Turtle traps

[mole]

Since I'm stuck in the snow in Iowa and all I can do is look at the frozen pond at home, I got to thinking about the snapping turtles that love to eat the fish off the stringer.

So does anyone here have a good turtle trap plan/design?

I've never tried to catch one on purpose, but I've been told the taste great.

mole

[glen]

I always used a 22 but kinda hard to find them afterwards

[captainkyle]

I ate one once and didn't care for it,tasted sandy but it might have been the cook.A friend of mine in La. said he drives a 2x4 into the mud and nails some trotline hooks to it at the water line and hangs a fish up a little higher on the board.When the turtle tries to climb up he's caught.That's his story I've never tried it.You can also buy turtle nets pretty cheap from The Fish Net Co.

[Snakelover]

The simplest I've seen is just a floating wooden frame with nails driven a couple inches apart on the inside and the bottom is enclosed with chicken wire that's under the water. The turtles crawl up on the wooden frame to sun themselves. If they happen to slide off on the outside, they are still free. But if they happen to slide off on the inside, the nails keep them from crawling back up on the wooden frame and they are trapped.

A modification is to hinge a board on the frame. It's longer on the outside and makes a ramp for the turtle to crawl up on. Once they get past the balance point, it dumps them into the trap.

[TexasBob]

I made one as described by Snakelover, but used 4" pvc. Zip tied wire around it and across the bottom. Works for red ears but I dont think snapping turtles will use it. I could be wrong. Put a little food in it if you want, but works without once they are used to it. I took two pieces of wire fencing and laid them across each other. Folded the sides up so they met and zip tied. Cut off at the depth I wanted and put pvc square inside the top.

[mole]

I'll give the "sun" trap a try.
I know the snappers love catfish. Last summer the boys and I caught 6 big cats, being lazy we left them on the stringer and went to bed. Got up at 5:00 and all that was left was one catfish minus a tail.

mole

[kfd82]

Anyone have pics or drawings of these traps?

[lovetohunt]

Snapping turtles meat is red like beef and tastes a little like it too. Now softshell turtles meat is light in color and does have several different flavors. I prefer softshell myself

[Uncle Saggy]

Hate to hijack the thread but I just made 2 perch traps and 2 crawdad traps from machinist cloth and hog ring pliers. Plus a 4" brake.
Yes, someone please send a diagram of a turtle trap

[Snakelover]

Anyone have pics or drawings of these traps?

Here's the basic concept in a store-bought version...

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/traps/page95.html

Another...

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page2066.html

Doesn't have to be that fancy, though. But you get the idea.

[Uncle Saggy]

Understood....Thanks

[johnsonzl]

In herpetology we used a net strung around 2' rings that's about 5' long with a funnel neck. Imagine a big perch trap. then baited with fish heads, we caught all kinds of stuff but the traps where designed to catch snappers for one of the studies at the school.

[Johnny Dangerr]

Why does every turtle receipe start with {buy a case of beer}.....?

[kfd82]

Thanks SL!

[Miki]

Here's the basic concept in a store-bought version...

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/traps/page95.html

Another...

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page2066.html

Doesn't have to be that fancy, though. But you get the idea.

I seen that one at a outdoor show. It looks good!