Riding my bike over a bridge the other day I was shocked at what I saw. Biggest snapping turtle I’ve ever seen. Shell had to be 3 ft long minimum. Edited some pics to make it easier to see. Pics are from about 15 ft above water. Log in pic was easily 15+ feet. Any chance alligator snappers could survive in Northern Wi?? Otherwise we’re talking record size snapping turtle!
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Check this one out. Seen 2 different ones this big in this lake
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Although I cannot prove it, I have seen one that big or possibly bigger. Back in the fifties my family used to hunt for snapping turtles for resale to a buyer from Illinois. When hunting them it was common to drive to various streams and shine the banks and waters for turtles. One night the rock my mom was standing on to light the stream started to move. The turtle was too big for two of us to handle and escaped. It actually dragged two of us into the water before we had to let go. Could have easily taken a leg off one of us. Believe it or not, it’s true.
Twenty pound turtles back then were fairly common, but this one was easily 40 or more pounds.
Although I cannot prove it, I have seen one that big or possibly bigger. Back in the fifties my family used to hunt for snapping turtles for resale to a buyer from Illinois. When hunting them it was common to drive to various streams and shine the banks and waters for turtles. One night the rock my mom was standing on to light the stream started to move. The turtle was too big for two of us to handle and escaped. It actually dragged two of us into the water before we had to let go. Could have easily taken a leg off one of us. Believe it or not, it’s true.
Twenty pound turtles back then were fairly common, but this one was easily 40 or more pounds.
When I was 5 there was a pond near my house in Chanhassen that had a giant snapper in there. Everyone called him jaws. The DNR eventually came in to remove him. Don’t know the size but in my mind as a child he was the size of a dining room table haha
I saw one dead in the willow river reservoir the shell was just under 4 feet long!!!! and thats on a tape measure 3’10” it was insane i thought it was a rock until it was bobbing up and down with the waves. BTW boy did it stink.
I saw one dead in the willow river reservoir the shell was just under 4 feet long!!!! and thats on a tape measure 3’10” it was insane i thought it was a rock until it was bobbing up and down with the waves. BTW boy did it stink.
Wow that would’ve been a nice shell to have, but I know my nose couldn’t handle the stink.
Heading to work this last spring. Around the snapper mating season. I was crossing Dissappering Creek and on the middle of the bridge is the largest snapper I have ever seen. The shell was 3′ atleast. As I slow to a stop and grab for my camera phone the turtle becomes aware of my presence and wheels around and is gone before I can even grab for my phone. I think twice about swimming in Solberg Lake now.
Many years ago I also saw snapper turtle 3 foot or more across the back. It was on Lake Emily. Just think how old the turtle is that big. I bet it has seen many seasons come and go.
I saw a big one at the Galesville dam many years ago. I was fishing up on the cement ledge and it rose up out of the depths right below me. The head looked the size of an ice cream pail. It finally saw me up above and dove. Man that thing was huge and I had second thoughts about all the wade-fishing I did down there. I’ve seen other big snappers, but nothing like that again.
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