Turtle Soup

[Bama_Xander]

So I got into Limb Lining this summer. Oh what fun that is! It was funny because I got into it and then discovered a large trotline/limb linning thread on here that had already been going (@gcr0003 @Nutterbuster @swampsnyper ). I guess we are drawn to so much of the same hobbies as saddle hunters. I have caught a decent amount of catfish but so many of my limb shakers were turtles. All were softshell. I kept throwing them back until it hit me, "Why don't I try eating one?" So I kept two on a run of my limb lines and quartered them up when I got home. It was quite an easy task on the soft shells. I made the Turtle Soup recipe from the Meat Eater Cookbook. It was delicious. I am sad I threw so many turtles back. Going to be after them now. Below are a few pics of the adventure from limb to soup bowl.

Big ole jokers


Processed quarters from one turtle - Front legs on left, rear legs on right - Quite a substantial amount of meat


Seared and then braised


Picked turtle meat - all 7 kinds - Light and dark



Finished with sherry and green onions


It's not the prettiest soup, but it tastes awesome.

 

[Nutterbuster]

So I got into Limb Lining this summer. Oh what fun that is! It was funny because I got into it and then discovered a large trotline/limb linning thread on here that had already been going (@gcr0003 @Nutterbuster @swampsnyper ). I guess we are drawn to so much of the same hobbies as saddle hunters. I have caught a decent amount of catfish but so many of my limb shakers were turtles. All were softshell. I kept throwing them back until it hit me, "Why don't I try eating one?" So I kept two on a run of my limb lines and quartered them up when I got home. It was quite an easy task on the soft shells. I made the Turtle Soup recipe from the Meat Eater Cookbook. It was delicious. I am sad I threw so many turtles back. Going to be after them now. Below are a few pics of the adventure from limb to soup bowl.

Big ole jokers
View attachment 33324

Processed quarters from one turtle - Front legs on left, rear legs on right - Quite a substantial amount of meat
View attachment 33325

Seared and then braised
View attachment 33326

Picked turtle meat - all 7 kinds - Light and dark

View attachment 33327

Finished with sherry and green onions

View attachment 33329
It's not the prettiest soup, but it tastes awesome.

I was under the impression most places, including Alabama, had outlawed turtle hunting due to overharvesting brought on by the Asians eating all of their native turtles and coming here to poach them. If that's not the case, I'll definitely be going after them. Turtles are delicious.

Edit: a quick perusal of the dcnr site revealed my ignorance. Per the book:

"Nothing in this regulation prohibits the taking for personal use of up to two legal turtles per day by hand, dip net or hook and line however, no person shall take more than two turtles per day from the wild in this state, to include public and private waters."

Guess I'm going softshellin'

 

[Bama_Xander]

I was under the impression most places, including Alabama, had outlawed turtle hunting due to overharvesting brought on by the Asians eating all of their native turtles and coming here to poach them. If that's not the case, I'll definitely be going after them. Turtles are delicious.

That's funny you mention that. I googled turtle limit in Alabama while in the kayak and it said "Two". So I kept that one and the next one. Later that night I was bouncing around the internet and saw an article that said "Turtle hunting banned in Alabama" I freaked out a bit as I had two in my refrigerator. I also couldn't find the article that said I could take two anymore. After some diligent internet searching I did find the below on the Outdoor Alabama site:

Turtles | Outdoor Alabama

Official Web Site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

www.outdooralabama.com

Bottom of the article:
"Nothing in this regulation prohibits the taking for personal use of up to two legal turtles per day by hand, dip net or hook and line however, no person shall take more than two turtles per day from the wild in this state, to include public and private waters."

So they did outlaw turtle hunting for commercial sale but you are still allowed to take two turtles per day for personal use. Go get em @Nutterbuster! But only in S. Alabama, the turtles in N. Alabama are mine

 

[Bama_Xander]

I was under the impression most places, including Alabama, had outlawed turtle hunting due to overharvesting brought on by the Asians eating all of their native turtles and coming here to poach them. If that's not the case, I'll definitely be going after them. Turtles are delicious.

Edit: a quick perusal of the dcnr site revealed my ignorance. Per the book:

"Nothing in this regulation prohibits the taking for personal use of up to two legal turtles per day by hand, dip net or hook and line however, no person shall take more than two turtles per day from the wild in this state, to include public and private waters."

Guess I'm going softshellin'

I took too long to write my reply and you beat me to it.

 

[Nutterbuster]

@Bama_Xander you read the same article I read. Shame I've been ignorant for the past 3 years I've lived on the river. I can take turtles as easy as grabbing beer out of the fridge.

 

[MattMan81]

@Bama_Xander you read the same article I read. Shame I've been ignorant for the past 3 years I've lived on the river. I can take turtles as easy as grabbing beer out of the fridge.

Now you can do both at the same time!

 

[bj139]

So I got into Limb Lining this summer. Oh what fun that is! It was funny because I got into it and then discovered a large trotline/limb linning thread on here that had already been going (@gcr0003 @Nutterbuster @swampsnyper ). I guess we are drawn to so much of the same hobbies as saddle hunters. I have caught a decent amount of catfish but so many of my limb shakers were turtles. All were softshell. I kept throwing them back until it hit me, "Why don't I try eating one?" So I kept two on a run of my limb lines and quartered them up when I got home. It was quite an easy task on the soft shells. I made the Turtle Soup recipe from the Meat Eater Cookbook. It was delicious. I am sad I threw so many turtles back. Going to be after them now. Below are a few pics of the adventure from limb to soup bowl.

Big ole jokers
View attachment 33324

Processed quarters from one turtle - Front legs on left, rear legs on right - Quite a substantial amount of meat
View attachment 33325

Seared and then braised
View attachment 33326

Picked turtle meat - all 7 kinds - Light and dark

View attachment 33327

Finished with sherry and green onions

View attachment 33329
It's not the prettiest soup, but it tastes awesome.

Does it taste like snapping turtle soup?

 

[Bama_Xander]

@Bama_Xander you read the same article I read. Shame I've been ignorant for the past 3 years I've lived on the river. I can take turtles as easy as grabbing beer out of the fridge.

I feel like I leveled up by teaching @Nutterbuster something about Alabama hunting/fishing. That doesn't happen every day.

 

[Bama_Xander]

Does it taste like snapping turtle soup?

I have yet to cook snapping turtle so I am unaware. I would be very surprised if there was much of a difference after you sear and braise it.

 

[Newhunter1]

So I got into Limb Lining this summer. Oh what fun that is! It was funny because I got into it and then discovered a large trotline/limb linning thread on here that had already been going (@gcr0003 @Nutterbuster @swampsnyper ). I guess we are drawn to so much of the same hobbies as saddle hunters. I have caught a decent amount of catfish but so many of my limb shakers were turtles. All were softshell. I kept throwing them back until it hit me, "Why don't I try eating one?" So I kept two on a run of my limb lines and quartered them up when I got home. It was quite an easy task on the soft shells. I made the Turtle Soup recipe from the Meat Eater Cookbook. It was delicious. I am sad I threw so many turtles back. Going to be after them now. Below are a few pics of the adventure from limb to soup bowl.

Big ole jokers
View attachment 33324

Processed quarters from one turtle - Front legs on left, rear legs on right - Quite a substantial amount of meat
View attachment 33325

Seared and then braised
View attachment 33326

Picked turtle meat - all 7 kinds - Light and dark

View attachment 33327

Finished with sherry and green onions

View attachment 33329
It's not the prettiest soup, but it tastes awesome.

Did you get the backstraps off the top of the shell?

 

[Weldabeast]

Fla allows 1 turtle a day 365....I've wanted to try the softshell for a while but the 1s I catch are huge....I end up letting them go to get a normal medium size 1 and I have yet to get the more normal size like u caught in your photo....

 

[Nutterbuster]

I just wanna go out of my way to thank @Bama_Xander for opening my eyes on this exciting new protein source. I'm ridiculously excited about the chance to eat another swamp critter.

Hog season opens tomorrow on the local wma. I was planning on riding up this evening and checking the zero on the .22wmr. While I'm up there I may throw out a few lines at the creek and check them tomorrow. I kinda layed off the catfish after hammering them hard for a couple of months and filling the freezer, but this has renewed my passion for setlining.

 

[elk yinzer]

That's cool I've never known anyone to eat a softshell. I've caught a few of them catfishing over the years. I didn't even know we could keep any turtles here besides snappers but I looked it up and we are allowed 1 per day/1 possession. Bank/trotline however is illegal here except for snapping turtles with a hook gap of at least 1".

 

[Bama_Xander]

I just wanna go out of my way to thank @Bama_Xander for opening my eyes on this exciting new protein source. I'm ridiculously excited about the chance to eat another swamp critter.

Hog season opens tomorrow on the local wma. I was planning on riding up this evening and checking the zero on the .22wmr. While I'm up there I may throw out a few lines at the creek and check them tomorrow. I kinda layed off the catfish after hammering them hard for a couple of months and filling the freezer, but this has renewed my passion for setlining.

Glad to help!

If you are wanting to target some turtles specifically, we have found they really like chicken gizzards. We have hooked up multiple soft shells and zero catfish on the chicken gizzard as we have been experimenting with baits on limb lines.

 

[Bama_Xander]

That's cool I've never known anyone to eat a softshell. I've caught a few of them catfishing over the years. I didn't even know we could keep any turtles here besides snappers but I looked it up and we are allowed 1 per day/1 possession. Bank/trotline however is illegal here except for snapping turtles with a hook gap of at least 1".

That is an extremely specific regulation. That's wild.

 

[Bama_Xander]

Did you get the backstraps off the top of the shell?

I did not. I felt around inside and but it didn't feel like much. I also was in a hurry as I had to clean the two turtles and a mess of catfish and get showered and cleaned up before my wife got home for our dinner out that night. Next time I would like to take more time and get some more meat out of the neck and those tiny backstraps. The neck was pretty messed up by the way I despatched them off the side of the kayak with my pocket knife. I didn't know I was bringing turtles home so I did not have the proper gear. I'll be ready next time.

 

[Bama_Xander]

Hog season opens tomorrow on the local wma.

Now that's a protein source I am interested in. I have never killed a wild pig but it's on my list. Maybe I need to travel south down I-65 and you can show me how to kill one.

 

[Nutterbuster]

Now that's a protein source I am interested in. I have never killed a wild pig but it's on my list. Maybe I need to travel south down I-65 and you can show me how to kill one.

Come on with it

 

[Weldabeast]

 

[Newhunter1]

Deer Meat for Dinner is my favorite youtube person and his brother blue gabe.