Turtle Removal

[Wolfdog91 6,242]

Had somone say they enjoyed the turtle trapping pictures I used to post. I've done a few jobs the last few weeks and have another scheduled soon gigured i post a few pics. 

[micky 3,325]

Are they a pest ?  and what happens to them once they have been caught ?

[BGA 117]

Reckon they'd make a nice soup bowl. 

[forest of dean redneck 11,183]

Turtle soup or southern fried turtle. 

[Jonjon79 13,340]

4 hours ago, micky said:

Are they a pest ?  and what happens to them once they have been caught ?

That's exactly what I was going to ask

 

I do like tortoises and turtles so, I find these posts and pictures interesting 

[Wolfdog91 6,242]

11 hours ago, micky said:

Are they a pest ?  and what happens to them once they have been caught ?

Yes in my state they have a habit of over filling ponds and their a real pest to fishermen. Partly because they start biting hooks on the sliders part . The snappers how ever will eat ducks geese and bit cowsnon the udders and we'll warious other places. They can also be hell in a fish population .In my state it's illegal to sell or harvest any turtles. We do have personal limit for common snappers at one a year for personal use but thats about it.  So most turtles I catch just get relocated to swamps and creeks

[Wolfdog91 6,242]

6 hours ago, Jonjon79 said:

That's exactly what I was going to ask

 

I do like tortoises and turtles so, I find these posts and pictures interesting 

Yeah seem guys over there really like anything involving reptiles for some reason lol ! Actually have had a few people message me about buying a snapping turtle from me

[Jonjon79 13,340]

10 minutes ago, Wolfdog91 said:

Yeah seem guys over there really like anything involving reptiles for some reason lol ! Actually have had a few people message me about buying a snapping turtle from me

I think we like them because we don't see them that often  - they'd probably lose their appeal a bit if they were just walking round our fields.

......... I reckon one of our favourites over here is the Hedgehog  - I don't know if you get those?

 

How do the people that want to buy a turtle from you expect you to get it to them?  

[micky 3,325]

There are a lot on the Park  Pond in the centre of Melton Mowbray  when its sunny they stand on a rock with their necks stretched getting the Sun , I am told they have been put in the Lake by kids who were fed up with them after the Ninja Turtle craze from a few years back 

[Wolfdog91 6,242]

21 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

What eats em in nature?

Depends on their size ,when their babys their ory to about everything , especially the sliders . Bass catfish larger turtles ,fish cranes crows and so on. But once they get to the size of these bout the only thing that eats them are Gators if their in the area and hungry and the much larger alligator snapping turtles

And just for reference here's a pic of a alligator snapper next to a average size common snapper

And a larger adult with a juvenile on its back for scale

[Bosun11 537]

2 minutes ago, Wolfdog91 said:

Depends on their size ,when their babys their ory to about everything , especially the sliders . Bass catfish larger turtles ,fish cranes crows and so on. But once they get to the size of these bout the only thing that eats them are Gators if their in the area and hungry and the much larger alligator snapping turtles

And just for reference here's a pic of a alligator snapper next to a average size common snapper

And a larger adult with a juvenile on its back for scale

Jesus... Wouldn't fancy that thing grabbing me!

[Wolfdog91 6,242]

4 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

How common are they big ones?  They need wiped out, fcuk living with them around me

Lol you have no clue how much j hear that lol. Actually you be amazed o big one y'all have in a pond and not even know.  I've had to build my traps stronger because I've been doing remove jobs on some tinly little cow ponds you Never think had any thing more than some sliders in it and come back to have three or four snappers in the real weight at least 30lbs a piece....think that's like 15kg if I remember my metrics right.  But as far as the real monsters like in the pictures there kinda rare now a days. Back in the 70's-90's commercial fishing for them bout whipped then out and some of these animals can be close to 200years old . They can still be found that big and bigger but you gonna have to be waaaaaay back in the swamp to find em. The biggest I've personally seen had the head about the size of a small watermelon. Scared the piss outta me too. Was running bank poles in a little Creek by my house for cat fish and one if them doubled over in the water well I thought a log had come and got caught but man this thing has to be all of 150lbs shell was big around as a a care tire couldn't get him to the bank because just his pure weight snapped the hook clean in half !

[Jonjon79 13,340]

f**k me - imagine that grabbing your foot

 

[Wolfdog91 6,242]

17 minutes ago, Bosun11 said:

Jesus... Wouldn't fancy that thing grabbing me!

Funny you should mention grabbing lol. That's actually a popular method of catching the bigger ones!  Basically you walk around a body if water bare foot and with a long pile and you try to fell for the shell. When you think you find one you tap it a few times to hear the hallow thud. Then you dive under work your hands around the shell and pull em out.

Also o hot buddies who duck hun Cyprus swamp. When their hunting their usually up to their chest standing in water with their wadders. They said it's not super rare during the winder to be shooting then all of a sudden where you where standing easiest up a bit and starts walking  or one if these big guys basically walks by bad almost knock you over lol

[Bosun11 537]

Anything that can live for near 200 years should be protected IMO.