Has anyone taken a large southern alligator snapping turtle with bowfishing equipment? The Fish and Wildlife Service says they can reach 150 to 175 pounds.

at that size I would imagine the arrow bouncin off its shell!!!

I've shot turtles while bowfishing (not nearly that large) and the only advise I can give you is they are really hard to get the arrow out of.  I would shoot for the head on one that size

I would check game laws also, I am pretty sure they are protected here.  As for penetration, definately aim for the head.  Trust me, you don't want a pissed off turtle thrashing around the boat with the fish arrow hanging out...ESPECIALLY an alligator snapping turtle.  I shot a regular snapping turtle about 10-15 lbs. or so and only got through the top shell.  Therefore, I could not get to the head to reverse the barbs.  The situation was sticky for a while, they have LONG necks and SHARP beaks!!!

Be careful- It's all fun and games 'till somebody loses some fingers! Check your game laws, but I speared one (heavy-duty flounder gig) in the neck once. It ate a heavy shop-broomstick and dented a shovel blade while I tried to get the barbs out....

And that long neck basically puts his beak all the way back to his butt.

My brother-in-law eats them all summer- he has traps set in a big drainage ditch. He moves them with a long-handled shovel and keeps them in a tub of fresh water for a couple days to clean the gunk out before he kills them with an axe. Changes the water every day.

Good luck!

When I lived down south (outside Alaska), I shot a LOT of snappers.  The shell is easy to penetrate, not an issue.  The biggest snapper I arrowed was around 35#.  Are the Alligator Snapper an ESA species? or is just protected in some states?

Turtle shells are no problem. I've shot many. Last years my 12 year old boy shot a 35 lber. with a 20# Genesis bow. He shot thru the top and bottom shell.

I'm guessing that you guys getting full penetration on shells aren't shooting 50-to-80-lb-plus southern Alligator Snappers. They've found hundred-lb snappers with musket balls and bullets imbedded in the shell. No lie. Not sure who "they" are, though.

By the way, big snappers taste GREAT. Chunk them up, soak them in saltwater, batter them and fry 'em! better than chick-fil-a nuggets. Clean them first, though, as described above.

Also, big snappers are A LOT faster than you'd think- just like gators (yes, I do live in Carolina, but I have run into big gators in South Fla. everglades- and I can vouch for them being lightning-quick).

-Charlie

No hundred pounder but this softshell went 24#

I don't know if the snappers shells are tough or what but the one I shot was point blank, about 1' under the surface and he got the full draw from my 45# recurve...only penetrated the top shell.  Just my experience but I would have a machete or something to take the "business end" off and out of the equation if I was shooting them on a regular basis.

Pretty sure alligator snappers are protected in places.  Dangerous critters for sure--even the smaller ones can take a finger off.  They are fast, necks are long, and they are born hating their mother.

Turtle shells can vary a bunch--softshell turtles aren't hard to penetrate at all (and eat the best), but those are even faster with even longer necks.  Disposition ain't a bit better either.  Big alligator shells can be tough--suppossedly they can live 100+ years, and they don't get that old being weak.  

Bowfishing ain't the easiest way to get them--keep a long knife or addler stick handy to get your arrow back and keep your fingers.

Chad

Luke has the nickname "Dances with turtles"..  

Maybe he'll come on here and let you all know why.  LOL

BD

I shot a hard shell snapper last summer that weighed 15 pounds.I aimed for his head but missed and hit him in the neck.Horsed him up close to the boat and was afraid of breaking the arrow,so I used a dip net to get him in the boat.Bad idea,he tore up the net and things got pretty intense in the boat for a while.That reminds me of bowfishing a few years back.A friend and I were wading and shooting fish when we kicked out a big 4' plus water snake.My buddy yelled shoot him and I did.I hit him about 6" behind his head.He was about 20' away and the arrow stuck deep in the mud after going through him.He was big,mad and agressive and we were connected by the string so here he came.I held the bow as high as I could above my head to keep him from coming all the way up the string to me.I yelled at Dave to cut the string but,he was busy falling down laughing.I finally got one hand in my pocket,while holding the bow up with the other,pulled out my knife and cut the string and ran like heck.I waited till later after things calmed down to go back and get the arrow.Sorry to hijack your thread but,I was on a roll.  Ben

I have shot fresh water snappers with my bow; and this post reminds me of some snapping jaws; and adventures.
If you do kill one; make sure you eat it!
I used to cut off all the meat and put it on wood sticks and barbeque it.
Every muscle seems to have its own unique flavor- and it is an awesome feed!!!!
 

The best eating turtle are the ones 12 to 15 pounds.  I pass on the really big ones for two reasons. One being that I leave them for breeding stock.  Second, the amount of heavy metals and pollution that have collected in the bodies of the really old ones can't be too good for ya. dino

Hey Biggie, I din't know you had a little brother!  Nice ss he shot!

Steve has a turtle story BUT not sure he is willing to tell it......

I have shot several doubles during the turtle rut in April in Mazzoura.  Mostly with my 1970 "Jon Voight edition" Kodiak Hunter.  You don't need to pentrate both turtles to get both as they will both already be penetrated-LOL.

my family owns a restaurant, and we get our turtle fresh and it is one of my favorite items.  Even as a kid when i had pet turtles i could not say no to some fried turtle, or turtle soup.

On further inquiry I found 7 species of turtle/tortoise are potected in this state (AL), including the alligator snapper. All 7 may be harvested leaglly by live traps however, if they invade farm ponds or commercial fish farming lakes. The common snapping turtle can be taken by bowfishing, provided all animals harvested have a shell at least 8 inches long. Thanks for all the great info. Tradgang is the friendliest, most helpful and knowledgable group I've ever asked for advise.

heh heh heh. I  accidentally shot one while wading one time    It chased me. I yelled. I ran. I might have screamed a bit, it's all kinda hazy. A reallllly mad snapping turtle half the size of you can make you do some things you didn't think possible. Next time I'm not taking it off the arrow, I'm dropping everything and running for Alaska. They're mean