snapping turtles

[Riffecreek]

Quote:
a huge snapper can pull a grown duck under...

If it was me in your shoes, I'd set the turtle lines but also look into other possible things too.. Sounds more like a mother critter with young to me.. I'd be looking for cat tracks mainly by the way you explain it..

 

[fishinchicken]

Cat tracks? What kind of cat? Domestic house cat or like a bobcat or something? I have barn cats and they never mess with the chickens or the ducks...they are scaredy cats!!! We haven't seen any tracks...none! I hope I have only one and it swallowed the hook!!!

 

[Riffecreek]

Quote:
bobcat is what comes to my mind.. They don't leave very many tracks as they are lite with a big padded foot.. it would have to me muddy or REAL soft ground before they leave any sign at all.

 

[yotetrapper]

Have many hawks around?

 

[catsmithpuddin]

You have not transplanted any big bass in the pond have you? LOL

If you have a trapper in the family you can hold a pretty good snapper in a 330 till ya get there. Watch your fingers getting him out!

 

[fishinchicken]

Well we used a treble hook and line at first but it actually snapped one of the hooks off and got the bait. We tried the hose thing this evening and are giving it some time before we pull it up to check. My hubby is a trapper and while we have some coyote around they have never bothered the chickens before. The ducks are right out there with them too. Hawks...we got them but haven't had that problem yet either. Everyone is still around this afternoon but I have noticed that they are staying on the upper end of the pond where the spring feeds in...its very shallow and narrow there so I guess they feel more comfortable there. I don't know what to do now but wait. I have had issues with big river rats making homes under the chicken coop. I lost one little one to what I assume was the rats and well we camped out with the 22 and eliminated that problem quickly.