Snapper Survey

[bobpbx]

NJ state Snapper Survey

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12x4nzmLhCRs20vDIxBSpEkwj9dg81E8y70-rcDMIKu4/viewform

My comments I placed in the comment section. Feel free to cut and paste any part of it if you take the survey.

No changes should be implemented that would cause the recreational angler any grief regarding snapping turtles. They are out there to catch fish, and should not have to look over their shoulder to see if the law is going to bother them about accidentally snagging a snapper. If they do snag them, they should be allowed to keep them. Nobody is ever going to catch enough with a fishing pole to destroy the species. Also, questions 19 and 20 oppose each other and force one to say that they would pay at least $5. I should not have to pay anything for turtles I catch as long as I have a fishing license.

 

[RednekF350]

The commercial permit for snappers is a little worrisome to me Bob. There is a discretionary bag limit and the NJFW reviews each permit individually and decides whether or not to issue it.
They are not fast growers or prolific producers and I think the 3 per day recreational bag is plenty.

Here is the text from the 2015 digest:
Snapping turtles may only be taken in fresh waters of the state. See page 32 for established fishing license
lines that designate between fresh and marine waters. Any person with a valid fishing license or those entitled to
fish without a license may take snapping turtles, bull frogs, and green frogs by means of spears, hooks, dip nets (not

more than 24 inches in diameter), traps or by hand. Snapping turtles may not be taken with a gun or bow and arrow.

Snapping turtles, bull frogs, and green frogs may be taken in numbers greater than the daily limit under a commercial

harvest permit issued by Fish and Wildlife at its discretion. Contact (609) 984-0530 for application information.

 

[bobpbx]

The commercial permit for snappers is a little worrisome to me Bob.

Perhaps. I've never seen a commercial harvester. As long as they leave the common angler alone, they can do what they want with them. But, they should base it on real data. If snappers are diminishing, can they really blame it on commercial harvesters?

 

[dragoncjo]

Other than trapping and roadkills they have zero predators. They rely on a long life (nobody knows how long they can live) to produce enough to carry on the population. They are slow to sexual maturity so to me excessive trapping would wreck a population. Unfortunately they have only just started collecting data to see if trapping is sustainable. The other issue for all turtles is predation by raccoons and other critters. I do believe if the young hatch they are cryptic enough to do ok making it to adulthood. If you can ever find an isolated swamp free from roads or trapping its amazing site to find dozens of gigantic ones roaming about. Out at little mill cc there is a pond where about 12 20+ snappers feed along the banks every night, pretty cool to see. If I had a desire to trap this spot I could eliminate all in a week no problem, seems excessive. I would like to see the number reduced greatly, maybe 3 a year.

 

[Don Catts]

Is this a dinosaur or what?

She had just finished laying her eggs in my garden and was heading back to the lake. I placed an old lawn mower over the eggs so raccoons couldn’t dig them up. They say it takes 80 days for snapper eggs to hatch. On the 80th day exactly, I came home from the coffee shop to find these guys walking all over the yard.

This was about 7 years ago. About 40 years ago when I moved here the yard was full of snappers laying eggs. Today I am luck to find one or two a year.
A friend of mine caught this one about two years ago. 54lbs not the state record so we put him back in the lake. Maybe he will put on a few more pounds.

Don

 

[NJChileHead]

I may be way off, but this might be happening because of the demand for snapping turtles in the Asian markets. Asian turtle populations have been decimated because of it, and now there is an increase in trapping in North America for their markets. I remember reading about this a few years ago, there were some articles concerning the unsustainability of the current demand.

 

[GermanG]

I've spoken to a few older men who used to trap them in our area but my impression was that this was a declining activity rather than an increasing one. I don't know this for a fact, but if that is indeed the case, I see no benefit from harrassing the participants in one more dying tradition. Habitat loss and degredation is the single biggest enemy by far of most species anyway. Good intentioned people too-often tend to ignore the bulldozers and air nailers whitting away at the natural environment and focus on the people using its renewable resources instead. Management decisions should be founded in sound science but I have less faith in the state doing that than in their chasing more income anyplace it can be found.

 

[dragoncjo]

Other than trapping and roadkills they have zero predators. They rely on a long life (nobody knows how long they can live) to produce enough to carry on the population. They are slow to sexual maturity so to me excessive trapping would wreck a population. Unfortunately they have only just started collecting data to see if trapping is sustainable. The other issue for all turtles is predation by raccoons and other critters. I do believe if the young hatch they are cryptic enough to do ok making it to adulthood. If you can ever find an isolated swamp free from roads or trapping its amazing site to find dozens of gigantic ones roaming about. Out at little mill cc there is a pond where about 12 20+ snappers feed along the banks every night, pretty cool to see.

 

[dragoncjo]

I can't speak for sure, but I think this is being done because they are exploring how sustainable the practice is. I don't think its an attempt to gain more revenue. I know a biologist who may be leading this and it is indeed an attempt at sound science followed by decisions.

Asian countries obliterate turtle populations.

 

[RednekF350]

I received another email in work today from NJDEP. For anyone who may be interested the deadline for submitting the survey is February 28, 2015.

 

[manumuskin]

Dragon. Little Mill is a special place. My best friends Dad caretook that piece of ground for years before the out of state owner sold it out from under him to the State. He had asked for first dibs on buying it but she shafted him.Me and his son used to camp out there right next to the Mill foundations on the nw corner of the pond.We used to walk the stream above and below,it was nice and sandy.Also built a sweat lodge at the head of the pond so we could jump in the creek afterward. Also found quite a bit of pot once growing upstream by Hunters Mill Road.Turned it in to the cops but the idiots botched it by flagging the trail I led em out on.I told em they would never catch em that way. Sure enough the next week it was all dug up and gone.The plants were less then a foot tall and about 200 of em. On an island of high ground surrounded by briars.I didn't even know the island was there but we were walking the creek and found their trail to the water. They left a barely discernible trail out.Upon exiting onto the road (We came out their trail) the I turned around and gasped in horror as the detective was flagging the trail.I said WHAT ARE YOU DOING? He said he didn't want to lose the trail.(Moron).That was the end of that bust.He may have been the one to come back and steal it come to think of it.I took him in through the briars because he said no to walking up the creek and I didn't find their trail out till I started looking around once there again.He bitched and cried all the way through the briars.I never seen a grown man whine like that.Any way Little Mill rules.Me and my buddy still go shroom hunting back there occasionally.Lot of Honey Shrooms and Boletes back there.