Ducks and a pond with a snapping turtle?!

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They eat baby ducks like M&Ms. Ask around and see if some body is trapping snappers. Look for people who do wild life removal. Or you tube has vids on how to make your own fyke. Some tips if you want to soup 'em up don't use a hook they get what we call a fever, put them in a drum with water and let them clean themselves out, changing to fresh water each day, about a week, I have a great soup recipe that I've been using for over 50 yrs if you need one. I now take one snapper a yr for my own use. When I was younger I ran 15 t0 25 fykes and sold to resturants. My bait is sardines in oil with the tin being poked with a few holes.
 
We had some large snappers in our pond. We've seen them literally pull several of our adult full-grown ducks under the water and kill them.

Tried baiting them. Tried trapping them. None of that worked. I think the turtle actually laughed me when I tried the pellet gun.

Got an air-rifle and quickly solved the problem. Set it up about 30-50 yards away (so we didn't spook them). Waited until they float on the top surface of the water. We found this was 3-5 p.m. You'll get about 5-30 seconds to setup your shot before they go back under, but was plenty of time for my son and I take "ethical" headshots. We only like headshots. because we don't like creatures suffering, even if it is a snapping turtle. They'll go under whether you hit it or not. The best way to know if you hit it is if you see cloudy water.

There are a lot of cheaper options, like a cheap rifle, but we opted for a $1000 setup: 0.35 caliber air-rifle Challenger Pro with high magnification scope and got a 4" digital Display screen to eliminate eye-relief issues. With this setup we can get consistent headshots on a snapping turtle at about 70 yards out after very minimal practice and calibration.
 
We had some large snappers in our pond. We've seen them literally pull several of our adult full-grown ducks under the water and kill them.

Tried baiting them. Tried trapping them. None of that worked. I think the turtle actually laughed me when I tried the pellet gun.

Got an air-rifle and quickly solved the problem. Set it up about 30-50 yards away (so we didn't spook them). Waited until they float on the top surface of the water. We found this was 3-5 p.m. You'll get about 5-30 seconds to setup your shot before they go back under, but was plenty of time for my son and I take "ethical" headshots. We only like headshots. because we don't like creatures suffering, even if it is a snapping turtle. They'll go under whether you hit it or not. The best way to know if you hit it is if you see cloudy water.

There are a lot of cheaper options, like a cheap rifle, but we opted for a $1000 setup: 0.35 caliber air-rifle Challenger Pro with high magnification scope and got a 4" digital Display screen to eliminate eye-relief issues. With this setup we can get consistent headshots on a snapping turtle at about 70 yards out after very minimal practice and calibration.
 
Snappers are such dinosaurs head shot or not their nervous system keeps functioning. When I made soup chopping their heads off or three .22 hollow points to the head just tamed them down so I could clean them and still had to make sure not to grab the head 'cause they can still bite ! After scalding and splitting the top and bottom shell and dressing them out the heart would still be beating and the legs would still be moving. They even walk around with no heads attached. There is no "humane" way to kill them, you just whack 'em, and let time take care of it.
 
You do not have 1 big snapper. If you have 1, you have many. They are mostly nocturnal and a small percentage enjoy sunbathing or just taking in the sights during the day. They are devastating to small and mid-size life on/in your pond. Some will live in a hole or under a rock 50 yds from your pond and visit the water every night to feed. It may take several years of trapping pressure to rid them as they will migrate in from surrounding water. Yet my 100' X 80' pond is snapper free. Dad and I cleared (mostly) a 3 acre pond of snappers when I was a kid.

I agree with the expensive pcp air rifle setup. Benjamin has a marauder; great value. A 22 rifle with subsonics works well, be safe about bullets glancing off water surface. Snipering requires time. If you're retired, or young with the summer off, it's a satisfying accomplishment. You'll think they're gone, but the surviving few simply got wise and a week later you figure out there's more still in there. Occasionally a head shot will drt 'em, dead right there, just know the kill zone is peanut size. Nevertheless, nature is cruel and it's our job to manage (ie; lessen) the cruelty.

I find it necessary to eliminate 'em to keep partially eaten fish from floating about.

Trapping snappers is more efficient than shooting, shooting is more efficient than hooking. Just make or buy most any turtle trap and put in fish remains or a can of dogfood with ample holes. They crawl up, fall in, can't get out.
https://www.amazon.com/Tomahawk-404R-Trap-Turtles-
 
Last edited:
Sosalty said:
You do not have 1 big snapper. If you have 1, you have many. They are mostly nocturnal and a small percentage enjoy sunbathing or just taking in the sights during the day. They are devastating to small and mid-size life on your pond. Some will live in a hole or under a rock 50 yds from your pond and visit the water every night to feed. It may take years of trapping pressure to rid them from your pond as they will migrate in from surrounding areas. Yet my 100' X 80' pond is snapper free. Dad and I cleared a 3 acre pond of snappers when I was a kid.

I agree with the expensive pcp air rifle setup. Benjamin has a marauder; great value. A 22 rifle with subsonics works well, be safe about bullets glancing off water surface. Snipering requires a lot of time. If you're retired, or young with the summer off, it's a satisfying accomplishment. You'll think they're gone, but the surviving few simply got wise and a week later you figure out there's more still in there. Occasionally a head shot will kill right there, just know the kill zone is peanut size. Nevertheless, nature is cruel and it's our job to manage (ie; lessen) the cruelty.

I found it necessary to eliminate 'em to keep from losing and having maimed ducks.

Trapping snappers is more efficient than shooting. Dad and I always trapped out the snappers cause they destroy the fishing. Just make or buy most any turtle trap and put in fish remains. They crawl up, fall in, can't get out.
https://www.amazon.com/Tomahawk-404R-Trap-Turtles-
Click to expand...
Fykes are easy to make. I make mine from 2"x4" Turkey wire, and three bicycle tire rims at least 21" diameter, spokes removed of course. I used to weave the entrance netting, These days I cheat and buy fish net replacement and cut the bottom off. One of my favorite baits is Sardines packed in oil with poked holes in the tin, sorta puts out a nice chum slick. I used to sell to bars and restaurants but I have only one fyke left now, just in case I get a hankerin' for soup.
 
As I always say.
 

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