Can I Keep a Red-eared Slider?

January 16, 2020

Question: I was fishing for stripers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near Courtland and inadvertently caught a red-eared slider via hook and line. Could I have kept the turtle? (Anonymous)

Answer: Yes, you could have kept it. As per the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 14, section 5.60, there are three non-native subspecies of turtles that are legal to fish for and keep: red-eared sliders, painted turtles and spiny softshell turtles. You will need a sportfishing license to take any of these, but there is a year-round season and no limit for them. Turtles may be taken by hook and line, as per CCR Title 14, sections 2.00 and 5.60(e)(3).

The presence of red-eared sliders in waterways is typically due to careless pet owners who release the turtles into the wild when they don’t want them anymore. Now they compete against native turtle species, such as the western pond turtle, which is protected. So be sure you know your turtles! If you were to inadvertently catch a western pond turtle or any turtle other than red-eared sliders, painted turtles and spiny softshell turtles, you would have to return it to the water immediately.

I'm pretty confident I'll never catch a red eared slider, as I'm not a hook and liner; however I am interested in eating less typical food. Out of pure curiosity, what parts of said turtle are edible? Is it typically considered tasty? Is it frowned upon?

JUST curious.

I'm pretty confident I'll never catch a red eared slider, as I'm not a hook and liner; however I am interested in eating less typical food. Out of pure curiosity, what parts of said turtle are edible? Is it typically considered tasty? Is it frowned upon?

JUST curious.

Been a while since you've been in the back of an Asian market, eh?  . J/K, just addressing the "frowned upon" question. 

I personally haven't tried it, but I was told you crack the shell to get at the softer bits. The legs, tail, and neck tend to be chewy... although I suspect that may come from overcooking (but do you really wanna risk undercooking?).

my friend who lives in Flordia eats them once or twice a year. He said it's a lot of work because you have to scrub the shell clean and purge the turtle in water for a few days to make it not taste like mud. He did say that they do taste good though but they also get the huge snapping turtles that have a lot of meat. You will have to get a big turtle or a few medium sized to be worth the head ach. One of my wild game cook book has some recipes and how to prepare turtles. I'll look and see if I can find it and I'll post.