Texas just threw down the gauntlet.

[smokingman]

Turtles? I've seen snappers hunt down and eat other turtles, but didn't know they scavenged bigger critters.

I have seen a snaping turtle take down an adult mallard duck, in Indiana in a 12 acre lake.

 

[Leadeye]

I'll be curious to see how the "border czar" handles this, Texas needs to run that up the court food chain.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Turtles? I've seen snappers hunt down and eat other turtles, but didn't know they scavenged bigger critters.

Oh yes. My dad and I saw turtles tear apart a hog one time.

 

[nonobaddog]

I have seen a snaping turtle take down an adult mallard duck, in Indiana in a 12 acre lake.

 

[dieselrealtor]

View attachment 368410

I was fishing in a private lake in rural JoCo years ago, was pulling the fish basket up & it was really heavy. HUGE snapper clamped on the basket trying to get a free meal.

Wasn't as big as the one in this pic but it was the biggest one I have ever seen before or since.

 

[printcraft]

 

[nonobaddog]

View attachment 368410

This picture was taken near Brainerd Minnesota. This gal was catching some sunfish from her kayak when this turtle decided he wanted some. She didn't have a camera so she paddled to shore and got her phone and came back out to about the same place. Sure enough, after a little while the same turtle shows up again. There certainly are bigger turtles but this guy was willing to do the posing so he got his picture taken.

 

[Michigan Slim]

The true monster snappers are few now. Seemed like there were a lot more monsters when I was a kid.
I have also seen one take a duck. It was on Spring Lake near Grand Haven. Also seen pike eat baby ducks. THAT gets your attention quick. They are not subtle.

 

[dudley0]

Guy that I worked with had family hunting ground in Wisconsin. They decided to take this little clown car to the pub. On the way back they hit a snapper. It was so big the car got stuck on top of it. Guess they lifted one side of the car but were worried the turtle would get one of them.

No pictures and sadly he is no longer with us to describe in better detail.

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

View attachment 368410

Note to self: be sure to pack the 500 S&W next time I kayak at the lake. Seriously, what's stopping that guy from trying to snack on you instead?

 

[nonobaddog]

When I was young I used to sell snappers. They are good to eat (taste like chicken). A friend had a Honda 65 and we would both get on it and drive gravel roads looking for turtles. You can go a long ways on that bike for 30 cents worth of gas back in those days. When we found one I would get in front of it and get its attention and he would come from behind and step on it so it couldn't move. Then I would grab it by the tail and we would go fast as we could to the guy that bought them. Anything over 25 pounds I couldn't handle safely on the back of the bike so we couldn't get the biggest ones.

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

On a semi-related note, there is a local legend from some of the nearby conservation clubs around here. Two older gentlemen were fishing when one went to lift up the fish basket. When he reached for the basket, a decent sized snapper, already latched on the basket trying to chew its way in, saw his hand coming and bit his index finger off. Almost without thinking he pulled out his .45 and shot the turtle and collected the body, rushed for the coast, and proceeded to quickly gut the thing while 911 was called. They were then able to save and re-attach the finger in time.

I'm not sure if this story was true or not, but some of the senior members of my club say they actually met the guy. Called him "Quick Draw" or something.

 

[nonobaddog]

Note to self: be sure to pack the 500 S&W next time I kayak at the lake. Seriously, what's stopping that guy from trying to snack on you instead?

They move pretty good in the water but they swim away from you. You can chase them. That one wanted the fish in the basket, not the person. I don't remember anybody ever getting bit by one in the water.

But be careful with them on land. They can move fast for about a foot or so and they can spin around halfway pretty fast. And they are in "bite first" mode when they are on land. They can snap sticks that are like 1/2 inch and if it is bigger and they can't snap it they just hang on and don't let go. Everybody said they could bite a finger off but I never heard of that actually happening.

 

[nonobaddog]

Personally I believe one could bite a finger off but it might be pretty mangled up when you get it back from him.

 

[TheGrumpyGuy]

The true monster snappers are few now. Seemed like there were a lot more monsters when I was a kid.

...or maybe, they seemed that huge because you were just a kid

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

They move pretty good in the water but they swim away from you. You can chase them. That one wanted the fish in the basket, not the person. I don't remember anybody ever getting bit by one in the water.

But be careful with them on land. They can move fast for about a foot or so and they can spin around halfway pretty fast. And they are in "bite first" mode when they are on land. They can snap sticks that are like 1/2 inch and if it is bigger and they can't snap it they just hang on and don't let go. Everybody said they could bite a finger off but I never heard of that actually happening.

To be fair, it probably is just a legend. I know someone from this group that lost his finger because he was drunk, not paying attention, and put his finger into a running serpentine belt while working on an engine. Losing it to a monster turtle, and shooting it just to get it back is a lot cooler than nearly losing a digit to redneck engineering and being a good-ol-boy mechanic.

 

[dudley0]

When younger we would catch a snapper in Grandparent's pond. We would take a spade and taunt it until it bit. Then we would carry it up to the well house that way. They always had a rain barrel for cleaning out catfish and turtles. Occasionally it was used to drown chipmunks.

 

[Alamo]

Ok,can we put snappers in the Rio Grande along with
alligators?

 

[foszoe]

Ok,can we put snappers in the Rio Grande along with
alligators?

That's cruel and unusual punishment.....


Too hot and dry for them

 

[Michigan Slim]

...or maybe, they seemed that huge because you were just a kid

One filled the center section of a 14' jon boat. Two old black women used to trot line them along the Grand River and Spring Lake. They were truly huge.