I’ve been seeing a released pet Alligator Snapping turtle in Busse for about a month and emailed the DNR to catch it as it would die in the winter because they‘re native to the south and aren’t built for chicago winters. I never got any email back about whether or not the DNR caught it but I didn’t see it for two weeks until I spotted it on saturday. I was determined not to let it get away so I rigged up my muskie setup and snagged it. It was tough to haul in, as I couldn’t move it once it got on the bottom, so I had to pull it to the surface, then pull it as far towards the bank as I could before it got to the bottom again, where I would have to pull it straight up and repeat the cycle. Once we got it in, we called the DNR and fp cops and discovered that every agency was short staffed. The DNR told us not to give the turtle to the fp cops because the turtle needed to be in water overnight and the forest preserve couldn’t do that. We IDd the turtle as an adult female gator snapper about 30 inches from head to tail and weighing about 40-60 lbs. since the DNR couldn’t come get the snapper, they called the forest preserve and the forest preserve brought us a plastic tub and we found a person that could hold it overnight until the DNR could come get it, a conservation officer in Tinley park. So we filled up the tub with water, put the turtle in the tub and the tub in my backseat and we drove an hour south to save this dinosaur of an animal. Upon delivering the exotic turtle, we learned that it was the first live adult gator snapper captured in northern IL. We were told that people often times misidentify common snappers as gator snappers but we were dead on in our identification. It was terrific to hold such a crazy animal and especially help it survive, and it will most likely be put into a nature center or zoo in Illinois.
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60lb Swamp Monster rescued from Busse
Unidentified User
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Wow.....this kid is like Steve Irwin.......not. So it must have been dumped recently since it is only May.......cus....yall said it would die over the winter. Can we think about this. Im really glad you handled the turtle with such care and safety...or just lucky. Doubt the DNR or any person in authority would encourage civilians/unidentified kid to mess with wild life like THAT. If they sell them as pets, lots of peeps see and know of them. If if if. Maybe it adapted or the winter was not that bad or maybe......Luckydawg is spot on. As for the zoo? It was in the wild. It ended up there. Id hate to be in a zoo. And guys that worry about handling a pike without grippers or nets should not encourage a kid to handle a snapper of that size.
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Don’t get mad at me because you’re too scared to hold a turtle. Also released pets are a frequent problem that the DNR has to deal with, I saw it back in early april and emailed the DNR about it and Fpdcc wildlife biologist Chris Anchor attempted to catch it because it is an exotic pet, think of it as a similar situation to the Humboldt park lagoon alligator. DNR state herpetologist (Scientist for reptiles and amphibians) Scott Ballard, who works with wild gator snappers in the southern tip of illinois, believes it was a released pet. The same scientist that studies and works with alligator snapping turtles told me “If we don’t get it out of there, it’ll be dead come November“ As for wildlife, it’s not wildlife, it’s an exotic animal that cannot survive in northern Illinois. Last year the DNR captured a released pet alligator in Decatur, IL. Did you think they should have left the gator alone too? And it was never wild, just in whatever place the pet owner chose dump it, just like the snapper. The DNR never told me to catch it, but I took the initiative and did, and they were glad I did. I’m sure there’s a DNR email out there where you could ask questions about alligator snapping turtles and exotic/invasive pets in Illinois.
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After contacting the proper authorities you saved a pretty cool reptile that would have otherwise died. No idea why someone would bash you for that? Am I missing something here?
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He handled it like a pro. One hand inside the shell right above the head and one hand on the tail or right above the tail on the shell. These turtles are very easy to capture by hand. The snapping turtle is much more difficult to get hold of than the gator snapper. They have very long necks that can extend over the top of the shell. They are also very quick to strike you like a snake.
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Nice try. Mad cause I can't was aimed at me I reckon. 🤣🤣You don't know me or understand my point with your reply. I disagree with what you did. If they (dnr/fp) encourage you and you slip......Tuff life if you can't accept that. 💯 I can.🤣
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Love that 3rd pic 😂 nice work!
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Dam I thought alligator snappers were native species. Have seen a few over the years.
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Probably common snapping turtles, which are very common around IL and have longer necks, smaller heads and smoother shells
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5,118 Posts
Well that's pretty cool, I've ran into many large snappers wading Busse and other places. It sure raises your blood pressure look down and you are within a foot or two of the head. I don't know the appearance difference between or native local snappers and an alligator,
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Yep. Saw that too.
Ramblers post
https://www.windycityfishing.com/threads/speaking-of-alligator-snappers.98256/
Even Co
ler. Bigger. Scarier than the Busse Alligator snapper.
The nails on that beast!
Gotta be older than most of us.
Can't even imagine using anything less then 10 lb braid on those.(LIKE THAT WOULD HELP)
But seriously Unidentified, would love to know which pool. Main, south, WWD?
Such a cool catch.
Ramblers post
https://www.windycityfishing.com/threads/speaking-of-alligator-snappers.98256/
Even Co
ler. Bigger. Scarier than the Busse Alligator snapper.The nails on that beast!
Gotta be older than most of us.
Can't even imagine using anything less then 10 lb braid on those.(LIKE THAT WOULD HELP)
But seriously Unidentified, would love to know which pool. Main, south, WWD?
Such a cool catch.
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93 Posts
Straight below the main dam, we spotted it by the blocks right below the bridge over the damYep. Saw that too.
Ramblers post
https://www.windycityfishing.com/threads/speaking-of-alligator-snappers.98256/
Even Co
The nails on that beast!
Gotta be older than most of us.
Can't even imagine using anything less then 10 lb braid on those.(LIKE THAT WOULD HELP)
But seriously Unidentified, would love to know which pool. Main, south, WWD?
Such a cool catch.
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1,574 Posts
They are. I remember seeing them years ago around our AO, not so much anymore, but they are endangered and one would surmise not as many around (doh!). I remember there was a monster sized one in a local farm pond we used to fish when I lived in Elburn. Saw it for years, so I would gather they can survive the winters. And yes UU, it was an aligator varietal as it had 3 rows of spines on it's shell... we named it Spike.
alligator snapping turtle
alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) [state endangered] Photo © Illinois Department of Natural Resources
dnr.illinois.gov
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1,707 Posts
Yes I've seen in the hollowes in crystal lake. Maybe someone left it loses that had it for a pet
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Possible. Given their range, especially on the Western side of the state all the way to the Chedder curtain state line, I would hope they are more natural occuring.
"Rescuing" based on assumptions seem odd to me. One would hope more investigation on the DNR side would prove that it's maybe a bad idea? I dunno.
"Rescuing" based on assumptions seem odd to me. One would hope more investigation on the DNR side would prove that it's maybe a bad idea? I dunno.
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