THE GAME BREEDER 



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TURTLE TRAP. 



Fig. 1 shows side of the box trap, which is 4 feet long, 2 feet high and 2 feet wide. It is 

 Tauilt by stapling 5^, ^ or 1 inch wire screening on a framework built of boards from 4 to 6 

 inches in width and 1 inch thick. 



Fig. 2 shows cross section of the box trap, and shows the 6-inch strip of tin or galvanized 

 iron that has been tacked on the inside of the top of the trap and bent down. It prevents the 

 turtles from crawling out of the trap. 



Fig. 3 shows top of trap with arrangement of the 6-inch boards that drop as soon as the 

 turtles crawl upon them and allow the animals to fall into the trap. 



Fig. 4 shows these drop boards with weights near the end. The turtles crawl upon these 

 drop boards, using the inclined boards that extend into the water as roadways. At the State 

 Hatchery over fifty turtles have been taken from a single trap in a week's time. 



large portion of their food is made up of 

 fish. 



Snapping turtles secrete themselves 

 among the aquatic plants and apparently 

 watch for fish that are passing by. They 

 catch the fish by a quick stroke of the 

 head, which their long necks allow them 

 to throw out several inches from the 

 body. We never had an opportunity of 

 observing this operation until last year, 

 when we saw a snapping turtle catch a 

 Bullhead catfish. The fish was taken in 

 the turtles mouth and without chewing 

 or particular biting, was swallowed head 

 first. A few minutes later we shot and 

 secured the turtle, which was one that 

 would weigh about twelve pounds. 

 Dissection showed that the catfish that 

 had been swallowed was lacerated in a 

 few places by the sharp beak of the 



turtle, but was not cut up or pulled to 

 pieces. In the stomach of this same 

 turtle we found two sunfish, a half 

 grown bull-frog and a crayfish, in addi- 

 tion to the Bullhead catfish mentioned 

 above. Altogether, a rather large 

 amount of food — about a pound — for an 

 animal that weighed only twelve pounds. 

 We get rid of the turtles by shooting 

 them and by means of a wire screen box 

 trap shown in the illustration. We also 

 use steel traps set near the edge of the 

 water and baited with a piece of fish for 

 the capture of snapping turtles. The fish 

 or part of a fish used for bait may be 

 fastened near the shore and just under 

 the water by running an iron rod or 

 sharp stick through it and down into 

 the ground to hold it in place. The 

 chain of the trap should be fastened to 



