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Getting rid of snapping turtles

OLD F of S

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        Has anyone ideas on how to get rid of these pests? I have just stocked my pond with 200 8 inch rainbow trout and I am worried about the fish being eaten. I have dispatched two to turtle heaven but I am wondering how I can discourage these critters.


                                  Regards OLD F of S

 
Don't know that you'll discourage them, but if you trap them out, they make damn fine soup. Make the best of a bad situation. Eventually you'll get them all. One or two big ones won't eat that much, they get real lazy. If you get a big one, split the upper and lower shell apart with an axe head (use like a wedge), scoop out the guts and boil the rest. A good way to freak out the kids is show them the heart still beating the next day ;D Careful when you pick them up, they can stretch their neck (real fast) almost to their tail, and a good sized one will snap off your finger like a twig.
 
FWIW, I'll echo recceguy's sentiments about being careful. I fly into a semi remote part of western Nova Scotia to do fire duty every now and then and the snapping turtle population down there is huge, especially on the particular lake we stay at. The first time I saw one it was on the road and I thought, "Wow, neat, gotta get some pictures!"

Ignoring my coworkers advice I picked the critter up by the shell towards the back so I could avoid the legs flailing. To my utter shock this thing swung its head and neck out and just missed taking a good chunk out of my arm!! Turtle became frisbee and I got int he truck slightly shaken.

Later, when I related the story to some locals they told me that people have suffered broken fingers and toes from turtle bites during a swim. Urban myth? Maybe. But I know I saw enough of that one turtle's jaws to make a believer out of me.

Also, to get rid of them, the time is coming where they'll be looking to lay eggs. If you know where they normally nest you can lie in wait and pounce for the kill or trap. But don't go after them if they make it to the water.
 
  Turtles 0, OLD F of S 6 I have made it very unhospitable for snappers to venture into my fish pond. I have dug up around 60 eggs and destroyed same, perhaps problem solved thanks for the input lads.


                                        Regards OLD F of S

 
My cousin and I were canoeing on lake muskoka last summer and theres a small marshy area by his cottage. Its like a breeding ground for them.  Paddling through there are small ones, medium ones, and this one HUGE one.

I ended up smacking one with an oar and the oar broke.  (It was old)
 
cheyenne pepper,moth balls,how old is this turtle? nothing more than a nuclear device will scare him
outta his home
 
They're also crap eaters.  Set out some cat food tins with a decent dose of Rat-B-Gone.  Keep your beloved furry critters inside for a few days.  Don't eat the dead.
 
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