NEPA Hunters~ When is it skunk season?

[Summering]

Originally Posted by loveinbloom

I just want to say ty to all who took time to comment and relate stories on this thread! What a nice read, and Summering a big ty for sharing you skunk odessey!

Yes, wasn't everyone so very nice to help me with the skunk issue.

I also learned so much about other interesting animals in our area.
Maybe we got a bit off topic, but that didn't matter its all about our
lives in PA and what we deal with and live with.

Along the way even my family had to laugh at some of the answers.
It is so nice to tell stories that make everyone laugh.
( even though my strong smelling skunk is hard to laugh at)

I learned a lot about our posters too, besides their kindness.

Not only is our state so beautiful, but we have very interesting and grounded citizens living here.

I have to say also that I had an issue with our car windshield wipers and the automobile section was such a great help.

CD is my favorite place to be......Even if I have to talk about skunks.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by coalboy

I guess I was lucky, when we were teens we used to catch Snapping Turtles in the Delaware River and sell them to a local restuarant called 'The Revere' in West Trenton NJ...

The Revere was famous for it's Snapper Soup, they would serve it with a cruet with dry sherry to pour into the soup.

I never had the pleasure of smelling Turle crap...good thing cuz we would sometimes throw them in the back of my parents family station wagon!

Another really bad smell is when I made a mistake of hitting the musk gland of a Muskrat while skinning it....Holy Jeeezus!

thanks for sharing, what did you use for bait for the snappers? we used beef liver.

coalboy,

I always used pickerel for bait. The reason I used pickerel was that we wanted to get bass started in the lake. By eliminating the competition and also the turtles; we have a healthy bass population. I would usually get about three sets out of one 18 inch pickerel.

For anybody that has never “fished” for turtles; legal turtle hooks are one inch to the barb with a three inch shank. We would use eighth inch braided nylon rope and I would make my own wire leaders. Then we would attach the baited hook lines to one galleon plastic bottles. You would make sure the lines were long enough to for the bait to reach the bottom. The fish commission wants you to put your name and address on the sides of the bottles. You simply tossed them into the lake or swamp and came back the next morning to check them, If you had a turtle; the bottles would usually be pulled into the shore line.

[varmintblaster]

Fisheye - good post on the turtles.. Folks just have to remember that a Pa Fishing License is required and that there is a season it runs from July to Oct (can't recall exact dates).

I have not turtled this year, but had success last year catching 13 turtles. We use bluegill chunks or chicken necks and gizzards that we "cure a bit in a Mason Jar" set in the sun for awhile.. Rubber gloves were needed to bait the hook cause that stink don't wash off too easily..The reason we used chicken necks and gizzards was because it was tough meat that the small pond fish could not peck at then clean the hook.

We used the jugs or sometimes just tied off the line to a bush,low hanging tree branch near the water, or even staked it into the ground. Loose jugs sometimes end up in the middle of the pond if not secured and it sucks if you try to wade out and get stuck in the mud..

When you yank a turtle to shore and it digs in it's claws and starts hissing at you - you know you have one PO'd critter to deal with.

I agree that snapper cr*P stinks bad.. It is important to take the turtle home live, place it in a tub or plastic garbage can and let it clean itself out over the course of a few days - we changed the water each day.

Another thing that is amazing is that after you chop the turtle's head off it is still capable of biting for quite a while afterwards - important to keep kids or pets away from it.

Turtle soup is a delicacy.

In order to legally sell to restaurants you need to get a permit from the State.

Good Stuff...

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by varmintblaster

Fisheye - good post on the turtles.. Folks just have to remember that a Pa Fishing License is required and that there is a season it runs from July to Oct (can't recall exact dates).

I have not turtled this year, but had success last year catching 13 turtles. We use bluegill chunks or chicken necks and gizzards that we "cure a bit in a Mason Jar" set in the sun for awhile.. Rubber gloves were needed to bait the hook cause that stink don't wash off too easily..The reason we used chicken necks and gizzards was because it was tough meat that the small pond fish could not peck at then clean the hook.

We used the jugs or sometimes just tied off the line to a bush,low hanging tree branch near the water, or even staked it into the ground. Loose jugs sometimes end up in the middle of the pond if not secured and it sucks if you try to wade out and get stuck in the mud..

When you yank a turtle to shore and it digs in it's claws and starts hissing at you - you know you have one PO'd critter to deal with.

I agree that snapper cr*P stinks bad.. It is important to take the turtle home live, place it in a tub or plastic garbage can and let it clean itself out over the course of a few days - we changed the water each day.

Another thing that is amazing is that after you chop the turtle's head off it is still capable of biting for quite a while afterwards - important to keep kids or pets away from it.

Turtle soup is a delicacy.

In order to legally sell to restaurants you need to get a permit from the State.

Good Stuff...

varmintblaster,

We had an older camp member that tried to drown a turtle. He filled up a garbage can and wedged the turtle in upside down. The next day he was going to process the turtle and knocked the can over and pulled out the turtle. He had his back turned on the turtle, while he was sharpening his knife; when he heard a big hiss. We thought that it was funny that anybody would try to drown a turtle that spends months under mud and water.

I heard a story of a farmer, that cut the head off a turtle; only to loose the head of one of his chickens to the turtle head. I don’t know if it is true; but they don’t die easy.

While you caution people about fishing licenses and turtle seasons; you did not mention keeping your fingers. Their heads are very quick and can reach pretty far back on their shells. Don’t touch one if you do not know what you are doing - you don’t want your finger on his menu.

[varmintblaster]

Fisheye - we are delving into the details of yet another Pa critter - thanks to Summering's skunk thread..

I always let the turtles bite down on a stick to keep them pre-occupied before trying to lasso a rope around their hind legs in order to haul them to the truck. Not only do you have to pay close attention to avoid getting bit - their claws are quite big and sharp and can cause a nasty infection if they scratch you deep - which they will.

A friend of mine once got bit on his thigh when he carrying one out on a rope - he was not paying attention,slipped and fell on a muddy part of the trail and the turtle lashed out and got him good. He had to pay the ER a visit cause the wound on his leg got infected in short order. He was wearing heavy jeans and the turtle bit through the fabric like it was silk. Thankfully it did not get a good enough bite to hold on...just nipped him.

Snapping turtles are amazing creatures - they have an organ near their backside that allows them to breathe under water for extended periods of time - can't recall what the name of it is. Come this time of year, they burrow into the banks of rivers and ponds and usually try to tunnel up enough above the water level for their winter hibernation.

O.K. - what's the next critter on the list?

[johnqpublic]

Jackalope???

[Summering]

Yeah, the snapping turtle is frightening........I remember when a cop came and shot one once that was hanging at the pond.
What other animals are roaming around here in PA.
Hubby saw a fox recently in the back yard......Red one. One also on the golf course......everyone was use to seeing that one there.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Summering

Yeah, the snapping turtle is frightening........I remember when a cop came and shot one once that was hanging at the pond.
What other animals are roaming around here in PA.
Hubby saw a fox recently in the back yard......Red one. One also on the golf course......everyone was use to seeing that one there.

Summering,

Once I saw snapping turtles matting. These were two large turtles around forty pounds. If you are ever on one of our lakes or ponds and think you saw the Lock Ness monster; it is snapping turtles copulating. They roll over and over on the surface of the water. I did not know what I was watching until I rowed over to the turtles.

Otters playing or matting can also give the impression that you are looking at a larger animal.

We have plenty of fox (both red and grey) around here.

One animal that many people do not see or know about is our flying squirrels. They are on the endangered list in PA. I found one in one of my birdhouses this last summer. They usually only come out at night and they are only a little bigger than a chipmunk.

[varmintblaster]

The newest critter (or should I say re-introduced critter) in NEPA is the Fisher. It is about the size of an otter but lives entirely on land and one of it's main prey is the porcupine. It is a pretty agrressive animal - sort of like a wolverine but not that nasty.

The PGC re-stocked them for porcupine control which cause alot of damage to the timberlands.

I see alot of tracks in the winter snow in the White Haven and Tobyhanna area of the Poconos.
According to the PGC, their numbers and range is steadily increasing. They are considering opening up a trapping season for them to keep a balanced number.

I have only seen one so far in my travels through the woods. My lab (which is usually very well behaved) went a bit crazy and gave chase. Thankfully the fisher made in to a big blow down tangle of trees and my dog could not get reach it - or else it would have earned a few more scars on it's face... The fisher was making really strange sounds when it was upset - sort of like the Tasmasian Devil.


I love my dog - but sometimes it's pretty hard-headed and takes a beating from cats,skunks, and other critters.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by fisheye

Summering,

Once I saw snapping turtles matting. These were two large turtles around forty pounds. If you are ever on one of our lakes or ponds and think you saw the Lock Ness monster; it is snapping turtles copulating. They roll over and over on the surface of the water. I did not know what I was watching until I rowed over to the turtles.

Otters playing or matting can also give the impression that you are looking at a larger animal.

We have plenty of fox (both red and grey) around here.

One animal that many people do not see or know about is our flying squirrels. They are on the endangered list in PA. I found one in one of my birdhouses this last summer. They usually only come out at night and they are only a little bigger than a chipmunk.

LOL.........Sounds like you should have brought the skunk spray with you.
LMHO........