Solar Turtle Trap - for my Pond

[Bdavis]

My Dad and I recently built a turtle trap for my pond and the thing works pretty well.
I got the idea from the internet and the rough dimensions. It is made from 4 inch pvc (schedule 40)
(I would try to get a lighter grade PVC if I had to do it again - this thing is a Heavy)
It is about 36 inches by 43 inches with a net that is about 2 feet deep. I really have to give all the credit to my Dad ( who just turned 89) he designed the flipper boards and balanced them out perfect, they work great.
When the turtle walks out, the board flips down putting them in the trap and then resets.

The only close up picture I have of the trap is when I did the test float. (We really weren't sure it would float ! but it does fine) . I do not have a close up picture of the attachment boards that actually float in the water so they can swim up on to the board. The attachment board that goes in the water is the key, it must extend enough into the water so that they can easily swim onto the board and climb up. I scoop the turtles out and relocate them to a nearby river.

 

[DT86]

I have never seen anything like that. Pretty slick! :thumbsup:

 

[RobertBrown]

What is the problem with the turtles? Why do you relocate them?

 

[murphy1244]

What is the problem with the turtles? Why do you relocate them?

I'd like to know that too since my pond store sells them for 27.00 each, unless your talking snappers.

 

[RobertBrown]

I have relocated many into my pond. I like to see them.

 

[Bdavis]

I'd like to know that too since my pond store sells them for 27.00 each, unless your talking snappers.

Wow ! you couldn't get 27 cents for them down here unless it was a snapper . Snapping turtles bring top dollar because they are used in turtle sauce piquante . You have to use a underwater baited trap for snapping turtles.

I have nothing against turtles but what we call "red ears" can take over a pond in a matter of months. A friend of mine caught 53 out of his pond in one summer. Most people around here think I am crazy for catching and relocating them instead of shooting them. I am just trying to keep the population in check.
They are so plentiful that even if I did remove every single turtle from my pond they would repopulate it in a matter of months.
I feed my fish and fish food is not cheap. I don't mind feeding a couple of dozen turtles but I do not want to feed a 100 turtles.

 

[murphy1244]

Take them to this place...http://www.jonesfish.com/content/redear-slider-turtles

 

[Bdavis]

Take them to this place...Redear Slider Turtles | jonesfish.com

Ohio is just a little too far (from south Mississippi -grin). I guess it is all about location.

 

[Ranchero50]

Anyone who's seen a pond turn mud brown and the fish stock vanish from turtle overpopulation will understand. Great deal with creating the trap.

18" of 4" EMT makes a great possum pivot trap. Just weld a bar across one end lets the head stick out for easy dispatch and weld the pivot pins at halfway. Dog food works great as bait. 2" works for squirrels.

A 5 gallon bucket with 2" of water and an old yardstick seems best for mice. Just lay the yardstick on the lip of the bucket with about 3" of overhang and dob some peanut butter on the bottom of the overhang. 2" because wet mice don't jump very well and they can't swim forever. Easy cleanup and reset. I hit fifteen in my old rented garage in one week.

Box traps work great for cats. Feral ones go to cat heaven and the tame ones are usually claimed once they see their cat in the padlocked trap.

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't think I have a turtle over population, but would guess there are about a dozen of them in my 4 acre pond. From what I can tell, they are all red ear turtles about the size of an outstretched hand. What is the problem with them? I kind of like them, but then I also like seeing egrets and herons at my pond, even though they eat my fish.

I used to have a snake problem, but my brother stayed here for a summer and shot several of them a week and I haven't seen any in there for three years now.

Eddie

 

[SPIKER]

Yep around here the Red Ears are nice and rather common in most areas with a mild population in wild along lakes rivers and farm ponds. half dozen or more per acre is ok but much more then can dent the small fish population. They love goldfish ponds as the gold fish are slow and tasty I'm guessing full of oil like other carp species. Jones gets a pretty penny for them and same for ADULT BULL FROGS they want LOTS for them it seems. Back in 98 or so my boss put in a big pond 4+ acres mostly all dug but was swampy too. Jones delivered channel cats (red-ear, green shell crackers & standard blue gills) large mouth bass... They had 4 pairs of bullfrogs in the truck for a 2nd delivery few hundred bucks worth guy said.


Mark

 

[Redbug]

I have seen people tack a cage without a top below water level on logs the turtles bask on. When you approach by boat, the turtles slide off the log and into the cage. The turtles don't think of swimming upward to get out. You can then pull alongside and harvest the turtles. I think there was a large market for turtles to be eaten overseas, (Asia, China, etc.), and it has gotten out of hand since there were no regs on turtle harvesting. That has changed in the past year or so.