Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Talking Turtle with Maine’s IFW

Here is the transcript of my e-mail conversation with Jonathan Mays with the Reptile, Amphibian, & Invertebrate Group at the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. It serves to provide additional information and clarification around the laws and regulations concerning the trapping of snapping turtles. A special thanks to Jonathan!

Steve,

Thanks for checking in on snapping turtle trapping in Maine.  It looks like you got your information from the Maine Warden Service FAQ webpage (http://www.maine.gov/ifw/warden_service/faq.html).

Aside from prohibiting the commercial take of reptiles (including snapping turtles), personal use/take is allowed and legal in Maine (exception being any species listed Endangered/Threatened).  Since snapping turtles are not considered either endangered / threatened, game, or sport fish, there are no additional specific laws or rules as to harvest regulations, gear, season, etc.  The gray area arises when you consider potential by-catch of fish, fur-bearers, etc. that do have rules and regs associated with them.  For example, your question regarding use of a hook w/ steel leader tied to shore (i.e., fixed line) isn't covered in regard to snapping turtles but is clearly an illegal method of fishing as defined in MDIFW's Inland Fishing regulations (see the definition for "set line" on page 11 here : http://www.maine.gov/ifw/laws_rules/fishing/pdfs/Laws&Definitions.pdf).

So, while personal snapping turtle trapping is allowed/legal without specific permits, licenses, or regulations, you have to consider the anticipated methods and whether or not they could potentially take other species (by-catch) that do have laws/rules associated with them (sport fish, fur- bearers, game animals, etc.).  With that in mind, here's your questions one at a time with my answers in all caps:

1. Is a fishing license required to trap snapping turtles?

NO - BUT IF YOU ANTICIPATE ACCIDENTAL TRAPPING OF FISH SPECIES IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE ONE (SAME GOES FOR IF THE TRAP CATCHES A GAME SPECIES YOU'D WANT TO HAVE A TRAPPING LICENSE AND BE OPERATING IN LEGAL SEASON, ETC.)

2. Is hook w/ steel leader, tied to shore a legal method (as used in
other states) or only box type traps?

NO - FIXED LINES VIOLATE FISHING REGS AND LIKLIHOOD OF TAKING FISH IN ADDITION TO TURTLES IS VERY HIGH

3. What types of bait are legal (raw chicken or beef liver)? Can dead bait such as minnows be used?

ALL BAIT WOULD BE LEGAL FOR SNAPPING TURTLES BUT DUE TO TAKE OF FISH YOU WOULD WANT TO BE COGNITIVE OF WHAT IS LEGAL/ALLOWED FOR THE WATER BODY YOU'RE TRAPPING/FISHING

4. How long can a trapped snapping turtle be kept before it must bedispatched?

TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC LAWS OR RULES ADDRESSING THIS

5. Is there other information, I have not mentioned that will assist me in writing the story?

Thinking on your last question, I'd like to mention two other points regarding snapping turtle harvest.  The first being that just like with large predatory fish and/or bottom feeders, snapping turtles are top level predators in many/most of the waterbodies they live in.  As such it is good practice to limit consumption of snapping turtle meat (and avoid if pregnant, etc); research has shown snapping turtles carry high levels of mercury, PCB's, and other bio-accumulates.  Secondly it's worth mentioning one of the reasons Maine no longer permits commercial take of snapping turtles.  Snappers, like all turtles, are K-selected species that take many years to reach sexual maturity (18+ years for snappers), have very low nesting/hatching success, and thus need to live a long time in order to replace themselves.  While limited personal take should allow populations to persist, a targeted commercial exploitation could quickly wipe out turtle populations for the future.

Hopefully that covered most of it Steve but again don't hesitate to follow up if I missed something.  Also, I always recommend running legal interpretations on Maine Hunting/Fishing/Trapping by your local game warden cause in the end they're the ones enforcing them.

Good luck with the article and if it's not any trouble I wouldn't mind seeing a copy when it's ready.

Best,
Jonathan
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In addition to the information provided by Jonathan's e-mail here are also a few other online resources.

Excellent Website Links:
Trapping, cleaning and eating snapping turtles:
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/FishingSubhomePage/how_to_fishplaceholder/Turtlepagesplaceholder/fishingturtleturtle/tabid/6119/Default.aspx

More on Snapping turtles:
http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/1996/06/common-snapping-turtles-catching-cleaning-eating
http://www.chelydra.org/

Snapping Turtle Traps:
http://www.chelydra.org/snapping_turtle_trapping_and_relocation.html

Very Good Additional Information:
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/snappers.htm

I heard this on one of the Forums and thought it was funny . . .   
How To Age Snapping Turtles: Start with prodding the turtle with your little finger. If you find he can snap it off easily he is at least 3; ring finger about 5, middle finger 8, pointer finger 12, thumb over 20.

8 comments:

  1. You feeling ok after the PCB and mercury marinade?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow. There is a lot of information in this post. I guess I had never even thought of the legalities behind eating snapping turtle. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. PB, Silly boy don't you know PBR negates the effects of heavy metals?!?!

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  4. DEM, Neither did I. I think my favorite response from IFW was that you don't need a license to catch a snapping turtle BUT if you accidentally catch a fish while doing so your screwed. HA!!

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  5. Very much enjoyed this informative post - lifelong turtle catcher down here in backwaters and swamps - It was very interesting to read the difference regarding the laws the your state vs the way were are allowed to operate in here in Southern IL. Great Post!

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  6. GS, I have been "south" many times chasing hogs and Osceola turkeys. Your game laws are a VAST contrast to what we have in Maine. YOu can bait deer, hunt doves, rigs set lines, shoot turkeys with rifles . . . it is like traveling back in time to the wild west. LOL!

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  7. I take one mature turtle a year. They make a most delicious stew, but with mercury issues, moderation is wise. A 20lb. turtle will yield four separate stews (be sure to divide the different types of meat equally). I soak the live turtle in a mild saltwater solution in a #2 tub overnight to remove parasites and leeches. There is no easy way to dispatch a turtle, so just cut the head off and hang upside down in a cool "fly free" space(basement).
    After about 12 hours the turtle's nerve response will be mostly gone, and you can dress them easily, with the right tools. Cook with ingredients normally used for chicken stew. Add dumplings if you like. People pay big money for a bowl of this in fancy restaurants. But we live in Maine where we just shop outside for fancy stuff.

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