View Full Version : Intresting= Snapping turtles in the South Platte
battle_sight_zero
08-13-2011, 07:29
Thought I would pass on some intresting observations. Been fishing the South Platte park (470 Santa Fe). Great place to take kids and teach them to fish. On almost every trip we have ran into some giant snapping turtles. First noticed them when we would reel in a trout and something big would grap it just at the shore. Water cleared the next trip and I saw 4 giant turtles just crusing along the bottom. I took some pictures of one that took a 13- 14 inch rainbow as I brought it to shore. The picture of the one on the bike path was taken by someone at my work. The one on the ground was small when compared too monsters I saw walking on the mud bottom.
Thought I would pass on some intresting observations. Been fishing the South Platte park (470 Santa Fe). Great place to take kids and teach them to fish. On almost every trip we have ran into some giant snapping turtles. First noticed them when we would reel in a trout and something big would grap it just at the shore. Water cleared the next trip and I saw 4 giant turtles just crusing along the bottom. I took some pictures of one that took a 13- 14 inch rainbow as I brought it to shore. The picture of the one on the bike path was taken by someone at my work. The one on the ground was small compared two monsters I saw walking on the mud bottom.
Those are some mean looking sons of bitches right there
Looks like a snapper. Try to grab him and make sure he is next time.
Looks like a snapper. Try to grab him and make sure he is next time.
How's he gonna post when he has no fingers? Shoot first.. ask questions later.
We used to swim in a crik (yeah that's how we say it back home..stfu) and there was an alligator snapper in the water.. kept the snakes away.. and we'd give him a WIDE berth.. from the business end to the tip of his tail he had to be a good 2'6".. his neck was as thick as my thigh. We always had a 30-30 in the truck should he become nosey..
And turtle is good eatin.. not sure about pulling it out of the South Platte though.. might have some liberal run off in it :)
Delfuego
08-13-2011, 09:50
I hope you "warshed" up after swimmin' in the crik!
i think ima take a drive out there right now and do a little fishing
I hope you "warshed" up after swimmin' in the crik!
Always warshed up before supper..
Limited GM
08-13-2011, 10:30
Pretty certain those are protected and a hell of a fine for killing. I saw a special on them on TLC. They had one who had a musket ball embedded in its shell. Some how they determined it had probably been shot during the civil war. Those things live a looooong time!
Yrs ago, I had a WW! friend beg me to find him one to eat. He swore their meat had some of the best flavor of anything, The guy was 94 at the time and had been on disability most his life from exposure to mustard gas. I explained how they were protected and he could not just understand how something edible could be protected.
Wish now I'd found him one.
Delfuego
08-13-2011, 10:37
He swore their meat had some of the best flavor of anything, They are good to eat. Tastes like a cross between Bald Eagle and Whooping Crane[Awesom]
battle_sight_zero
08-13-2011, 11:01
Actually looked it up you can harvest snapping turtles in colorado but not sure what the limit is. Quite frankly I personally don't want to eat them let alone pick one up.
Geology Rocks
08-13-2011, 11:24
They are good to eat. Tastes like a cross between Bald Eagle and Whooping Crane[Awesom]
hahah....[ROFL1]
joe
Actually looked it up you can harvest snapping turtles in colorado but not sure what the limit is. Quite frankly I personally don't want to eat them let alone pick one up.
I was going to say I am pretty sure they are even in the CDOW booklet. I always used to catch them as a kid...luckily we all still have our fingers.
Rooskibar03
08-13-2011, 11:47
They are good to eat. Tastes like a cross between Bald Eagle and Whooping Crane[Awesom]
I hear the taste of Bald Eagle is similar to that of baby seal?
This is how ya do it, gotta holler like an idjit though....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn8EQ0azXpQ
I hear the taste of Bald Eagle is similar to that of baby seal?
Closer to barn owl or red-tail hawk.
Limited GM
08-14-2011, 00:10
Actually looked it up you can harvest snapping turtles in colorado but not sure what the limit is.
Humn, now you got me wondering if it was a state thing. I was in AR at the time. I know then you couldn't shoot anything legally that there wasnt a legal season; snakes, etc. Then while living near Mobile and running an LEO range, I had some guys come in stating they were working a sting for guys poaching snappers and selling them for big money to the Japs. Seems there was some kind of status symbol to have the biggest in your backyard coy pond. They mentioned prices of upwards of $20k for one well over a hundred pounds.
*The more I try to remember the details, I think the issue may have been the exporting of them that was such a big deal. To many cells killed in those days....
ronaldrwl
08-14-2011, 08:52
This is how ya do it, gotta holler like an idjit though....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn8EQ0azXpQ
Awsome. Got to like that guy.
battle_sight_zero
08-14-2011, 13:10
From the Colorado DOW below. I guess you can harvest as many as you like. Personally I will advoid them but will watch them. One that we saw looked like a 5 foot aligator with a shell, dont believe Id like to catch that. If I catch a glimpse of that one again I will try to take a picture.
__________________________________________________ ______
Snapping Turtle
Season: Statewide, from April 1 through October 31.
Daily bag & possession limit: Unlimited.
License and manner of take: Snapping turtles may be taken by anyone in possession of a
valid Colorado fishing license or small game hunting license, and by any method not
specifically prohibited by regulation or law.
From the Colorado DOW below. I guess you can harvest as many as you like. Personally I will advoid them but will watch them. One that we saw looked like a 5 foot aligator with a shell, dont believe Id like to catch that. If I catch a glimpse of that one again I will try to take a picture.
__________________________________________________ ______
Snapping Turtle
Season: Statewide, from April 1 through October 31.
Daily bag & possession limit: Unlimited.
License and manner of take: Snapping turtles may be taken by anyone in possession of a
valid Colorado fishing license or small game hunting license, and by any method not
specifically prohibited by regulation or law.
Now, there's snapping turtles, and there's alligator snapping turtles. Different critters. The alligator variety are truly fearsome animals, and not to be fawked with IMO. I'm sure they're just like they were when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, but I bet they were bigger then. There's photos of 'em here.
http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1152&bih=506&q=alligator+snapping+turtle&gbv=2&oq=alligator+snapp&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=1784l4824l0l7088l15l14l0l5l5l0l273l1734l0.5 .4l9l0
DSB OUTDOORS
08-14-2011, 15:54
Pretty certain those are protected and a hell of a fine for killing.
Actualy I pretty sure you can take snapping turtles. But there is a bag / possesioon limit on them. I dont have my fishing regs book handy but there is something in there on snappers.
If they are snapping turtles
out this from Colo DOW
Snapping Turtle
Season: Statewide, from April 1 through October 31.
Daily bag & possession limit: Unlimited.
License and manner of take: Snapping turtles may be taken by anyone in possession of a
valid Colorado fishing license or small game hunting license, and by any method not
specifically prohibited by regulation or law.
Snapping turtles are God's way of saying that skinny dipping isn't a great idea.....to this thing, meat is meat.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/misc%20stuff/alligatorsnappingturtle.jpg
Zundfolge
08-15-2011, 14:37
Growing up in Kansas I'd spend time on my grandmother's farm (near Burrton ... nobody knows where Burrton is).
Anyway she had this Irish Setter named Kelly ... honestly the dumbest dog ever to walk the earth ... I remember him scratchin' at the back door one day with a little snapper hanging off his nose. Poor dog was scratchin', whimperin' and lookin' at us like "GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF?
Dude! I want one as a pet! Not sure why people are afraid of snapping turtles, I've dealt with ones (the Alligator snappers) in South Texas (they can get to be about 2x bigger than the puny Colorado ones) and they aren't some freaky beasts that chase people around, most of the time they bite as a way of saying "NO! Leave me alone!" Remember kids, they're more afraid of you than you are of them... unless of course Shredder gets involved [LOL]
http://content6.flixster.com/photo/10/68/83/10688356_gal.jpg
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