northernpike56 Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 Is it true that you can keep a snapping turtle with just a sport fishing license (as long as you have caught it in season and by a legal method, and are planning to report the harvest to the MNR)? I was looking through the hunting regs and it seemed to say that it was legal, but I've always thought you'd need a small game license to keep one. Thoughts??
Woodsman Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 Yes it's true. GAME AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES Holders of valid recreational fishing licences may catch and retain bullfrogs and snapping turtles during open seasons. For details on harvest areas, season dates and catch and possession limits, see the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary. From pg. 11 of the 2015 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary.
Freshtrax Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 Yep but you must catch it with your bare hands.
Old Ironmaker Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 (edited) Hahaaaaaa. That's a keeper. Seriously, barehands. Edited March 4, 2015 by Old Ironmaker
Freshtrax Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 "Under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act the Snapping Turtle can be taken with a valid sport or fishing license by box or funnel trap or by bare hands." Info may me outdated. May want to check with a co. Anyone eat one ? I'd give it a try on a small one.
mike rousseau Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 I used to catch em bare handed all the time... They come into the boathouse to eat the fish guts... They show up like 15-20 minutes after you put some in the water... I used to use a net when I was a kid but it made to much of a mess or they wouldn't fit... Then I would just grab em with my hands... Always let em go after... It was neat for any kids around or city folk... They looked at my like I was the crocodile hunter or something... They didn't seam to mind too much... They'd be back eating again within the hour.... Now we just watch them quietly... We even recognize a few of the bigger ones that show up regularly...
Beavertail Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 Yeah, I use to catch them when I was growing up too. At one time I entertained the idea of eating one, but never got around to it...most of the specimens I caught were stinky, foul, prehistoric creatures - not too appetizing. I do recall cooking instructions(boiling) that required many, many water changes. Don't think the wife would be all too happy about it!
dave524 Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 I ate snapping turtle soup a few times back when I lived in Port Rowan in the early 70's. Never was in on the cleaning or the prep, I do remember veggies ( celery and carrots ) and pot barley in there, no noodles. But there are probably as many recipes as there are cooks but it was tasty. So was marsh rabbit stew, but you need to know a muskrat trapper for that one, they are only legal under a trapping license. I recall them saying there is seven different kinds of meat on a turtle.
Beavertail Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 So was marsh rabbit stew, but you need to know a muskrat trapper for that one, they are only legal under a trapping license. Curious about this Marsh Rabbit...never heard of it before. Is this in Ontario? As far as I'm aware, we only have Cottontails, Snowshoe Hares and European Hares...
Thrilla Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 Went to a Muskrat dinner a month ago and I couldn't believe how good it was
AKRISONER Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 people will friggin eat anything...ill stick with steak and the occaisonal venison and elk steak.
dave524 Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 Curious about this Marsh Rabbit...never heard of it before. Is this in Ontario? As far as I'm aware, we only have Cottontails, Snowshoe Hares and European Hares. They call muskrat stew , marsh rabbit stew just to make it sound more appetizing.
Beavertail Posted March 4, 2015 Report Posted March 4, 2015 I suppose any menu item with the word "rat" in it can be a slightly discouraging!
northernpike56 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Report Posted March 5, 2015 I catch them with my hands all the time lol, plus I have a ton of experience getting hooks out of the really dumb ones that decide to go for my lures. Long pliers are a must!
manitoubass2 Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 (edited) Ive had snapping turtle as well. Had good flavor but boy it coulda been prepped/cooked better. Toughest meat ever lol Here in NWO they get hyyyuge!!! Ive seen some that musta been 50-60lbs Edited March 5, 2015 by manitoubass2
Thrilla Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 people will friggin eat anything...ill stick with steak and the occaisonal venison and elk steak. Don't knock it till ya try it!
AKRISONER Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 you wouldnt be grabbing the snappers around my cottage by the tail, some are probably close to 40 lbs, their shells are easily 3x3
Beavertail Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 I don't know how good it is for the turtle, grabbing them by the tail...but it's good for the handler! I always liked to keep my hands as far away from that mouth as possible. They have really long, flexible necks and can reach back pretty far lightning quick. We use to get them to snap down on a branch and it was impressive, they would make short work of a finger.
Old Ironmaker Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 I could never eat anything that moved slower than I do. It looks about as appetizing as the guys foot in the pic above. But to each his own. I generally won't eat anything I wouldn't kiss on the lips. Lobster and Calamari isn't very appetizing either so there are exceptions to my rules.
Big Cliff Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 Man this is an interesting thread! First of all (and this is from experience): Snapping turtles are EXCELLENT eating! As Dave524 stated, there are 7 different kinds of meat in one. My son has cooked them up on more than one occasion and it is excellent! While they do have very powerful jaws, it is clamping strength, not cutting strength! For those of you that have had one chomp down on a stick, have you ever seen one bite through it? Not likely, they will chomp down on it and hold on but they don't cut through it. Mind you, it would HURT your finger! I have handled them on MANY occasions, I just pick them up by the shell, one hand on each side between the front and back legs, I have never been bitten by one (lots have tried but they just can't get their head that far around), the legs are a different story, they will try to kick your hand off and the claws can be a little sharp but nothing serious. If you haven't tried it don't knock it, a lot of people haven't tried frogs legs, muscrat, beaver, racoon.... They are all good eating (well I wasn't crazy about the racoon but if I was hunger!!!!!)
northernpike56 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Report Posted March 5, 2015 Man this is an interesting thread! First of all (and this is from experience): Snapping turtles are EXCELLENT eating! As Dave524 stated, there are 7 different kinds of meat in one. My son has cooked them up on more than one occasion and it is excellent! While they do have very powerful jaws, it is clamping strength, not cutting strength! For those of you that have had one chomp down on a stick, have you ever seen one bite through it? Not likely, they will chomp down on it and hold on but they don't cut through it. Mind you, it would HURT your finger! I have handled them on MANY occasions, I just pick them up by the shell, one hand on each side between the front and back legs, I have never been bitten by one (lots have tried but they just can't get their head that far around), the legs are a different story, they will try to kick your hand off and the claws can be a little sharp but nothing serious. If you haven't tried it don't knock it, a lot of people haven't tried frogs legs, muscrat, beaver, racoon.... They are all good eating (well I wasn't crazy about the racoon but if I was hunger!!!!!) this is how I've heard is the best way for the turtle, I want to start trying it next year with the medium sized ones I catch. I've heard that they cannot actually snap you if you hold them this way and it puts zero stress on the tail!!!
northernpike56 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Report Posted March 5, 2015 I could never eat anything that moved slower than I do. It looks about as appetizing as the guys foot in the pic above. But to each his own. I generally won't eat anything I wouldn't kiss on the lips. Lobster and Calamari isn't very appetizing either so there are exceptions to my rules. I dare you to kiss a pike on the lips LOL
wallacio Posted March 5, 2015 Report Posted March 5, 2015 (edited) I find it ridiculous that the MNRF still allows harvest of Snapping Turtles when they are on the Species at Risk in Ontario List. Something to consider even though harvest is legal: "The threats of habitat loss and degradation do not negatively affect habitat generalists, like the snapping turtle, as severely as they affect some other species at risk. The life history of the snapping turtle, however, like that of most of Ontario’s turtle species, is characterized by a late age of maturity and a slow reproduction rate, and adults normally live a very long time in the wild – up to 70 years for many individuals. As a result, the loss of even a few adult turtles from a population every year is enough to cause that population to decline, and this makes snapping turtle populations very vulnerable to threats such as road mortality, hunting and poaching. Even though the removal of adults is a serious threat to this species, and despite the snapping turtle being a species at risk in Ontario, hunting this species is still legal in the province (the legal limit is two snapping turtles per day per person). The Ontario Multi-Species Turtles at Risk Recovery Team has strongly urged the Ontario government to remove the snapping turtle from the list of game species in Ontario but so far has been ignored." From: http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/species/reptiles_and_amphibians/snapping_turtle.php More info: http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2012/02/18/ontario_snapping_turtle_endangered_yet_hunted.html Edited March 6, 2015 by wallacio
d_paluch Posted March 6, 2015 Report Posted March 6, 2015 would NEVER even think about eating them. All the ones I have caught smell absolutely disgusting. Not to mention they are probably ancient and I have too much respect for them lol Bronte Creek 4-5 years ago
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