Pittston Dispatch // PD Columnists // Don Jacobs - Outdoors With Jake

Sunday August 17, 2008 | 02:50 PM

This job of mine is always filled with surprises because of the people I meet and the new experiences I am exposed to.

I was recently invited to join Allen Dennis of Mountain Top on a fishing trip of sort. They call it trapping, but to me it’s like a modified fishing trip.

The whole adventure blew me away. I tell you this because my ego at times makes me believe that I have seen it and done it all, but that is not the case. Catching and keeping snapping turtles is something you have to see to believe and I did it for the first time, last month.

It all starts with a milk jug, a strong braided fishing line, a turtle hook and a chunk of some kind of meat. Snapping turtles will eat nearly anything that they can get their jaws around. They feed on carrion (dead animals), invertebrates, fish, birds, small mammals, amphibians, and a surprisingly large amount of aquatic vegetation.

The best bait is a smelly piece of chicken or pork. It is believed that snapping turtles can smell food underwater for up to a hundred yards.

While some people think snapping turtles can have a major impact on game fish populations, biologists believe that the impact of snapping turtles on these populations is minimal. They have been known to kill and eat young and adult ducks and geese, but once again the effects on their populations are minimal.

The fishing and harvesting of snapping turtles is regulated by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The season runs from July 1 to October 31 and successful turtle trappers can take 15 a day.

Set-lines, turtle traps, or other devices for catching turtles must include a tag with the name, address, and phone number of the owner or user.

Traps, nets, or other devices must be of a floating or partially submerged design so as to allow for the release of untargeted turtles. Hooks must be at least

3.5 inches long with not less than one inch space between the point and shank of the hook. There is no limited to the amount of traps or hook lines being used by a licensed angler.

On this particular trip we used old pork pieces and set seven traps. We returned the next day to find two snapping turtles at the end of the lines.

The interesting part of the trip was when Allen decided to cut the line and put the turtle in the bottom of the boat. The armor coated reptile was unhappy to say the last.

Although this turtle has received a bad reputation for allegedly biting swimmers and eating baby ducks in reality it is very shy in the water. On land or in the bottom of a boat it is a totally different critter.

They do however live up to its reputation on land by snapping and hissing while standing on all fours and rocking back and forth.

Snapping Turtles have large heads which cannot be withdrawn into the small shell. They rely on their strong jaws for defense and can bite hard if disturbed. I must say it was quite an interesting ride back to shore.

Allen pointed out that the two turtles we caught on that day were average sized turtles and would produce a good amount of meat. The most common purpose for the meat is snapper soup, however other people have used it in stews and turtle cakes.

Anyone who enjoys this sport will be quick to tell you that the work starts when you get the turtle home. They are very hard to clean and the act of filleting one is quite time consuming.

I was spared from both of these tasks. Allen and his wife did however supply a shore lunch of a very hardy bowl of snapper soup. It would remind you of a Manhattan clam chowder without the clam taste.

The meat has many different textures depending on what part of the turtle it came from. I enjoyed them all. Here is Allen Dennis’ Recipe for snapper soup. Substitute chicken or beef if you don’t have snapper meat.

Allen’s Snapper Soup

3 cups turtle meat

1 bay leaf

3 beef bouillon cubes

Salt and pepper

2 chopped carrots

2 chopped onions

1 chopped celery stalk

1 can tomato soup

1 can beef consomm� soup

Dash of ground cloves

Dash of garlic powder

Dash of allspice

Chopped parsley to taste

Juice from one lemon

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. sugar

� cup dry sherry (optional)

Cook turtle meat along with the bones, cover with water, add bay leaf, bouillon cubes, salt and pepper. Simmer until meat is tender and can be removed from the bone.

Set deboned meat and broth aside. In a large Dutch oven brown the vegetables in butter with some salt and pepper. Add five cups of turtle broth, tomato soup, consomm� and the rest of the ingredients.

Simmer until the vegetables are tender, add the meat and enjoy. This recipe should make about 14 servings.

The end result of trapping snapping turtles is quite evident in the soup it makes. The downside to such a hobby is the fact that snapping turtles do snap and they are very hard to clean.

I would gladly make the soup if someone else would supply the meat. I can now add yet another experience to my book of tales and I must admit I did enjoy this adventure.

I would definitely answer yes if anyone asks, “Snapper Soup Anyone?”