Why Kill our Snappers?

In November 2008 COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) listed snapping turtles as a species of special concern through out Canada. Shortly after being listed, Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park changed their hunting regulations to allow snapping turtles to be hunted as small game.

Snapping turtles are a long lived species and arent, really hunter friendly. They don't reach sexual maturity till approximately 15 years of age and only 1% of snapper eggs laid reach adult hood.  Typically the hunted turtles are sexually mature adults. Removing the adult population reserves a spot on the endangered species list for them.