Poor Turtle

[little rascal]

Went to check on my Big Bream Status. Oh nobody here, no taliking no ** I can go fish in peace. WRONG!!!! Fishing line all under the boat at ramp. I start pulling, don’t know what pound this whale rope is, but it won’t break.
Sometings giving, maybe it’s the whole brush pile and lily pads? No is that a turtle? Yes it is. He is slap wore out! Probably spent the night or so in cold water tangled up and needed air. Anywhoo, finally got him untangled and cut the line, which was attached to another line on the bank in some debris. Set him in the reeds, he swam under my boat, beside the ramp. Then here comes another boat down the hill to launch. Turtle sprawled out floating in the middle of the ramp. Pick him up again move him over to the side past the dock. Finally go back and check on him, still sitting on the bank. Nudge him, finally let’s out a bunch of bubbles and swims off to deeper water. Yay, now I can go fish!

 

[little rascal]

Oh, that’s the third turtle i seen in 3 years heres . 2 snappers, 1 box turtle.
No, cooters nowhere, they say theres some here, ain’t seen none. This water does stay cold up here.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Oh, that’s the third turtle i seen in 3 years heres . 2 snappers, 1 box turtle.
No, cooters nowhere, they say theres some here, ain’t seen none. This water does stay cold up here.

Snappers are pretty much the only water turtles we have here in the western NC mountains, too, except for a few softshells in a couple of very localized places.

 

[Resica]

Good job. Thanks!

 

[Nicodemus]

Fair size snapper.

 

[little rascal]

By the way, those pics didn't do him justice. He looked much bigger in person. He was sore wore out he only snapped once. Moss growing down his tail. I have noticed these up here have a smooth shell. In Georgia they had some spiny on the ridge of their shell.

 

[Nicodemus]

Just so you know, snappers are one of the top three types that are the most delicious to eat.

 

[deermaster13]

They are good eating for sure. Second only to a soft shell imo.

 

[oldfella1962]

Just so you know, snappers are one of the top three types that are the most delicious to eat.

I knew a guy in Wisconsin when I was in high school who used to eat snapping turtles, but I can't remember if I ever ate any.

 

[Big7]

Bout time to dress a few and make some stew myself.

Nobody in my family will eat turtle and my old turtle hunting partner moved back to Kentucky so if I do make some, I guess it will be just for me.

I love turtle stew !!

 

[DSGB]

By the way, those pics didn't do him justice. He looked much bigger in person. He was sore wore out he only snapped once. Moss growing down his tail. I have noticed these up here have a smooth shell. In Georgia they had some spiny on the ridge of their shell.

That is a Common Snapping Turtle. The ones with the spiny shells are Alligator Snapping Turtles.

 

[oldfella1962]

That is a Common Snapping Turtle. The ones with the spiny shells are Alligator Snapping Turtles.

Good call! Alligator snappers are generally the larger species too, right?
Or maybe I'm thinking of the alligator gar being the largest gar species.

 

[little rascal]

That is a Common Snapping Turtle. The ones with the spiny shells are Alligator Snapping Turtles.

Not entirely, caught plenty in Ga, with some spines. Alligator is entirely a different animal, really spiny, big head. These are like NC snappers, smooth shell, almost looks like they are too big for their shell. If I can go back and find some of my turtle pics, I’ll show u some Georgia Snappers with some spiny that ain’t alligators.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Not entirely, caught plenty in Ga, with some spines. Alligator is entirely a different animal, really spiny, big head. These are like NC snappers, smooth shell, almost looks like they are too big for their shell. If I can go back and find some of my turtle pics, I’ll show u some Georgia Snappers with some spiny that ain’t alligators.

We have spiny shelled common snappers here in western NC, too.

 

[Resica]

We have spiny shelled common snappers here in western NC, too.

So do we up here.

 

[Nicodemus]

Alligator snapper can`t hardly draw his head back into its shell. And only God knows just how big one of those things can grow. A throwback to the dinosaur days near about. I`ve seen a few, and like the Indigo and 7 foot diamondback, they are most impressive.

 

[Nicodemus]

One more thing about the gator snapper. Unless I`m mistaken, it`s under Federal Protection. Don`t mess with that one.

 

[Batjack]

Alligator snapper can`t hardly draw his head back into its shell. And only God knows just how big one of those things can grow.

Not sure this is a gator, but it's sure the biggest I've ever seen come from fresh water.

 

[Nicodemus]

Not sure this is a gator, but it's sure the biggest I've ever seen come from fresh water.

View attachment 1224886

Yep, that`s a gator snapper. Big one too, but they get even bigger.

The old saying is that when a turtle bites you it won`t turn loose till it thunders. Well, that doesn`t apply to those big gator snappers. Whatever it bites it will near about bite in half.

 

[Batjack]

Yep, that`s a gator snapper. Big one too, but they get even bigger.

The old saying is that when a turtle bites you it won`t turn loose till it thunders. Well, that doesn`t apply to those big gator snappers. Whatever it bites it will near about bite in half.

Friend of mine drug one about the size of a dish pan out of a lake in Pine Mountain and let his rod get too close... ended his fish'n the rest of the day. We couldn't keep his 7 year old son away from it so I grabbed a hoe out of the back of my truck and stuck in in front of that turtle and told the boy "Think of this as your leg bone."..it cut that old hickory handle in half in a blink of a eye... "boy" is near 40 now and still won't get close to a little box turtle.