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Are softshell turtles in LA/MS common or fairly rare?

Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:46 am
Posted by 308
the backwoods of Mississippi
Member since Sep 2020
1965 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:46 am
(no message)
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81622 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:48 am to
Very common in CENLA. I can see one every day in the shitty little bayou behind my house.
Posted by Cuz413
Member since Nov 2007
7286 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:51 am to
I think it depends on where you're at. Can't remember seeing any around Pierre Part or Bayou Lafourche and surrounding swamps growing up.
Posted by luvdoc
"Please Ignore Our Yelp Reviews"
Member since May 2005
919 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:52 am to
very very common

Posted by Churchill
Member since Apr 2009
496 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 9:53 am to
They have a bunch in the bayou behind the house. Had one in my pond for a while.
Posted by wickowick
Head of Island
Member since Dec 2006
45804 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:08 am to
The closer you are to coonasses the less you will find them...
Posted by upgrayedd
Lifting at Tobin's house
Member since Mar 2013
134860 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:16 am to
quote:

Very common in CENLA. I can see one every day in the shitty little bayou behind my house.

Saw one in a millet field in Rapides Parish. That thing looked like it had a shell 2.5 ft wide
Posted by Yukon7
Louisiana
Member since May 2018
588 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:18 am to
Years back when i was on a lease in Clayton. There was quite a bunch of them in the little Tensas river.
Posted by Galactic Inquisitor
An Incredibly Distant Star
Member since Dec 2013
15176 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:22 am to
quote:

Saw one in a millet field in Rapides Parish. That thing looked like it had a shell 2.5 ft wide



The biggest one I've ever seen was in the middle of Arsenal Park by the state capitol. We went into the museum for 15 minutes and the damn thing was gone when we came back out. I still don't know how it was able to get the hell out of dodge so quickly.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81622 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:23 am to
One behind my house causes a wake when it slides in.
Posted by tenfoe
Member since Jun 2011
6847 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:26 am to
And their necks are damn near as long as their body. I love eating them but I’m more comfortable with 6 cottonmouths in the boat than one big soft shell in the middle of the night when running trot lines and 3/4 drunk.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81622 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:27 am to
I am not a fan. My father, who would basically eat anything, never ate those for some reason.
Posted by dragboatscott
Member since Mar 2007
422 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:28 am to
Pretty common in Washington/St.Tammany parishes. I've caught them as big as a large pizza on trotlines in the Bogue Chitto river.
Posted by tenfoe
Member since Jun 2011
6847 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:31 am to
quote:

My father, who would basically eat anything, never ate those for some reason.


There isn’t much meat on them, but what is there is sweet and clean. Probably has to do with where they live. I catch them in gravel pits and in the river and they are good eating. I would imagine nasty water makes nasty turtles, although I’ve eaten snapping turtles from cow ponds that were just fine.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81622 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:34 am to
More predatory than scavenger, right?
Posted by Guntoter1
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2020
1013 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:37 am to
Every sandy river or creek has loads of soft shells
Posted by Big_country346
Member since Jul 2013
3615 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:42 am to
quote:

Can't remember seeing any around Pierre Part or Bayou Lafourche and surrounding swamps growing up.


Still the case. Nothin but red ears and stink pots. Snappers are more common than a soft shell. Let me find one crossing the road though, I “help him cross” every time.
Posted by White Bear
Yonnygo
Member since Jul 2014
13880 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:44 am to
quote:

The closer you are to coonasses the less you will find them...
Which applies to every animal, plant, and insect, baw.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81622 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 10:58 am to
quote:

stink pots


I thought that was an Ellic thing.
Posted by DatNolaClap
New Orleans
Member since Mar 2015
1819 posts
Posted on 12/30/21 at 11:34 am to
Pretty common in the Metairie canals. I remember seeing a giant as a kid. Just the shell was probably over 3 feet long.
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