Snapping Turtles

[smerchly]

I know it's ohio but that is in north america too so I doubt the populations are that different than around here. Plus that is america, and american governement doesn't protect their nature very well.

Hey Catfish , I hear ya .....and there is nothing wrong with your viewpoint because you don't like to see the turtles ( the slowest moving game of all) lol getting killed . Heck , I have stopped my truck to get them off the road to help them from being killed . Some people think it's fun to run over them , or frogs etc. That's the difference between you and them (respect for our wild life friends) In this case it's legal so we can't blame the hunter if they like to eat those smelly creatures lol . I regret I posted a picture of a big turtle as I forgot there are many people who would love to fill their buckets with them as they are a delicacy for their cuisine . My neighbours son & his girl friend are both strict vegetarians & I highly respect their ethics . They are not the peeta types , just don't believe in killing animals for food. Carry on

[yakfish]

Catfish, I respect your opinion and I would appreciate it if you could respect mine as well. I don't care to argue about whether or not I should participate in legal activities.

This is directly form the MRN website. In Ontario it is legal to trap and eat snapping turtles.

"Snapping turtles may only be captured by hand or by means of a box or funnel trap that does not injure or kill the turtle. The upper shell of a snapping turtle may not be removed from the carcass until immediately before it is prepared for consumption.

NEW REGULATION IN EFFECT JULY 1, 2012 -- Snapping turtle harvest reporting is now required to help support the management of snapping turtles in Ontario.


Report your snapping turtle harvest. Download the mandatory questionnaire (PDF, 88 kb)"

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_165367.html

I just looked this up while I was home (Ontario) last week.

[Horrorshowrot]

I would hate catching one....I have seen what they do to fish..... I caught them by hand when I was younger.... and dumber. On a side note ever fished the Ohio River for blue cats preferably around Cincinnati:)

[Catfish]

Alright I've warmed up to the idea a bit now, although I still would never do it. Ohio may likely be better habitat for snappers therefore they might be more commn there and not to worry about it as much. Oh by the way I am not vegetarian, and i have absolutely no problem with eating very common fish such as sunfish or farmed fish/animals thats' population can be sustained. My dad is an old farm boy and he always said that he never met a cow he didn't like lol, same here . It might seem weird but I have never ate a fish in my life.

[ChefMick]

Yak got out to forage for food.

There is nothing different between 1 snapper and a limit of perch.

[ron4blues]

I've eaten snapping turtle (years ago).

[JoeSchmoe]

I'd just be concerned about the toxins of eating one of these guys. If a fish of similar weight that's only a few years old could be unsuitable to eat, a turtle that's 10 years old+, eating a similar diet could be full of bad stuff.

[hammercarp]

Years ago I ate some too. It tasted great, breaded and deep fried. It was a guy from Ohio that caught and prepared it funny enough. I also tried their eggs as well. YUCK .

[topwaterjoe]

This thread is working up my appetite... p:

[yakfish]

I would hate catching one....I have seen what they do to fish..... I caught them by hand when I was younger.... and dumber. On a side note ever fished the Ohio River for blue cats preferably around Cincinnati:)

Yeah... I am about an hour north of Cincinnati. I've fished don there a few times. Its an impressive fishery. A lot of oversized cats in the river! I haven't caught any huge blues but there are a bunch of huge shovelheads in there too.

[Bear]

A little off topic but I,ve heard alligator is great also.I know they eat the tails down south,Chef mick have you ever cooked or seen it.I,d love to give it a try as I,ll eat just about anything with enough garlic or of course deep fried.And frogs I know for sure are good as I,ve tried them at a restaurant.I know the guys from duck dynasty love them.Are the fogs up here o.k to eat ie bullfrogs.Theres got to be someone's who,s tried them.Obviouly I need to get back to fishing. 12 days straight at work.

[Bear]

By the way I,m not sure if it,s legal to catch frogs up here.We used to use leopards for bait up north but not in years.Drive down the road after a rain at night and they were everywhere.Great for smallies,just don,t have the gumption anymore to go out and catch them.I now 20 years ago,no problem.Sorry again derailing this topic but does anyone use frogs anymore.it,s old school for sure but works.

[grappler]

A little off topic but I,ve heard alligator is great also.I know they eat the tails down south,Chef mick have you ever cooked or seen it.I,d love to give it a try as I,ll eat just about anything with enough garlic or of course deep fried.And frogs I know for sure are good as I,ve tried them at a restaurant.I know the guys from duck dynasty love them.Are the fogs up here o.k to eat ie bullfrogs.Theres got to be someone's who,s tried them.Obviouly I need to get back to fishing. 12 days straight at work.

If you live in the Ottawa area you might try and see if the Cajun Attic is still operating. I went there years ago when they were on Rideau St, they closed that location but appear to have re-opened in the Buward Market. Alligator is not bad, I found it to be a bit fatty for my taste. Here is the menu I found online...http://thecajunattic.netai.net/menu.htm

ADDENDUM - I just did some further searching on that site and found that the events calendar appears to be up to date so I would say they are still open.

[smerchly]

I'd just be concerned about the toxins of eating one of these guys. If a fish of similar weight that's only a few years old could be unsuitable to eat, a turtle that's 10 years old+, eating a similar diet could be full of bad stuff.

JS .....I guess it depends on the water they live in . I have handled snapping turtles that lived in some very putrid ponds and I couldn't get the smell off my hands for months lol . Turtles we caught at the cottage dock at the French were taken to another place a mile away but they probably came back in a week (at full speed) They ate the bottom half off our perch while on a stringer at the dock ! My Dad was one for eating stuff like that .....rattle snake , possum & skunk . UGHHH !.......( on the other hand, we eat pretty faced pigs )

[Finsanity]

There's Is noooooo comparison to the perch limit and a snapping turtle turtles do not reproduce as quickly or as large in numbers as perch. Wow. First off snapping turtles are a watched species in North America also they may be legal to catch and eat. So 1000 of at risk species. You no what happens when the angler or hunter continues to hunt because the regulations say its I'm even though it had been proved to be at risk. They end up being protected with everyone going I don't know what happend. Also on those lines you run what about hooking a painted to red eared as both are protected what happens if you kill on of those in your process to save 5 dollars. Next time you need To feed your family f it means saving a turtle I would be happy to help you out. And if your that tight for cash you have to kill the turtle to eat maybe wasting 100$ on fuel to drive to Ohio was a bad idea.

Stupid spell check on my iphone

[Seanook]

I would much rather see folks hunting for their own food instead of the " Meat Holocost" that the industry has become. At least catching your own gives em a fighting chance. Don't get me wrong, I love a Costco steak. I just have issues with the born to be food aspect.

Years ago while having a conversation with my young impressionable Son about where all those trucks full of pigs were going I had an epiphany of sorts and came to the conclusion that although I like to eat meat the industry is a little overboard.

So I say hunt and gather on as much as possible as long as rules and regs are being followed it's a good thing and a better alternative.

Look em in the eye before you eat em. There would be a whole lot more veggies on many folks tables if they had to do that before eating critters.

Just my worthless two cents.

[smerchly]

They are growing "meat" from stem cells in a lab somewhere . They hope to feed the world some day using lab meat (not labrador dogs) . That will bring a new meaning to the word "Frankfurter" ( frankenfoods) or tube steaks ( test tube meat) .Think I'll fry up some dew worms tonight ....they are easy to chew & high in protein & a renewable source . We also have a huge abundance of insects on this planet ....time to harvest a few tons of locusts , heard they are great deep fried or smothered in chocolate . Looking into the future as I get closer to it , I think meat from farm animals will get more expensive . The huge population of China for instance is developing an appetite for beef . That may push the price out of our reach . We better learn how to cook our veggies like they do . (sans monosodium glutamate) ....or ...... ya know what I mean ?

[Frank81]

I haven't eaten a snapping turtle in YEARS!! I remember them being fantastic, good job on the catch and glad you shared your pic's here on the forum yakfish.

If you are following the rules and regulations of the province, state or territory that you are harvesting in then good for you, you should not be flamed on a forum for harvesting game by the rules, the nay sayers should focus their efforts on actual poachers or contacting game authorities with their concerns to get an answer as to why snapping turtles are allowed to be harvested, rather than wasting their time and everyone elses typing up some mumbo jumbo about how things should be in their eyes.

Also, I must be shopping at the wrong stores, someone complained about yakfish catching snapping turtles to save $5.00, what kind of meat can you buy 10 pounds of for $5.00? sure the heck ain't chicken, beef or pork, clearly it's cheaper to catch you're own turtles.

[yakfish]

There's Is noooooo comparison to the perch limit and a snapping turtle turtles do not reproduce as quickly or as large in numbers as perch. Wow. First off snapping turtles are a watched species in North America also they may be legal to catch and eat. So 1000 of at risk species. You no what happens when the angler or hunter continues to hunt because the regulations say its I'm even though it had been proved to be at risk. They end up being protected with everyone going I don't know what happend. Also on those lines you run what about hooking a painted to red eared as both are protected what happens if you kill on of those in your process to save 5 dollars. Next time you need To feed your family f it means saving a turtle I would be happy to help you out. And if your that tight for cash you have to kill the turtle to eat maybe wasting 100$ on fuel to drive to Ohio was a bad idea.

Stupid spell check on my iphone

Thanks for your imput. Now I feel bad for single handedly decimating the worlds snapping turtle population.

[yakfish]

I haven't eaten a snapping turtle in YEARS!! I remember them being fantastic, good job on the catch and glad you shared your pic's here on the forum yakfish.

If you are following the rules and regulations of the province, state or territory that you are harvesting in then good for you, you should not be flamed on a forum for harvesting game by the rules, the nay sayers should focus their efforts on actual poachers or contacting game authorities with their concerns to get an answer as to why snapping turtles are allowed to be harvested, rather than wasting their time and everyone elses typing up some mumbo jumbo about how things should be in their eyes.

Also, I must be shopping at the wrong stores, someone complained about yakfish catching snapping turtles to save $5.00, what kind of meat can you buy 10 pounds of for $5.00? sure the heck ain't chicken, beef or pork, clearly it's cheaper to catch you're own turtles.

Thanks, they are very tasty! I don't mind all the haters who like to spout their opinions and who try enforce their views on others. It gives me something entertaining to read!

[boogaloo]

Good job Yak. Enjoy the bounty that nature provides. Bon appetit..........................Think I'll thaw out some Venison and mix up a marinade....................Boog

[JoeSchmoe]

JS .....I guess it depends on the water they live in . I have handled snapping turtles that lived in some very putrid ponds and I couldn't get the smell off my hands for months lol . Turtles we caught at the cottage dock at the French were taken to another place a mile away but they probably came back in a week (at full speed) They ate the bottom half off our perch while on a stringer at the dock ! My Dad was one for eating stuff like that .....rattle snake , possum & skunk . UGHHH !.......( on the other hand, we eat pretty faced pigs )

Its the mercury and other bio-accumulating chemicals I'd be concerned about... not the stink factor. Kind of like the pristine looking Lower Niagara has fish full of chemicals, but the muddy lower Grand's fish are mainly clean. Anything as old as a turtle would most likely be full of contaminants.

[Catfish]

I haven't eaten a snapping turtle in YEARS!! I remember them being fantastic, good job on the catch and glad you shared your pic's here on the forum yakfish.

If you are following the rules and regulations of the province, state or territory that you are harvesting in then good for you, you should not be flamed on a forum for harvesting game by the rules, the nay sayers should focus their efforts on actual poachers or contacting game authorities with their concerns to get an answer as to why snapping turtles are allowed to be harvested, rather than wasting their time and everyone elses typing up some mumbo jumbo about how things should be in their eyes.

Also, I must be shopping at the wrong stores, someone complained about yakfish catching snapping turtles to save $5.00, what kind of meat can you buy 10 pounds of for $5.00? sure the heck ain't chicken, beef or pork, clearly it's cheaper to catch you're own turtles.

flame has turned into rage against people who want turtles left in our beautiful world

[canadadude]

I'm back in Ohio for a while so yesterday I set a few turtle lines. Got this guy today! Turtle soup anyone??

Why don't you just kill the poor turtle if your going to eat it, do you really need to torment the creature by hanging by it's tail for a hero shot. I may not believe in killing turtles but if it's legal then to each his own, I do however hate idiots that show such disrespect for natures wildlife.If your going to hunt and kill wildlife at the very least show some respect and compassion for the animal!!!!!

[boogaloo]

Really???? I think he is showing ultimate respect for that turtle and it's jaws by holding it like that. Any other hold could be detrimental to his shins/fingers/junk...whatever.