HOW TO CATCH, CLEAN & COOK A SNAPPING TURTLE

[wolfy]

We used to have a member of our local muzzleloader group that worked on a bridge trestle crew for the railroad.  He was an avid turtle hunter and would supply all of the meat that 20-30 famished club members could eat at both our yearly rendezvous.  It was DELICIOUS!  

He always said he would bring a live one to an event sometime and demonstrate the art of cleaning one, but he died and took his secret method to the grave.  I found these two videos today that show how these guys do it and it sounds much like what he described to us. 

I'm going sparrow hunting with my Daisy Red Ryder very soon!

[JeffG]

That's some good eating right there! If you get bored with chicken noodle soup, make it with snapper. Great stuff. 

[wsdstan]

I have a lot of snapping turtles on my place, some big enough to do that with.  I have a mental problem eating them cause you ought to see what they eat around here, dead critters mostly.  I worked with a guy years ago who put them in a galvanized metal stock tank big enough that they couldn't get out and he fed them coffee grounds (I swear) for a couple of weeks.  Then he cleaned them and ate em'. 

I will watch these videos tomorrow when I have more time.

[madmax]

We have alligator snapping turtles.  They get as heavy as a man and there is a persistent story of a 400 lb'er that was caught.  The documented ones are big enough to take a hand or foot off.
 
A turtle was caught on one Pot and Machete Challenge.  Cleaned, boiled, and divided up.  No salt.  No pepper.  Water and turtle.  It was the worst thing we've ever tasted.  I'd rather eat Durian fruit (Think rotten onions served in old tennis shoes).
 
I have had good turtle at an old resturaunt once here in central Florida.  It was fried next to the alligator and frogs' legs.

I'll watch the vids just in case the opportunity arises again.

[wolfy]

Tony piqued my curiosity as to the differences between his Aligator Snapping Turtle and the Common Snapping Turtle that we have here in Nebraska.    A YouTube search turned this video up....

[wsdstan]