Dang,
A lot a dead snappers on the road lately. If I see them crossing around my area I pick em up and carry them across the road. I tell them not to try and bite me because I’m helping but they listen about as good as the X.
I do the same thing and have taught my son to as well.
Just don’t puck them up by the tails. It hurts them
I do the same thing and have taught my son to as well.
Just don’t puck them up by the tails. It hurts them
Yep. Pick them up at the shell just above the tail and behind the back legs. I’ve been seeing quite a few around me as well. They’re highly respected and well liked by me. They’re also good eating. 
At first I thought the title was referencing summer vacationers heading north…. 
Had a huge painter starting to dig a nest in our yard last weekend but the dogs scared it off.
Just be carful pulling over to help them, Some dushbag on his cell phone might take you or your truck out.
I’ve seen a lot, as well.
I move them, too, but though I always move them to the side they’re headed, they almost always turn around and head back out toward the road. 
At the MN girls state tournament in Becker yesterday.
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Had a big painted one in the yard a couple weeks ago. Last year too, never before in 21 years. The new developments probably force them out of their old spot.
I do the same thing and have taught my son to as well.
Just don’t puck them up by the tails. It hurts them
Maybe that’s why I have an X, she hated it when I picked her up by the tail. 
Not a snapper but I had this guy wander across the field when I was planting corn a few weeks ago. I live a long ways from water so he made quite the long trip and wasn’t done yet.
Earlier that day, I was on the highway by my house and helped 1 across but another one had already been hit.
Must have been painted turtle migration day?
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That looks like a land turtle to me. Some kind of box turtle? I could be wrong but I see them occasionally in the woods and they have a tall domed shell.
That looks like a land turtle to me. Some kind of box turtle? I could be wrong but I see them occasionally in the woods and they have a tall domed shell.
You’re probably right. I never flipped it over and thought it looked a little strange. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of a land turtle.
I shoulda just called it a Turtle. 
I think may not be a turtle. It looks like a gopher tortoise.
I seen a biggin snapper 3 weeks ago at the cabin looking like it was ready to dig it’s hole to lay eggs.
Had it been after t July 1 it would be in the freezer or cooked and devoured by now!! 
Looks like a blanding’s turtle
I think that could be a Blanding’s turtle.
It looks like a gopher tortoise.
In MN? Also, the gopher tortoises I have seen in FL are quite large.
+1 on Blanding’s turtle. Neat animals.
There’s a spring fed pond two houses down from me. I’ve lived in this house 30 years and every 2-3 years we’ll see the snapper come up to lay her eggs. She heads across the neighbor’s yard, hit my fence and follow it up the street. Most of the time they cross the street to lay. One year she played in my yard next to the curb. I watched her dig a perfectly round hole, straight down 8-10 inches without looking. She alternated digging with her back feet.
This year on June 6th, a painted turtle was able to get under my gate while it was headed back to the pond. My younger lab was quite curious. I put it on the pond side of the fence. That afternoon I was out with my dogs and the younger one was sitting by the fence watching something. It was the snapper coming up from the pond. This one was quite wary of movement. Hiding under my son’s car, then my truck before heading across the street. I was surprised when I saw it 4 days later heading back to the pond. I thought the headed back right after laying. It stopped to let the doe and fawn cross in front of it.
Roads are hard on turtles that’s for sure. I always try to stop and move them as well. I think it’s something that won’t take that long and we’ll realize we have a problem and our turtles will be in trouble. Hopefully that’s not the case.
My younger lab was quite curious.
I recall a number of years ago my wife let our great dane out the front door of the cabin one morning. I heard her scream, and looked out to see him face–to-face with a large momma snapper digging her nest. 
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Erik Swenson wrote:</div>
It looks like a gopher tortoise.In MN? Also, the gopher tortoises I have seen in FL are quite large.
Yeah…that should have been a question. I just looked at some images of tortoises in N America and looked very similar regardless of the size.
Had a snapping turtle in my driveway this morning
Painters were laying eggs last week. They were all over the backroads at a gun club I shoot at. Saw a couple actually laying.
My son and I went for a bike ride last night and helped a little guy cross the road. He was about 13” long. He asked how big do they get? I was surprised to find out they get to be 36” long and over 150 lb. The largest being an alligator snapper found in Kansas in 1937 weighing in at 403 lb.
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My son and I went for a bike ride last night and helped a little guy cross the road. He was about 13” long. He asked how big do they get? I was surprised to find out they get to be 36” long and over 150 lb. The largest being an alligator snapper found in Kansas in 1937 weighing in at 403 lb.
Alligator snappers are a different species. Common snappers only get ~ 16-20″ accross and maybe weigh 30# at the tops.
Biggest I have ever seen was beyond my imagination. It had gone over the falls in Willow River state park and cracked its shell in the process. It was on the walking area so I got to see it up close. I felt bad for the old dude.
Ive seen a couple pigs at my cabin and even tiny freshly hatched in our yard. Cute as hell but still just as mean!
I have a video we got last year on Chisago lake 2 big big snappers matting. my son in the back ground yelling about how they were wrestling. So I kept saying yup, they are fighting bud lol. Was pretty neat as you don’t see that every day
Painter laying eggs a couple days ago in our yard
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