Someone cutting our turtle lines...

recently got into trapping snappers and found a really nice spot loaded with em. First night yeilded 3 or 4 no problem. Reset our lines a week later (5 total). All hidden EXTREMELY well...apparently not well enough. When we came to check em a few hours later all lines were either snipped or thrown in the bushes and tangles beyond repair. Needless to say my buddy and I were fumeing mad. Mind you we did this all withing regulations and not on private property. Whoever this ****bag is cost us around 20 bucks in hooks and 600lb gator line. My question is what do we do? If caught in the act, can we actually get these people in trouble? We only take one or two (daily limit is 15!) at the most. I pay good money to use my fishing liscense to its full extent just to have some idiot snip our gear...

Its only $20. Buy new stuff and move on lol

Reset lines but put a trail cam up high in a tree, facing down toward one of your lines. At least you might be able to put a face to the turd doing this and plaster it on the innerweb.  Someone will squeal, eventually.
The risk is having the trail cam found and also destroyed/taken.  Make sure it isn't one with a "flash" or visible leds though for better concealment.  

jimmytwotime

You cant do anything except move your operation. Or better yet, evolve into a human being and stop eating amphibians.

Hey Darwin, turtles are reptiles, genius. 

We definitely have a game plan for the next time we go to try and catch this person in the act. We have a feeling someone watched us set em and went down shortly after to cut the lines. they were only set for about 4 hours before i checked em and saw they were destroyed. I almost always practice catch and release and when I do harvest anything its usually well below the actual allowable limit. depending on how our next outing goes...we might have some pictures of the culprits to share...ill consider us even once i get to give em an earful and share their beautiful faces with the world wide web...I highly doubt the game commission or any other authorities would do much of anything to help us.

beerman definitely quote of the month.me still wonders why jimmy gets on here after prior posts

Although I am not positive,I would say that if your lines have the proper ID tags & they are set on public waters that the PFC would cite anyone that disturbs them. The same as the PGC would do with lawful traps that are set. If they are being disturbed that fast then someone is watching you set them. The only thing you could do is to set them just before dark & check them right at day break. The season is winding down anyways. I am surprised that they are not messing with your vehical too.  sam

go for the knee caps

hahaha What?! At what point in this conversation did I ever even hint to not knowing that turtles are reptiles? Just stop posting cuz the more you do, the more you make yourself look like a moron...

 
+1 

jimmytwotime

Snag_826

jimmytwotime

younz are so funny and yes its funny I didnt know a turtle is a reptile
its actually even more funny that snag who eats them didnt know

hahaha What?! At what point in this conversation did I ever even hint to not knowing that turtles are reptiles? 

when you didnt correct me instantly

I have a stocker named blue lagoon.

wierd guy

 
Please tell me you're spelling stuff incorrectly on purpose just to be a "funny guy"? If not then you could quite possibly be one of the dumbest people to post on this site. I understand totally if someone has a rough time spelling a more sophisticated word or even a middle-school level word. Or even a simple word that occasionally slips someone's mind...but the fact that you can't even spell the word "WEIRD" correctly, shows a severe lack of mental fortitude...most likely passed down, generation after generation, from your "the hills have eyes" family members. Crawl back into your cave jim-bob...

Jimmy is a kid. There is no way that an adult could be that stupid and still figure out how to turn on a computer. Also, the vast majority of adults do not go around trying to start flame wars. This is a pimple-faced, snot-nosed kid who thinks that he is much smarter than he actually is and needs the thrill of hanging with the adults. Jimmy, come back when you hit puberty (or not).
 
Snag, it's too bad people have to be such A-holes. My advice would be to tie your line to a rock and sink it. That's what I used to do. Then I used a stick with a hook on the end to snag the line and haul in my catch.

Snag_826

Thanks slabdaddy for the awesome advice. that's a great idea. Totally eliminates any shore access to our tie offs. I highly doubt whoever is doing this is willing to wade into the water to cut some lines especially at the spot we go to (super swampy and muddy). gonna set lines either tomorrow or Friday...

Yep. No problem. Any time you set a trap or a line, you have to expect people to mess with them. You'll probably eat the $20 in hooks and line. Chalk it up to experience. Learn from it and don't make it easy for them the next time. Honest folk like you and I don't think like criminals. If we see a trap or a line we think, "better leave that alone." Unfortunately, others aren't like us. So, our best defense against theft or vandalism is to hide our stuff as well as we can and make it too difficult for others to mess with. You might have to check your sets with a canoe or wear waders to check them, but at least you won't lose your gear or your catch.
 
BTW Jimmy, turtle meat is delicious. You might know that if you actually got out there and learned how to catch them and prepare them. However, since it isn't hotdogs, mac&cheese, or pizza, you probably will never try it. It takes a lot of time and work to catch turtles consistently. That alone makes the meat so much sweeter.
 
Good luck Snag.

Yeah, you should probably check that out. I've never used a jug, but that doesn't mean that I was doing it correctly.

Hey Snag any update?? did you end up catching the guys cuttin your lines?