By Matthew Pollock
With many species out of season during the summer months, aside from fish, one may ask, “What other wild game species are there to pursue when temperatures are hot?”
The answer is turtles. You may not know this, but Ohio does have a turtle season that is set and regulated by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. There are two species of turtle in Ohio that can be legally harvested — the soft-shelled turtle and the common snapping turtle.
Turtle trapping, fishing and judging
To pursue turtles in Ohio, a person needs to have purchased a current resident fishing license if they are between 16 and 65, or a nonresident license if they’re a nonresident. If you’re 66 or older, you can qualify for a resident senior license. Those under the age of 16 are not required to purchase a license.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife sets a few significant regulations in regards to this season. Turtle season is open July 1 to Dec. 31. Turtles must have a straight-line carapace length of 11 inches or greater to be taken, and there is no daily limit. A turtle trap must be marked with the name and address or customer identification number of the owner or user. All traps must be checked once every 24 hours.
There are several different ways you can go about catching your turtle. Most of the time people set jugs or floats with several feet of line and a sturdy small hook with a steel leader. These can be easily made from a piece of PVC pipe capped on both ends and wrapped in a pool noodle, or it can be as simple as a used milk jug.
Others use wire traps that allow the turtle to pass into it but it cannot get out. These traps, however, have to be designed to allow smaller non-target turtles to be able to get out. You can also actively fish for turtles with a rod and reel much like catfishing. You just want to make sure you’ve got a good hook and a steel leader. Some people even go to the extreme and catch their turtles with their bare hands which is referred to as noodling.
Bait
Chicken liver, beef liver, raw chicken, and even turtle meat all work great for bait.
Cooking
Turtles can be very nutritious and are high in protein. Snapping turtles especially have a lot of meat and can be very tasty. A large snapping turtle is said to contain seven distinct types of meat that mimics flavors like pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, veal, fish or goat. Most people end up making turtle soup. I enjoy my turtles pan-fried with a little salt and butter. It also tastes great dipped in barbecue sauce.
If you would like more information about Ohio’s turtle season, contact the state game warden assigned to your county or pick up a 2022-2023 Ohio Fishing Regulation booklet for all the rules and regulations. Remember to have a safe and fun time catching your turtles, and try not to lose a finger!
(Matthew Pollock is a wildlife/forestry specialist for Guernsey Soil and Water Conservation District. He can be reached at 740-489-5276.)
