Any experience with pond turtle traps?

[KFC911]

Revived and old thread...

Finally had enough....some turtles have to go!

I have yellow sliders (not snappers) that love to bask in the sun so I just purchased a Pond King cage type trap that's designed to float. Anyone have experience? If this doesn't get 'em, then I will resort to head shots with my new air rifle....but I don't want to go there...yet . Designed to float, but I wonder if this trap could also sit on the bottom at the shallow end....where the turtles seem to be. I'm just looking to remove a bunch of smaller ones which disturb the fish spawning beds....the biggin's have earned their right to co-habitate with my fishys.

I spotted one that's probably 30 years old last year...I swear it was nearly 5' long from head to tail...and that's no "fisherman's tale" either

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by KC911

I'm gonna play nice and relocate a few to the adjacent ponds (or ponds miles away if I have too), and see how that goes.

While lots of people do it, you are not supposed to relocate wildlife - at least not in Ohio. Kill it or leave it alone. If you've got a problem critter on your property you aren't supposed to make it some one else's problem.

[stevej37]

Maybe put some type of pond netting between the fish area and turtles? Would have to be very fine.
The bigger turtles are prob the ones doing most of the damage.
I have red sliders and the biggest is the size of a large dinner plate. She will strip all the green plants in the water...always looking for more food. I do have fish also..and they coexist fine, but it's rare for any small fry to survive.
I heard the hardest part of raising them is to isolate them and find food small enough for them to handle.
If you do catch the turtles..put them on CL. They are on there a lot. Ask $5 or less ea. and they will go fast. That way they would have a good home. I wouldn't try shooting them. They will end up wounded in the pond rotting.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

While lots of people do it, you are not supposed to relocate wildlife - at least not in Ohio. Kill it or leave it alone. If you've got a problem critter on your property you aren't supposed to make it some one else's problem.

You have to relocate turtles literally miles away, or they will return There are two large lakes I cross on my way home (from my rural property), one has an environmental center on it. Maybe I'll ask....maybe I won't .
The turtles will thrive there and won't be a problem.

If I have to kill some, I can make clean "head shots" as they bask on the bank from 25 yds. or so....they skedaddle at the sight of a human, and are VERY alert...unbelievably so. The few I've had a chance to snag are when they are going from one of my ponds to another. Time to thin the herd....one way or another.

The smaller ones do most of the damage to spawning beds and competing with and eating small fry....big ones do not and are vegetarians by that size.

[Don Ro]

Can you eat them?
The Chinese make turtle soup...yummy.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

Can you eat them?
The Chinese make turtle soup...yummy.

My ancestors used to eat their ancestors, and we're not Chinese . I'm the fourth generation maintaining it...my little slice of paradise.

[stevej37]

When I was young..my Gpa and I would catch box turtles and open them up to get the meat out.
Made excellent soup, and the meat tasted like chicken!
Box turtles are now protected..hardly ever see any of them anymore.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by KC911

If I have to kill some, I can make clean "head shots" as they bask on the bank from 25 yds. or so....they skedaddle at the sight of a human, and are VERY alert...unbelievably so. The few I've had a chance to snag are when they are going from one of my ponds to another.

Would be hard for me to do that.

pic of my pond last summer

[Don Ro]

When my brother and I used to see them down in the local river we'd snag 'em somehow, or shoot them w/.22's and take them to one of the restaurants in town...owned by a Chinese fellow. He'd give us a 25 cents each for them and put turtle soup on his menu.
That's the only association I know about turtles and the Chinese.

[RKDinOKC]

Was driving on a 4 lane street. In the incoming lanes a large turtle was almost across the road. A young lady was stopped, she had gotten out and was leaning over about to pick up the turtle. It was only 10 ft from the curb. Just as she grabbed the turtle I honked. Startled she instantly stood straight up tossing the poor turtle about 60ft off the side of the road. Couldn't stop laughing for 30 minutes. Just thinking of it still makes me giggle.

Family has some land we use for recreation. It has a cabin and 3 large ponds. One of the ponds was stocked with perch and bass. Turtles took over and the fish disappeared. After catching and or shooting as many as we could it still took a few years to get the fish back, even with stocking the pond. We even built a stand in some trees close to the pond to shoot turtles so the bullets would not ricochet. Now if the anyone sees turtles while fishing they also have some fun taking out turtles.

The pond the cabin is next to has a swimming beach, zip line, rope swing, dock, and floating diving platform. Keep various turtle traps in that pond. Both swimmer traps and sun bather traps. One of the things we do when going to the property is run the traps. They are never empty. The ponds where we shoot the turtles has better fishing than the trapped pond. Brother that manages the property thought it would be the other way around.

Used to have a small pond that was great for catfish. Could go catch 2 or 3 nice sized catfish in an hour easily. Then stopped being able to catch any. The last time I fished that pond I spent an entire day fishing and all I caught was 2 big snapping turtles. When researching the turtle infestation the wildlife department told us the turtle population wouldn't effect the fish population. Our experience was the turtle population had a huge negative impact on the fish population. We also found the wildlife department would stock your pond(s) free, but you had to allow public access and fishing.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

When we kids in these parts I untill this very day have not ever heard of someone getting snapped, bit , or chewed by the breed accidentally.
If you stick something in their face, yes they will generally SNAP IT !

Normally they will do anything to avoid human contact...but yes..they will snap at hands if picked up.
I feed mine by hand sometimes...have had them latch onto my finger when feeding them. It takes a bit to get them to release. They are not the smartest animals!

[wdfifteen]

When I was a kid there was a guy who would walk out to our farm from town (about 2 miles). Everyone called him "Pidge." Pidge would climb up in the barn rafters at dusk and grab the pigeons that roosted there. He'd wring their necks and put them in a bag. When he had enough pigeons he would walk out to our pond and lay on his belly on the bank and feel around under the water for a turtle hole. He would work his way all around the pond. Every now and then he'd drag one out and throw it back away from the water. He had a bat that he'd bash the turtle with. He'd go home with a dozen or so pigeons and 5 or six snapping turtles for dinner. I can't recall how often he came .

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

When I was a kid there was a guy who would walk out to our farm from town (about 2 miles). Everyone called him "Pidge." Pidge would climb up in the barn rafters at dusk and grab the pigeons that roosted there. He'd wring their necks and put them in a bag. When he had enough pigeons he would walk out to our pond and lay on his belly on the bank and feel around under the water for a turtle hole. He would work his way all around the pond. Every now and then he'd drag one out and throw it back away from the water. He had a bat that he'd bash the turtle with. He'd go home with a dozen or so pigeons and 5 or six snapping turtles for dinner. I can't recall how often he came .

Was it just me that could hear banjos while reading this?