Homemade Turtle Traps and Snares

Turtles feed primarily on dead and decaying things so they can be quite helpful in keeping a pond clean. If you live near a pond or stream where turtles are present, consider whether the benefits of having these creatures around outweigh the negatives. If you decide that there are just too many turtles for your liking, you can build your own turtle traps and snares to reduce the population. Once you catch the desired number of turtles, you can release them in the wild far from your home.

  1. Benefits and Drawbacks of Wild Turtles

    • Turtles are scavengers that feed on dead or decaying things like fish, snakes and other aquatic organisms. In a contained pond environment, it is a benefit to have turtles around to remove decaying matter that might otherwise clutter up the pond. Turtles are also helpful in controlling the population of fish and frogs. There are some cases, however, in which it is a drawback to have turtles in your pond. If you frequently use your pond for swimming, you may experience turtle bites. If the population of turtles gets out of control, they may eventually eat all of the fish in your pond.

    Live-Catch Turtle Trap

    • To make your own turtle trap, construct a basic four-board wooden frame and line the bottom with chicken wire. Construct a wooden ramp leading up to the edge of the frame and run a metal bar horizontally across the frame a few inches from the ramp. Rest a small board on the edge of the frame and across the horizontal bar. When the turtle climbs the ramp and moves onto the board, its weight will tip the board forward and the turtle will slide into the trap. Use beef or chicken for bait and drive a number of upward-slanted nails around the top of the frame to keep turtles from crawling out.

    Underwater Turtle Trap

    • Underwater turtle traps are particularly useful in controlling the population of unwanted snapping turtles. Construct a basic wooden frame from 1-by-2-inch boards and cover all sides with sturdy metal mesh. In one or two sides of the frame, create a doorway by folding two pieces of mesh in toward each other in a triangle. Clip a spring to the top of each piece of mesh so that it will give when turtles push their way into the trap and will keep the opening closed once they are inside. Bait the trap with fish heads or other types of protein and sink it in your pond.

    What to Do with Trapped Turtles

    • Check your turtle traps often, especially if your goal is to keep the turtles you trap alive. Once you have succeeded in trapping turtles you will need to transport them to another location far from your pond. Fill a large plastic tub with about 2 inches of water and put your turtles inside. Transport the turtles to another pond or stream location, such as a wildlife reserve, where they will not be nuisance to you or anyone else. Set the turtles free in their new home by gently tipping over the tub onto its side and allowing the turtles to crawl out.