Snapping Turtle - Large, Fearless, & Trying to Steal Fish, Ontario, Canada

This was the biggest snapping turtle I'd encountered in 50 years of visiting Ontario, Canada turtle country in the Muskoka Region. Filmed with my friend , July 2010. We had a stringer of bass fish the turtle smelled & was intent on feasting on. It would not be dissuaded even when being lifted with a paddle, & was completely fearless of us. All that concerned it was getting hold of our fish!
This is a tiny, cottage-less lake you need to portage into, irregularly visited by people. So, it's not as if someone was around regularly to tame the turtle.
This is its natural attitude, apparently: If fish are nearby, it's going for them no matter what! We left the turtle briefly, but my friend persuaded me to return a few mins. later 'cause she wanted to feed it one of our smaller fish.

We didn't attempt to capture the turtle, as I don't believe in harassing wildlife (not including catching & eating non-endangered bass fish, of course!), but including snapping turtles, which happen to be on the Endangered Species list now in that Canadian province.

-Apparently, snapping turtles aren't as long lived as Sea Turtles which can live well over 100 years. Snapping Turtles pampered in captivity have been known to live as long as something like 47 years, although in the wild, a 30 year old snapper is considered an oldster. Maybe this one was near 30.
My friend, for some reason other than biological evidence,decided to designate it a "she" turtle, & called "her" "Mimi"!
[Note: No Turtles were harmed in the making of this movie, but some bass fish weren't so lucky]

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Snapping
• Turtle
• Fishing
• Muskoka
• Ontario
• Canada
• Gravenhurst
• Wildlife
• Nature
• Wilderness
• Lily
• Pads

[jvmartin88]

what lake is this called? Do you portage from muldrew? if so where?