I was flipping through the small game booklet last night and saw snapping turtles in season. I've never seen turtles around here. Does anyone know anything about turtles? Where to find them? How to hunt them, and all that stuff.
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I was flipping through the small game booklet last night and saw snapping turtles in season. I've never seen turtles around here. Does anyone know anything about turtles? Where to find them? How to hunt them, and all that stuff.
I see turtles ever so often fishing but I never knew or wanted to hunt them.
Why would you want to hunt a turtle?
Nuisance animal. Harasses livestock.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiggity
in colorado?Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Oh yeah. Every time you see something dead on the side of the road in Colorado...
turtle.
People eat snapping turtles. I've never tasted it but some people love it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiggity
I worked on a Bison ranch up near Wray one summer during High School, and it had a creek running through the property that always had water in it. We had snappers in it that were huge! Big enough to do serious damage if they got hold of you. They didn't mess with the Bison, or cows, so we left them alone.
I've heard of people eating them too, but I don't think I'd care to try.
The "Tactical" ones are a threat [Coffee]
I've just never noticed snapping turtles in the booklet before. It got me curious, how the heck do you hunt something floating on water. If you shoot it, now you gotta figure out how to get it out of the water. If you use some sort of fishing pole / meat setup, now you're dealing with a pissed off turtle. Then once you do get it from the water, how the heck do you get to the meat through the shell. And what would you make with turtle? Other than soup (Not too appealing in 100° weather).
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Originally Posted by Irving
[ROFL1]
Especially when there are one eyed snakes in the water. I saw one at Sawhill ponds a few years ago it was the size of a toilet seat(the big kind) if I wanted to I could have reached down and picked him up and lose a diget or 2. I don't mess with them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Back in NY we had a snapping turtle that lived in the pond close by that was the size of a car tire!!
The thing was huge and nasty!!!
The owner of the pond had to call in the game wardden to get it out because it was scaring of his ducks.
Eastern Plains has a bunch, if there were enough rain to develop some standing water features. Doubt there are any this year.
Longmont has them, so does Lafayette. Why the hell would you want to 'hunt' them is beyond me. I don't think you would like the taste, and there is probably little meat. Go crawdad hunting instead. Mmmmmm[Flower]
I posted a thread last year with a pic of snapping turtle I ran into in the Chatfield ponds. Lots of them in there. Huge and will eat your fish off of a stringer if they find it. Can't post the thread since I am on my cell.
Turtles taste great. Haven't seen an abundance of them here in CO, but have seen a few.
Badger
Did it once with a buddy. We waited for them to come out of the water to sun bathe. Then pop em with a .22LR.
I saw several small snappers at a pond this morning, out here in aurora. They were about 6" diameter, and skiddish as all get out, and I got skunked at quincy res today... I'm about to go shootin' in a bit. I know I can hit paper lol. Happy Independence Day! Back to the topic, if I do see a big snapper somewhere, I'm going to try to get one. Just to see what it's like, now I'm really curious.
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Originally Posted by Irving
LOL
Unless you plan to eat them, I'm not quite sure I see the point in shooting them - it's not like CO has an abundance of reptiles that need disposing of.
After reading a little more into this thread I had to stop at this comment:Not to make fun of anyone here but seriously...... I have to ask........................ WHO THE HELL IS WILLING TO WASTE A BULLET ON SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST PICK RIGHT UP AND CUT ITS DAMN HEAD OFF?Quote:
I'm not quite sure I see the point in shooting them
Ok, here it is folks.... I grew up in Florida and have a lot of experience with this one..... You just walk right up and pick up said turtle. That's right, just pick it right up, grab a buddy if its heavy because they can get kind of weighty sometimes. You need to chop its head off, so be smarter than the damn reptile, and hold a stick in one hand, and a machete, or axe in the other and have a little patience.... see where I'm going with this?!?!?!?! Not rocket science, no need to waste ammunition, if you HAVE to shoot at a turtle, YOU'RE DOING IT ALL WRONG!!!
So again, not to make fun of anyone in here, but please keep cranium external to colon and enjoy some fresh reptile while its on the menu.
Badger
Okay smart guy Badger. If you know so much about it, tell me where I could have better spent my $349.99 + tax than on my turtle blind?
You can return the blind.. The opened Turtle Urine scent is all yours though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
What about the distressed trout call I picked up?
If one was cornered by one of these ferocious beasts, what is the recommended caliber to ensure elimination of said threat?
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Originally Posted by Irving
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Originally Posted by MB888
There is no hope is there ?? [ROFL1]Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
How about a grenade and a croquet mallet?Quote:
Originally Posted by waxthis
Somehow I think cutting of their heads might be a little difficult. If these guys hook up with the Zombies were screwed.
That first step could be a doozey!!!!!
http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/s...ine--29945.jpg
http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/s...Gun--29936.jpg
[Beer]
The most dangerous game there is.... also, where would you shoot the turtle? I mean is there a spot on it's shell where you can say "all the vital organs are housed in that 3" area"?Quote:
Why would you want to hunt a turtle?
Do you stalk them or set up a blind?
Run 'em with pack of dogs. Better hope they can tree 'em too, cause they get nasty when cornered. Lost a couple of my best hounds to a snapper last season. :-(Quote:
Originally Posted by Rucker61
I miss those dogs. Best looking irish wolfhounds I had ever seen.Quote:
Originally Posted by FL410
A genius that will never be appreciated in this lifetime.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
The "Assault" ones are pretty dangerous too....Quote:
Originally Posted by StagLefty
Snapping turtle is good eating. I have no seen any around here. I would not think of them of a nusience animal around here. Have had them steal fish from trot lines. Very hearty animal. Once their head is cut off they and still bite you. You can check the gut pile 8 hours post cleaning and the heart could still be beating. May have to go find one I am getting hungry for turtle.
The last turtle I cleaned was relatively small and weighed 30 pounds. Probably 40-60 years old.
When I was little my Grandpa used to take me fishing for pan fish on a private lake. After a few times of walking off to fish other parts of the lake and coming back to only fish heads on the stinger he started bringing my 22 bolt action along for the turtles. Combine excellent pan fishing and non stop target shooting and you have little kid paradise. Sit in your chair and wait for the dark spots out in the water....then see the heads sticking above water. It was an old coal mine/strip pit. Water was clear as glass made spotting easy. Hell even if you missed, your reactive target (water splash) was fun and let you know right where your shot went. Fishing/turtle hunting makes prairie dog shooting seem boring.
Just want to add that this was a "PRIVATE" lake with nobody else around for miles. Shooting at any body of water in Colorado unless you own it will probably get you into trouble. Bullets ricochet off water and go who knows where unless your shooting down at a steep enough angle.
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Originally Posted by Delvehound
The shell opens up like a clam. Knife, soft area between shell and underneath, insert knife cut around till opened in half.
You need to be careful when cutting open. They're like skunks, have a nasty sack that will spray you something fierce. Rinse in clean cool water, fillet , bread with some panko bread crumbs, red pepper flakes and garlic powder, toss in to a preheated cast iron skillet with smoking hot, not burnt, Bacon grease, 3-4 min per side.