A Snapping Turtle and a Spotted Turtle

[woodjin]

I went fishing this morning in a remote abandoned bog I've been meaning to try out. No luck at all with fish but as I was working the far shore with waders on I was walking though submerged sphagnum moss and downed cedars when I saw what first appeared to be an inverted washtub about 4" below the surface. A second later I realized it was one monster of a snapper. Now I'm an avid fisherman and I've seen many snapping turtles but this one was a sight to behold. I waded up directly behind him. His tail was the size of my forearm and his head was nearly as big as my own. He didn't seem too concerned that I was there. I value my appendages and make a point not to mess with snappers but I had to give him a nudge with my knee. He slowly headed away.

I moved to slightly higher ground (though still at the swampy bog edge) and caught a spotted turtle. A very healthy specimen. I thought of your post Swwit but I didn't have a camera and, with my fishing gear, there was no way I could carry him very far.

Not much luck fishing but the turtles made up for it.

Jeff

 

[bobpbx]

I went fishing this morning in a remote abandoned bog I've been meaning to try out. No luck at all with fish but as I was working the far shore with waders on I was walking though submerged sphagnum moss and downed cedars when I saw what first appeared to be an inverted washtub about 4" below the surface. A second later I realized it was one monster of a snapper. Now I'm an avid fisherman and I've seen many snapping turtles but this one was a sight to behold. I waded up directly behind him. His tail was the size of my forearm and his head was nearly as big as my own. He didn't seem too concerned that I was there. I value my appendages and make a point not to mess with snappers but I had to give him a nudge with my knee. He slowly headed away.

I moved to slightly higher ground (though still at the swampy bog edge) and caught a spotted turtle. A very healthy specimen. I thought of your post Swwit but I didn't have a camera and, with my fishing gear, there was no way I could carry him very far.

Not much luck fishing but the turtles made up for it.

Jeff

Cool, we'll have to go back and get a shot of that. Where were you about? If you don't want to broadcast, PM me.

 

[swwit]

The snapping turtle must be ancient. He obviously has no predators.lol. Neat find.

 

[wis bang]

The snapping turtle must be ancient. He obviously has no predators.lol. Neat find.

It's also the reason you didn't catch any fish...That's one old snapper...

 

[suresue592003]

I have been recently hearing tales of bigger then usual snappers showing up. Is trapping them still allowed or are then now considered endangered speceis? Someone told me as of June 18th it is legal to trap with a license. I do not think your big guy has much to worry about. A snapper that size would most likely get out of the average trap.
I have an old newspaper clipping from around 1953 that shows to area guys holding 2 enormous snappers. (a rare find today) Not being sure of the exact date, I was wondering how to go about researching the newspaper's archives. Anyone who wants to work with me on this project is welcomed.

 

[Badfish740]

I'm trying to remember this nature show that I saw a while ago on Animal Planet. They were in the Bayous of Louisiana talking about "Alligator Snapping Turtles" which sound a lot like what you saw. Would such a turtle be found in this area or was that simply a HUGE regular snapper? My great grandfather used to trap snappers and sell them and my dad would go with him when he was a kid. I don't think he ever really went down in the pines, but he trapped a lot in central Jersey (Mercer/Burlington County area) back when when it was a lot more rural. He used to tell me about some monsters but not as big as the one you saw. One of the best spots to trap was a old mill in Crosswicks with rickety dam that had created two large ponds with an island in the center. I caught a few good sized ones there as a kid (mostly by accident on a fishing line), but we never swam in there for fear of coming out minus a finger or a toe...lol

 

[bobpbx]

The biggest snapper I have ever seen I can probably get a photo of. It was caught by a guy on the Lakehurst Navy base about 8 years ago. The guy holding it was holding it up by the tail and it was absolutely huge. He was a big guy and you could tell he was straining.

I'll pursue the photo.

 

[Bobbleton]

Would such a turtle be found in this area or was that simply a HUGE regular snapper?

No alligator snappers here. The only way might be if it was somebody's pet and released. Most likely it was just a monster common snapping turtle.

Cool find though. I've seen a few snapping turtles this year but they all seem to give me the slip before i can properly wrangle.

-Bob

 

[Teegate]

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/384-1/snap.jpg

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/384-1/snap.jpg

Guy

'Ol crusty! I seen him down round Jenkins Neck. He do git around.

 

[NJSnakeMan]

yeah probualy just a huge common snapper. Found two huge ones like that last year at my park. I got a picture of a common snapper on my website in Album ''Birch Grove Park''

www.bcurtis1.photosite.com

my main site:
www.freewebs.com/njherpetology

-njsnakeman

 

[woodjin]

No this was not an Alligator snapper. As Bobbleton mentioned they are not native to the pine barrens. I did see an alligator snapper once in an aquarium in a resturante in Mississippi. It was HUGE. Thank God we don't have those things around...they'll take your whole leg off.LOL

Sue, I do not know if it is still legal to trap them, though, I suspect it is. Just today I was telling my neighbor about the turtle and he told me he used to have friend at work who would trap them regularly and sell them to the Half Way House on Route 72. Which, incidently is where I frequently go to eat snapper soup. I don't know how long ago this was. My neighbor has lived out here for about 30-35 years.

Bob, if you could find that photo I could tell you how this one compared size-wise.

Jeff

 

[suresue592003]

BobM & Woodjin

Bob, the picture you posted weight was estimated by a professional trapper at around 28lbs. I am going to inquire more into the laws governing snapper trapping. Woodjin: Selling snappers and deer meat has a very long history in the pines. Many bars along the 206 area of Tabernacle and Indian Mills were very active in this purchasing as well. I myself do not like snapper soup, but alot of the old timers still love it! I heard it is great fried as well. Also back in the old days, muskrat was eaten as well. I heard there is a gun club down in Vineland somewhere that annually has a muskrat dinner.

 

[RednekF350]

We still snapper down here and all you need is a fishing license, not a trapping license.
You are allowed 3 snappers a day with no size limit.
The season was from 1-1-05 to 4-30-05 and will reopen and run from 6-16-05 to 12-31-05.
Bull and green frogs are in from 7-1-05 to 12-31-05 and you are allowed 15 a day.
I used to gig a lot of frogs before they startred closing the season in the middle.
My sportsmen club had a kids campout every year on the Friday night and Saturday of Mother's day weekend each year and we would take the kids gigging and have a cook-up at the end with teryaki frog legs.
About 10 years ago F&G started closing the frog season in May and we stopped gigging.
For anyone who is interested here is the link to the section of the game laws that covers frogging and snappering.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2005/digfsh5-17.pdf
Scott

 

[Teegate]

Did you ever see that video of the man who fell on his gig and it went right through his face? It has been shown on quite a few different shows. Those things take no prisoners!

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Bob, the picture you posted weight was estimated by a professional trapper at around 28lbs. I am going to inquire more into the laws governing snapper trapping. Woodjin: Selling snappers and deer meat has a very long history in the pines. Many bars along the 206 area of Tabernacle and Indian Mills were very active in this purchasing as well. I myself do not like snapper soup, but alot of the old timers still love it! I heard it is great fried as well. Also back in the old days, muskrat was eaten as well. I heard there is a gun club down in Vineland somewhere that annually has a muskrat dinner.

Sue, I'm not sure what you mean. I didn't post it yet. Have you seen the photo or heard about it?

 

[suresue592003]

I saw the show with the gig, it was horrible! Not the smartest thing though, to be using as a walking cane at night through the swamp, especially with the forked end facing upward!
Thank you so much for the info on snapper trapping.

 

[Teegate]

Sue, I'm not sure what you mean. I didn't post it yet. Have you seen the photo or heard about it?

Bob I posted that photo. She got us confused.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

I saw the show with the gig, it was horrible! Not the smartest thing though, to be using as a walking cane at night through the swamp, especially with the forked end facing upward!

Yea..I forgot to mention that he was walking with it facing his head. It pushed his eye back and they thought it was destroyed, but when they pulled it out the eye went right back in place.

Guy

 

[suresue592003]

Teegate

If I understand the postings correctly, in post # 10 in this thread BobM posted a link to a photo you took and it gives credit with your name.
Tell me, am I still confused?