Skinning a snapping turtle/ Red eared slider on page 2 with pics.

[freeze_1]

Man !  That's a shame. They're bad enough to do with out bullet hole repairs.

[Redwolf]

I guess they expect you to take measurements before shooting it. lol

[jimhow]

This is from NY DEC website:


Turtles
The only turtle species for which there is an open hunting season are the snapping turtle and the diamondback terrapin. You may not harvest, take, or possess any other turtle species at any time.

Snapping Turtle
A small game hunting license is required to take snapping turtles. The only legal implement for taking snapping turtles is a firearm or a bow. 
If you choose to eat snapping turtles, you should carefully trim all fat and discard fat, liver, and eggs prior to cooking to reduce exposure to contaminants. For information on this health advisory, call 1-800-458-1158 or visit the New York State Department of Health website.
Open Season: July 15 through September 30

Open Area: Statewide

Size Limit: The upper shell (carapace) must measure 12 inches or longer in a straight line.

Daily Bag: 5

Season Bag: 30

Hunting Hours: Any time of the day or night.



Apparently us New Yorker's need one of those calipers now! 
Bob, I think if you talk nice to them and rub their belly they'll let you measure them.

[njwhitetail]

how would you kill a snapper and not make it more difficult to mount??

[Redwolf]

The best way is to freeze it. In a box or a burlap bag.

[Redwolf]

This is how I skin out a Red eared slider. It's different from doing a snapper in a few ways. I'm sure others do it different, but I like doing it this way because by leaving the front part attached, I get a cleaner more natural look to the neck and shoulder areas (IMO)

Here you can see where I used a dremel and a cutoff wheel to cut the bottom of the shell.


Open it like you would a car hood and clean everything out. I like to call it "the soup"


Skin out the tail and back legs first, then tube out the front legs, and neck




Use Borax to help with cleaning it out. I use a fish cheaker tool to do the scraping.
Make sure you clean the meat out of the spinal column. There's quite a bit in there. I use pliers and brake the spine to get to it.


As you can see there's quite a bit in there. This is just from one little area.

[bmdakk (Bryan)]

Bob Have you ever tried to do a soft shell turtle?

[Redwolf]

Not yet, but I'd like to try one.

[Redneck Express]

Idnt know if this would help or cause more work but from my knowledge of butching a couple if you move father out on the chest playe rote were it meets the shell you can slip a knife in there and it will cut int cut like a cartaledge inbetwwen the two

[Redwolf]

I've tried that on red ears and fought with it. The shell cracked on 2 so I decided to do it this way. Either way the top and bottom have to be apoxie sculpted back together.