>>1046354Smart move with the sticks- a lot of people try to pick them up by the tail or drag them by it, both of which will likely injure any reasonably sized snapper. The easiest way (IMO) is to throw down a shirt or blanket, tease them onto it with a stick, and then pick it up. As a bonus, the snapper will probably hiss and freak out but won't try to bite.
The second best method is to pick it up by the back of the shell, in the space to the side of the tail. There's a lot of space there for the legs to retract into. It's an absolute pain in the ass if it's a larger turtle and you have to hold it at arm's length to keep it from trying to bite, but it'll keep you safe and won't injure the turtle.
You can also wait most snappers out if it's a safe location to chill for a minute. If they can't see you moving and there's no significant vibrations in the ground, most snappers will start moving in under a minute, and they'll clear out pretty quickly.
