What is the best way to catch turtles?
- Thread starter WTNUT
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Jordan Selsor
5 year old buck +
.22LR works well!
I have heard of guys trapping them by cutting a 55gal drum in half then burying half in the ground with the open half facing up. Prop a board on the barrel as a ramp then throw some old chicken in the barrel. They say they will drop right off in the barrel attempting to get to the rotten chicken.
Never tried it heard it works
I have heard of guys trapping them by cutting a 55gal drum in half then burying half in the ground with the open half facing up. Prop a board on the barrel as a ramp then throw some old chicken in the barrel. They say they will drop right off in the barrel attempting to get to the rotten chicken.
Never tried it heard it works
Jordan Selsor
5 year old buck +
Same concept as this
j-bird
Moderator
How big and what types of turtles?
Large snapping and shoftshell turtles we used to "jug" them. A plastic milk jug some trout line cord and a big heavy hook and some nasty bait (like jugging catfish on a river). Toss in the pond and check daily. Sooner or later you will find the jug bobbing or moving around.....unless you got catfish, you got a turtle! Not sure of the legality of this method, but it's how we pulled big turtles out of ponds in my area. We eat'em! My grandfather would cause an accident driving down the road to slam on the brakes to pick up a big turtle in a ditch or crossing the road.
Maybe you need to call "the turtle man"!!!!!
This fool gets in the water and pulls them out by hand!!!!! Only in KY!!!!!
Large snapping and shoftshell turtles we used to "jug" them. A plastic milk jug some trout line cord and a big heavy hook and some nasty bait (like jugging catfish on a river). Toss in the pond and check daily. Sooner or later you will find the jug bobbing or moving around.....unless you got catfish, you got a turtle! Not sure of the legality of this method, but it's how we pulled big turtles out of ponds in my area. We eat'em! My grandfather would cause an accident driving down the road to slam on the brakes to pick up a big turtle in a ditch or crossing the road.
Maybe you need to call "the turtle man"!!!!!
This fool gets in the water and pulls them out by hand!!!!! Only in KY!!!!!
WTNUT
5 year old buck +
I would say the barrel would work. As for the .22LR, I need to pass that is illegal in our state.
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WTNUT
5 year old buck +
Honestly, I know Ernie and Neal through a mutual friend. My business partner in KY is pretty close to Neal. But, I think I will try to handle these turtles on my own. I don't want to jug them because I am going to catch too many fish by juging.
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Done this several times before. Cut out a wooden stake (tomato stake, 2x4 piece, scrap wood a foot or so long) and cut a connecting groove all the way around on the outside. Pound the stake into the ground on the shore edge, very close to the water. Get some string (thick string, maybe fishing line would work but we always used string) and a big/bigger fishing hook. Tie it up to the stake with maybe 10-15' of string and put a big gob of chicken liver or some type of scap food on the hook. Throw it in and check it later and you'll have a turtle. You can always wrap the chicken liver in panty hose or something similar if you find the turtles are tearing the bait off too quickly and not getting hooked.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
I used to catch about forty keeper snappers a summer that were legal size to sell the meat.
My traps are about 18" high by 3'X4' with a 45 degree angle on front doors making a funnel that they push in to get to the bait. I made all my traps out of the same fencing I use protect my trees with 4"X2" wire, very simple to make. If you are wanting to catch smaller turtles use smaller mesh. Bait boxes out of 1/2 mesh 6"X6" wired to top of trap.
I would put out a half dozen traps on a weekend and catch about a dozen keepers (snappers over 15 pounds and huge soft shells along with scads of sliders and paints) nice turtles are 25 pounds my biggest snapper being 35 pounds.
The very best bait I've ever found is a FRESH quartered bloody beef heart and a chicken thigh in the bait box...my theory is using cut carp or shad was like McDonalds to a turtle...chicken and beef now that is Texas Road House to them!
And don't let anyone tell you to use old or spoiled meat for bait, use as fresh as you can get if you want to catch turtles.
I'll post up some pics this weekend so you can get an idea of what they look like.
My traps are about 18" high by 3'X4' with a 45 degree angle on front doors making a funnel that they push in to get to the bait. I made all my traps out of the same fencing I use protect my trees with 4"X2" wire, very simple to make. If you are wanting to catch smaller turtles use smaller mesh. Bait boxes out of 1/2 mesh 6"X6" wired to top of trap.
I would put out a half dozen traps on a weekend and catch about a dozen keepers (snappers over 15 pounds and huge soft shells along with scads of sliders and paints) nice turtles are 25 pounds my biggest snapper being 35 pounds.
The very best bait I've ever found is a FRESH quartered bloody beef heart and a chicken thigh in the bait box...my theory is using cut carp or shad was like McDonalds to a turtle...chicken and beef now that is Texas Road House to them!
And don't let anyone tell you to use old or spoiled meat for bait, use as fresh as you can get if you want to catch turtles.
I'll post up some pics this weekend so you can get an idea of what they look like.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Ernie's grandparents lived 1/2 mile from me. He cut his teeth on catching lizards at their place before he got into turtles. Said he had to use "Thunder" on the mean ones.... He is just a normal guy around here, but better looking than most of us. I guess that's how he got famous and we didn't.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
Here is a pic showing what the traps I use are like.
You can see the bait box wired to the top center towards the back of trap, most important part of trap is angle of the door funnel and to not have it to steep or open/closed too much. Door needs to only be open a couple of inches 2.5" at most, even a huge turtle will push in. Bottom door of trap needs to be wired together very firmly, turtles have fantastic 4wheel drive and are very strong and will find any weakness in trap. I use zip ties on the top door and just cut them to dump turtle out and bag it.
When setting traps look for good cover in weeds or brush in water, turtles are really actually very shy for as fierce as they look/act. You can set a trap in a foot of water to an inch over the top of the trap, the turtle needs to be able to get air or it will drown pretty fast.
A trap the size I use can catch a few big snappers and soft shells and dozens of paints at the same time. Turtle will be at it's maddest when it first comes out of the trap ready to fight, just get them by the base of the tail quick and you will be able to do whatever you want with it. I use burlap sacks to get them home and in the horse trough to clean out for a week or so before butchering. Snapping turtle meat with bone in around here goes for at least $15 a pound and I have never not been able to sell it quick. A snapper will yield about half its weight in meat a big soft shell about a third.
Good luck with your turtle eradication!
You can see the bait box wired to the top center towards the back of trap, most important part of trap is angle of the door funnel and to not have it to steep or open/closed too much. Door needs to only be open a couple of inches 2.5" at most, even a huge turtle will push in. Bottom door of trap needs to be wired together very firmly, turtles have fantastic 4wheel drive and are very strong and will find any weakness in trap. I use zip ties on the top door and just cut them to dump turtle out and bag it.
When setting traps look for good cover in weeds or brush in water, turtles are really actually very shy for as fierce as they look/act. You can set a trap in a foot of water to an inch over the top of the trap, the turtle needs to be able to get air or it will drown pretty fast.
A trap the size I use can catch a few big snappers and soft shells and dozens of paints at the same time. Turtle will be at it's maddest when it first comes out of the trap ready to fight, just get them by the base of the tail quick and you will be able to do whatever you want with it. I use burlap sacks to get them home and in the horse trough to clean out for a week or so before butchering. Snapping turtle meat with bone in around here goes for at least $15 a pound and I have never not been able to sell it quick. A snapper will yield about half its weight in meat a big soft shell about a third.
Good luck with your turtle eradication!
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A 10 ft 2x6 with large rat traps screwed down on it will catch a bunch of the small ones. Run a piece of string though the board and tie it off to a tree. Push it out in the water. They will climb up on it and POW. You got them. Then his friend will join him. POW you got him too!
