snapping turtles

[fishinchicken]

Last fall my husband dug me a pond below our chicken coop. Its roughly 15' wide at its widest point and about 4 ft deep with gradual slope. I waited to see how it would hold water before I committed ot ducks. 2 months ago I got 7 buff orp ducklings and raised them in the basement. Last weekend we moved them out to the pond and shelter. All went well until Wednesday and 2 went missing. I thought they had just wandered down the creek but they didn't return. No tracks, no feathers nothing. Thursday another was gone and Friday another. Lost the 5th on Saturday. All we can figure is that a turtle has possibly claimed residency of the pond and creek. My husband has baited traps and we are waiting to see if we get anything. So while talking to my chicken man...he said he had some adult Indian Runners for me so we loaded them up and brought them home. They are currently locked in the quack shack, safe and sound, along with the remaining 2 Buffs! I've got a pair of chocolate and a pair of mallards. I can't wait to see if I get some eggs. Pray we catch the turtle. Anyone have advice on what to do it the chicken liver live trap doesn't work?

 

[Sweetwater Clyde]

Don't know where you live, but the turtle thing is fairly unlikely given the time of year and the fact that turtles are probably hibernating in most of the country. If they are out they are not moving very fast.

It is far more likely that a wild animal took the birds and ate them in seclusion somewhere. Really the only time you will see any real evidence of what happened to a missing bird is when you have been visited by a small mammal like an opposum, raccoon, weasel, mink, or even a skunk. Larger critters like coyotes are smart enough to want to get in, and get out as fast as possible.

If I get lazy and don't lock the chickens up at night, and I get pestered by a coyote all you will hear is a "BLLLURPP!!!" and never see anything amiss...except a chicken.

I also forgot to add that ducks will find company...and walk or fly to a place that suits them better than the paradise you made for them. One time I had a pair of ducks I released on my dads 2 acre pond, figured it was the perfect place. Well they disapeared after a couple days. Figured they became part of the food chain. But when I was driving by my dads neighbors the next summer there they were. I asked him about them and he said they just showed up one day, and started paling around with his ducks and geese.

 

[CritterCatcher]

Up here we are still quite cool...still some ice in the creeks and ponds.....YES the turtles are out...been catching turtles in the beaver traps the last 2 weeks....so it could be a turtle....
if you dont catch it with the liver...give me a PM and i can give you a couple methods that work...
CC

 

[Riffecreek]

We catch them all the time with 250+ lb test trot line staging about 6-8 feet long with a trot line hook on the end.. bait with cut bait (blue gill) Just tie it off to a bigger clump of grass, wood stake, or something like that and throw it in. in a day or two you will have the turtle if he's in there!

 

[fishinchicken]

Well we have had temps in the 60-80 range for the last two weeks or I would not have moved them outside yet. My husband runs trap lines in the winter and knows what the larger predator tracks look like. Besides that we saw the turtle and he could have shot it if he had been prepared this morning. I am almost positive that it is a turtle getting the girls...they don't fly and we are the only farm for miles with ducks.

 

[dutchhollow]

Quote:
x2. We use chicken necks, wings also.

 

[Attack Chicken]

I agree with the trot line. Either that or get a desent size hook and hook up to a fishin pole and bait it with liver/cutbait and throw it out there. Give the turtle time to swallow the bait and hook them reel him in and fresh turtle soup!

Takes pics when you get him.

 

[fishinchicken]

Someone at work told me to use a pair of old panty hose and put the "bait" in the hose and then onto the hook or line and then they can't nibble it from the hook. The ducks were small so I hope that my adult Runners will be okay. What do you all think?

 

[Attack Chicken]

Quote:
Never heard that but it's worth trying! Makes sense.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Snapping turtle soup is really good


Sorry about your ducklings. I would keep the adults off of the pond also until the turtle is caught (hopefully you only have one).