How do you catch a snapping turtle?

Question

We have a snapping turtle in our pond how do we catch it and get it out.

Answer 1

Is it your private pond? f it is a public waterway, you'd likely need a license depending on your state and local jurisdiction.

If it is a private pond, I assume it found yuor pond and has taken a liking to it. Contrary to popular belief snapping turtles are not dangerous. Yes, intimidating, but will not likely a chunk off of you. Snapping turtles will not usually snap at you in the water, instead they want to get a way. They will snap if they are on lnad b/c they feel threatened. When they do snap, they are very inaccurate and rarely hit you.

The best way to get rid of it is to get a trap. Traps are expensive and you need to know how to use one, or else you will drown the turtle. I suggest you look for local pest control and ask if they remove or know of people who can remove snapping turtles.

Here is a great article for removing nuisance turtles. It has links to pics of traps.
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1914.html

Catching it by hand will be very difficult in water. They only come on land to lay eggs. They may bask on a log, but that too is hard to approach.

If you do handle a large snapping turtle, get a shovel and a larger conatiner. That is the safest way. If you have to handle one by hand, do not grab the tail, it puts stress on the spine and ticks them off. Hold the back of the shell and hold the hind legs as well. The claws will scratch you if you don't hold the legs. Be prepared for jerking snaps which may cause you to lose your grip. Best way is a shovel and a container.

Good luck.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do you catch a snapping turtle?
We have a snapping turtle in our pond how do we catch it and get it out.

Answer 3

catch snapping turtle

Answer 4

You can check out this web site below.


However, you can catch him by fishing for him. You can use peices of fish to catch him. Be very careful, he WILL bite you. And they do not like to let go. I must also tell you that they are good eatin'. You can fry him up and eat away!!! It might now be your thing but I know that the rednecks here in North Carolina love it!!.LOL

Really!!

Good Luck!! And happy fishing!!

Answer 5

Well, when I was a kid we had a 1 acre pond/small lake dug in one of our back pastures... being a new pond we stocked it with catfish and planned on fishing in it sometime down the line... The following spring we started seeing snappers in the pond and if you didn't know snappers are fish eaters so they had to go... I ended up taking a #4 steel trap and nailing it to a 2'x2' piece of plywood and baiting it with a chicken leg. Once its baited set the trap and float it upside down on the board (or in other words with the steel trap and chicken leg under the water). Works every time...

Answer 6

throw a big hook in the water with some sort of meat product, or preferably a little fish, wait, pull up the line with turtle on it, disconnect line from land, drag turtle to where ever you are taking it and then run like hell!!

Answer 7

Call your local animal control office; they may have a resident expert, if not they may know who to contact. Also, a professional pest control expert -- the kind who gets raccoons out of chimneys and alligators out of swimming pools -- may be able to help. Good luck.

Answer 8

Ask your county extension service for help and advice- they may even have traps you can borrow.

Now, the bad news- if snappers like your pond (shelter, food, etc.), the trick isn't getting rid of them as much as it will be keeping them out!

Answer 9

IN OUR CREEK IM ALWAYS CATCHIN THEM U GOTTA KEEP UR HANDS BEHIND THE NECK THEY R MEAN LITTLE SUCKER BUT FUN TO CATCH
HAVE A GREAT DAY

Answer 10

They cannot resist toes and fingers.