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Post by indianacoon on May 21, 2011 14:16:04 GMT -5
Today i ran to check my turtle traps around 6:45 this mornin. i had set three of my homemade traps yesterday. i got tho the first one and waded out and saw a shell in it. "yes!" i thought. I pulled it to the bank with about a 15 pound snapper. I walked down and got my other one, nothin, no bait either. I think the little green head got in and out threw a hole in the door ( its part of my desighn) i had the last trap down the road ina farm pond. The two i just checked were in a pond that didnt hold water unless it filled up with rain. there was a big concrete pipe in the pond that the snappers stayed in. i walked back to my first trap, and i saw the door was opened the wrong way a bit and the snapper had its head and a leg out of.( the trap is baisicly a big colony trap with one door). i ran to it and tried to flip the trap to get him in the back, but with my luck when somethin good happens, there is mostly a catch to it. i flip it and the turtle falls out. It landed on its back. i set the trap with the door facing straight up and the door was opened, i turn back to the turtle and he wasnt where he started, nope, he some how rolled over and started to the water. I was like "oh no" then i see somethin at the water line, there he is. he was right next to it. i hurried over to it and when he hit the water, i had his tail. i picked him up and threw him in the trap. i was lucky i got him. later i was going to check the last trap and i see another snapper, about a 15 pounder, hittin the outside of the trap tryin to find the door. it was a good day. 1-3 traps had a turtle 3-3 traps had action.
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Post by mark572 on May 21, 2011 15:30:34 GMT -5
Nice coon!! do you eat them? i really like snappers in a stew!
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Post by bigtwinhd on May 21, 2011 17:08:44 GMT -5
Good day indeed! Any pictures of your setup? Sounds like a fun time.
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Post by indianacoon on May 21, 2011 23:09:03 GMT -5
yeah. ill get some up. yes i eat them mark, but we couldnt cook ceral without somethin goin wrong. we have a video on cookin em and we did exactly what it said. well there wasnt any cream of marshroom soup, it was a charcol brick.
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Post by indianacoon on May 22, 2011 6:54:42 GMT -5
Here is some pictures of my turtle. i will get some of my set up later. another closer picture.
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Post by bigtwinhd on May 22, 2011 11:37:27 GMT -5
Picture fail!
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Post by minifoxer on May 22, 2011 12:01:35 GMT -5
good deal coon!
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Post by bill1958 on May 22, 2011 12:54:02 GMT -5
buddy when i get a chance i will post you some pictures of turtle locations for soft shell and snappers .i made a living years ago from turtles.
snappers loves grassy areas or lots of debre were as soft shells loves the sand bar areas. at night i caught my snappers and during the day i caught the soft shells and i will also show you different ways to catch them.
using lines,jugs and even 120-160-220 conibear traps now some of these might not be legal in your area so check before you use the methods
nice job
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Post by indianacoon on May 22, 2011 15:14:42 GMT -5
thanks bill and teh pond im in dont hold water but it filled with rain water so there is grass,clover, weeds and whatever else. luke you didnt see the pictures? did any one else have a pic fail?
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Post by bigtwinhd on May 22, 2011 16:58:47 GMT -5
They are there now! Dang those things are neat. I rarely see them here, maybe sitting over eggs once in a while. How old do you suppose that thing is?
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Post by indianacoon on May 22, 2011 20:55:26 GMT -5
dont know, i dont know how to tell. if i had to geuss about 2 years, hes about 15 pounds, my brother snagged a 8 pounder whille bass fishin and i got it. the pond is loaded with em. the guy said, come get em theres alot of em and i dont want em. i will get em for him, i saw 4 or 5 heads of snappers. so many his sheep wont touch the water with there feet
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Post by backwoodsman on Jun 1, 2011 0:18:42 GMT -5
Each section on the outside of the snappers shell is one year. 15lber would probably be 20+ years old. We never keep snappers til after well into July so the females can lay their eggs. Check all your regs closely as here in Illinois rod and reel, rodding, hook and line and handfishing are the only legal means to collect turtles. My wifes uncle who has now passed away helped make a turtle video with the company Foiles Migraters from Pittsfield Illinois. They hand fished for snappers by walking barefoot(most of the time) and stepping on the snappers then reaching down and grabbing the tail. Probably shouldnt hijack the page but heres a tiip for some. If you get bit DO NOT try to pull your finger out. Stick something like a small stick, nail etc into the turtles nostril and he will open his mouth. If you try to pull and twist he will do alot of damage to the offending appendage etc. If you do get bit seek medical attention, turtles are very dirty and you will likely get an infection. Best turtle bait I know of for wire type traps and hoop nets is filleted carp carcass's with the air bag popped. When it was legal we sold some turtle meat but kept most of it for frys and burgoo.
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Post by indianacoon on Jun 18, 2011 21:12:29 GMT -5
thanks woodsman, i heard how much they way thats how old they are, its pretty amazing that turtles can live well over a hundred years.
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Post by bigtwinhd on Jun 18, 2011 21:22:30 GMT -5
So each plate, or division of the plate, is one year? So how do ya get em apart for supper? We mostly just have the lil painted turtles so far as I've noticed. Saw some heads swimming yesterday while out with my nephew. I don't think they get very big....
Did see a fat snapper when I was a kid. Camping with my folks. Of course us boys wanted to mess with it. Dad said it could run faster then we could. My dad was full of crap, just as I am to my kids!
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Post by indianacoon on Jun 22, 2011 13:48:17 GMT -5
lol luke
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