Posted: 5/31/2007 3:56:07 AM EDT
| So how do you pick up a big snapping turtle? |
 Turtle forum activists will give you a raft of grief if you post pictures of your kid holding a snapper by the tail.  IMHO, its the only safe way for you to move one. They will calm down and don't tend to thrash about if you get a firm hold on the base of the tail and lift them. Make sure you keep the head away from your leg as they can strike from this position. A really big one might require the 2 hand side grip or a come-along Also make sure you wash up afterwards. They are a foul beastie. |
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Yeah, those big females are OLD. Your average female snapper in a northern population doesn't mature until its 19th year. The average age of a reproducing female is over 30 years old. The only reason the common snapping turtle is still common is because most folks haven't figured out how tasty they are. Critters with life histories like the common snapping turtle cannot handle too much of a hunting pressure. |
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We used to get snappers in our stocked fishing pond on my grandfather's land in NEPA all the time when I was younger. When we spotted the tell-tale floating bass heads, we knew we had a turtle on our hands, and everyone went on turtle alert - nobody went down to the lake without a rifle, and if you saw the bastard, you were expected to shoot him. I never took a shot at one - my dad killed a few - but I had an M1 carbine slung over my shoulder many a time when taking a trip down to the pond. We don't stock the pond any more, and we haven't had a turtle issue in a while. The last one was killed with my uncle's AR-15, iirc. -Mark |
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Just a word of warning about picking them up by the sides of the shell..... Unless you've seen one extend his head as far to the side as he can, you will be amazed at how long their necks are and how far back on their sides they can bite. It's not something you want to learn the hard way.  |
So you're saying the tail is the best way? |
+1 Don't forget that neck is pretty damn long. I've caught some large ones in Minnesota where the necks easily came out 6"-8", they are fast when snapping too. When you cut the head off it will still snap for hours. You can put the heart in a cup of water and it will still beat for a couple of days...
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No shit  Really? |
wiseass
thats really him................ 
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Just pick them up by the tail, as shown in the pic above. If you grab them by the sides of the shell they can claw the piss out of you. It doesn't really harm you to get clawed but you will drop him until/unless you are used to it. As mentioned, if you have one by the tail keep the belly toward you, as they are a little fiesty when being held this way. Contrary to common belief, they will NOT thin out the fish population in a pond. They mostly scavenge (fresh) dead stuff. 
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