed me, grabbed the turtle and tossed him in the back of the truck with the kids, and pealed off!!!!  I thought for a minuite she was going to cut me or growl at me. :shock: She never said a word, just grabed the turtle and ran!!!!!!!!!

[Buckskin]

You must be from down south.

[S.S.]

SHoot yea'
We have all kinds of recip-eeees
for road kill down in tha' South.
Gets so hot on Georgia asphalt that
it is mosly cooked awready when ya
scrape it up! Don't even have ta'
 skinn it, Jes shake it real good an it fall
right off tha' bone.
MMMMM - Good 

[spinafish]

years ago I saw a turtle trap drawing featuring a wash tub and a length of 2x4..the tub was mounted on a stump in the water with several inches above the waterline.  A piece of 2x4 about a foot long was attached to both sides of the tub(east and west),as if it was going across the top of it.  these were nailed to a piece of 4x4 that had been screwed to the inside rim of the tub.  There had been a length of metal rod run through the tub(North and south) that served as an axle as such...attached by u-bolts was another length of 2x4  that gave the appearance the board was solid, but when the turtle walked on the center section, it flipped causing the turtle of fall in the tub.  Its probably as clear as mud, but that the best I can desribe it..

[Graybeard]

My younger brother lived down in the FL swamps living off the land for about 12 years. The first two he lived in a small tent and then moved into an old 18' camping trailer for the rest of the time. What he ate he either grew or caught or in some cases sold catfish and turtles to get money to buy the things he couldn't grow or catch.

His method was to use a washtub placed in the water. Could be on a stump as mentioned or just anchored in place with a few rocks in the bottom to help partially sink it. He then used a couple of short boards which he attached to the tub and let them drop into the water for the turtles to walk up. I'm pretty sure he used boards wider than 2x4 tho as he was wanting to catch big turtles as well as the size that could climb a 2x4. I'd use at least a 2x6 or 2x8 depending on size of turtles you're after. Put some meat in the tub to attract them and sit back and wait, the turtles will come.

[Headspace]

Actually you don't have to use bait. Turtles in the south will climb out on the end of a log or board just to sun. Snapping turltes are endangered species in Ga. so don't get caught with any in your possession.

[Catfish]

I used to build turtle trap from 1 x 2 in. wire mesh. 3 ft. wide 18 in. high. Put a V lead in on 1 end and hang some bait in it. They work extreemly well in creeks where you have a current to carry the smell down stream, but work well in ponds also. If you have a current always place the leadin faceing down stream. Always make sure that you have 1 corner of the trap out of the water or you will drown the turtles. Tie a rope to a corner and you can through them out and retrieve them and never get your feet wet. 

[powderman]

We used to catch lots of them by using baited nylone line and a big hook. Tie the line solidly. Throw out about 25 ft or so and let it sink to the bottom. Pull it back slowly, leaving a scent trail with at least 10 ft of slack. A turtle will actually walk on the bottom as it eats. By the time it reaches the end of the line the hook will be solidly in its gullet. POWDERMAN. 

[hillbill]

we used to catch a lot of turtles in farm ponds with a 4 in bluegill on a big hook on trotline cord anchored to the bank.yu can clean them out of a farmpond like this.

[liljohn]

I use two 8' landscape timbers cut in half, leaving four, 4' mini-logs.

Screw the ends together using deck screws to make a 4' square frame.

On the bottom edge of the frame drive in spikes at an angle every three inches apart. this keeps the turtle from climbing back out of the frame.

Using chicken wire, (and old coat hanger pieces for rings) make a square basket and hook to the underside of this frame using fencepost staples.

Set this whole contraption in the water at the edge of the bank so the turtles can climb in.
(Place a 1"X8" plank to the edge and screw fast if needed!)

Bait with some chunks of small panfish, or dead minnows and check it the next day.
You can get a lot of turtles this way!

I have used the old hoop style traps but here in Indiana you have to have an opening above the water, so I came up with this.

While fishing if you see a large turtle head coming up, cut a small bluegill in half and place on a #1 hook or bigger on a leader with at least 20lb. test line and toss it where the head went under, and wait.
When it swims away set the hook HARD!

Have a good gunnysack to put the turtle in, and tie the bag closed. But watch out as they WILL snap at anything that touches the bag close to thier head!
Or take your knife and cut a hole thru the tail at the base of his shell, run the end of your anchor rope thru,  tie a knot at the very end, and let him swim around while you finish your day fishing.

DO NOT sling this bagged turtle over your sholder to carry back to the truck!!

My grandad lost a 4" chunk of meat out of his sholder doing this...ran around like he was on fire with a backpack flopping around, till dad and I caught him and pried the turtle's jaws open!

[papitt]

a BUDDY of mine one time said the best trap he'd every had .was by mistake ...one of those rubber blow up boats left it setting on the bank with bate in it ...he  didn't get back for several days because of a rain ...well seems the turtle could get onto the round side of the boat then fall in but could not get out of the boat because they were slimmy ...then they died..and made more bait for more turtles he said he caught a hole boat load ..........Redneck turtle trap ...

[JBlk]

Before you do this you had better check with your game warden, or you might end up in the pokey.Take a 55 gal steel barrel with the top cut out.Put rocks in it until you sink it until six or eight inches of the top are sticking above the water surface.Put some netting or cloth around the outside top so the turtle can climb into the barrel.Put some rotten bait inside of the barrel, and in a few days go back and empty the barrel.

[JonD.]

Call Ernie Brown. Don't tell anybody, but he's a neighbor of mine.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn8EQ0azXpQ
www.turtle-man.com

Are you talking about catching them to eat? If so, we always set lines in ponds and the river with a single large stainless hook. Bait with chicken gizzards or livers. Lines are about 15 feet or so tied to stakes made of sawn tobacco sticks. If we don't have an anchor like a limb or root to tie to, we drive the stake in the ground with a hammer. Throw the bait out and let sit. We usually set them late evening, and run them early the next morning. You'll get your hooks back when you clean the turtle. We caught 31 out of 2 ponds a couple of years ago. Haven't set any turtle lines since.

If your talking about catching them live to get rid of them, I can't help you there, but give Ernie a call

[SHOOTALL]

I worked with two guys who caught turtles for extra money . They cut cane poles and tied hooks on about 18-24 inch steel leader and attached it to the pole about 2 foot from one end . They would bait the hook and stick the pole in the mud . If the turtle pulled it out it floated and they would find it .
 One got bit by a snnaper and it was worst than a snake bite . Hand turned black and he was sick for some time . I don't remember how many sets they had but they averaged about 2 a night 3 nights a week min. when i was working with them .

[Buckskin]

Ernie is the Man!  I'm more into catching them with hook and line though.

[squirrellluck]

I catch them out of Dads pond with a 45-70.

[tacklebury]

Take a 30 gallon trash can and cut a hole in the bottom big enough to put rope through.  Take a piece of 1/2" hemp rope and tie a good knot in one side.  Push the other one through the hole and tie onto a piece of meat.  Next place a few good size rocks in the bottom and if there's a boat available, drop it in the water with a rope tied to a bottle to act as a buoy.  Turtle will investigate the meat and go down inside the trash can head first.  He'll get ahold of the meat and pull and pull trying to get it.  Finally he'll tire and decide it's time to breath, but you guessed it.  He's stuck in the trash can.  I've seen some 20" plus snappers gotten this way.  Sometimes smaller ones will steal the meat, but they are easy to reset if bait is gone, just tie on more.