Caught my first one

[k0ua]

As bugs bunny would say "what a maroon"...

 

[Shaneard]

I took our son fishing 2 Sundays ago. We were fishing with live worms. We were casting 5-6 foot from the bank catching small brim and bass. We had been there about 30 minutes and as soon as my worm hit the water it went under and my rod bent. I thought it was a large bass, turns out it was a snapping turtle about 18" across. Got him to the edge of the bank almost out of the water and my line broke. The landowner was standing there with us and said "I wish I had my rifle" I said I have my pistol but it was too late. 20 minutes later our son caught it (he's 7), I said give your rod to Ernest, Ernest got him almost to the bank and the hook straightened out, I shot and missed. It all happened quick and when I saw his rod fly back it was too late but I shot anyway.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

As bugs bunny would say "what a maroon"...

You got that right. I'd be surprised if his hand didn't rot off after that. Turtles are anything but sterile; even the ones sold as pets or for the aquarium. Friend of a friend running a trot line; instead of pulling the fish in the boat, had a habit of running his hand down the staging line and lifting the fish into the boat that way...until he hooked a big snapper. It grabbed his hand between the thumb and forefinger; had to cut off the turtle's head to get him loose.

 

[ruffdog]

Even Chuck Berry warned people about those snappin' turtles when he sang "My Ding-a-Ling". Be careful swimming across Turtle Creek! Enjoy and smile!

 

[k0ua]

You got that right. I'd be surprised if his hand didn't rot off after that. Turtles are anything but sterile; even the ones sold as pets or for the aquarium. Friend of a friend running a trot line; instead of pulling the fish in the boat, had a habit of running his hand down the staging line and lifting the fish into the boat that way...until he hooked a big snapper. It grabbed his hand between the thumb and forefinger; had to cut off the turtle's head to get him loose.

An antibiotic shot and topical cleaning sterilization would be in order.

 

[oldballs]

When I was a kid, we ate "turtle soup". As I recall, it was pretty good. We also ate squirrel, rabbit, duck and goose, none of which i eat anymore.

 

[Shaneard]

Smallest snapping turtle I’ve ever seen I found it deer hunting a couple years ago. It was dead already.

 

[TractorGuy]

We have a controversial turtle tunnel to save them from crossing Hwy 27. I personally knew and worked with the grad student that got it passed and built.

Unusual News - The Case in Favor of a $3 Million Turtle Tunnel - AllGov - News

 

[Steppenwolfe]

As I've gotten older, I've gotten a lot softer. Generally pick up turtles and move them if they are in the middle of the road as long as it's safe given the road.

Always moving box turtles, but this guy had me perplexed because he was so small and color. Never really come across them, last one was last year when we moved one off the road (VERY carfeully) when we were out on a walk last year sometime.

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That's pretty cool. I have seen two snapping turtles along our creeks in the last 7 years. I always thought of them belonging in a pond, but I guess not. I always leave them alone. We also have tons of eastern box turtles... cute little buggers.

 

[MossRoad]

Eastern box turtles are getting rare around here. We used to see several each summer. I've only seen two in the last 20 years.

Last summer we were hiking in Missouri and found a three-toed box turtle. That was cool. It could pull all the way into its shell and close the door! :laughing:

 

[coldsteelva]

Here's one of the guys that I have in my yard - the pond is next door. Knock on wood, I have missed every one of these while mowing. I see the colors at the last minute and mash the brake.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's one of the guys that I have in my yard - the pond is next door. Knock on wood, I have missed every one of these while mowing. I see the colors at the last minute and mash the brake.

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Nice box turtle! :thumbsup:

A lot of people don't know that you shouldn't put a box turtle in a pond, lake, creek, etc... Put them near water, but don't put them in the water. They'll find it on their own if they need it. They can swim, but not real great at it. They need moisture to eat, drink, and hydrate, and they'll find it and wade in it, or swim across a puddle, pond or creek, but they don't spend all that much time in water.

Quite different from our tortoise. He gets pretty much all of his moisture from his food that I spray with water mist. He has a small pond, but only hops in it every few weeks, soaks up some water through his skin or takes a small drink, then craps in it! I clean it out, put it back in his enclosure, fill it, and it's good for a couple weeks, or maybe just tomorrow, and he craps in it again. :laughing:

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Eastern box turtles are getting rare around here. We used to see several each summer. I've only seen two in the last 20 years.

Last summer we were hiking in Missouri and found a three-toed box turtle. That was cool. It could pull all the way into its shell and close the door! :laughing:

Same here. I wonder what's happening to them? Our little Boston used to like to pick them up and carry them around, but haven't seen on in quite a while.

 

[ruffdog]

It is rare I see them here but I did see one a few weeks ago. He was going down the drive towards the road, so I chased him down and put him on the other side of the road. Who said turtles are slow, man, this guy could run!

 

[MossRoad]

It is rare I see them here but I did see one a few weeks ago. He was going down the drive towards the road, so I chased him down and put him on the other side of the road. Who said turtles are slow, man, this guy could run!

Yeah, our little Russian tortoise can move pretty fast when he gets up on plane. :laughing:

 

[Sigarms]

Last week I came around a blind curve only to almost rear end a guy who stopped in the middle of the road to wait for a friendly turtle to cross the road. He finally moved ahead and I straddled the turtle and moved on. Turtles will find a way across just the way they got there in the first place.

I have no qualms with trying to help an animal if I can, the key is not to put yourself in danger in doing so. There are some turtles I just leave alone because it's WAY to dangerous to be out in the middle of the road myself depending on the spot.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I have no qualms with trying to help an animal if I can, the key is not to put yourself in danger in doing so. There are some turtles I just leave alone because it's WAY to dangerous to be out in the middle of the road myself depending on the spot.

Agree. Saw a snapper crossing a road recently, i let it go. Saw a box crossing, but wasnt safe to stop.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I thought some of you might find this story interesting, so I'll take the chance and tell it even though some of you might find it long and boring.

My Grandfather was a wheat farmer in North Central Oklahoma. They lived near a creek and a bridge which crossed the road just about 100 yards from their house. When my Dad was about 10 years old (over 100 years ago), he said there was a group of Indians traveling by horseback, and stopped at the house and asked if they could camp down by the creek. Grandpa said "sure". Dad said they left about daylight, and he went down later to see where they had camped, and he noticed the remains of quite a few box turtles, which were picked clean, indicating that they were eaten.

He said they had a couple different campfires, and each one was "enclosed" with a ring of pegs driven into the ground very close to the fire. He surmised, from the looks of things, that they had scoured the area for box turtles and simply dumped them into the fire, and the pegs keeping them from getting out until they were cooked. It seemed bizarre when he told me this 60 or 70 years ago, and it still does sound bizarre, but ultimately very believable. He also experienced an Indian "raid" on his schoolhouse when he was in grade school (about 1915 or 16) when 4 or 5 drunk young bucks on horseback shot up the chimney with their 30-30's.

 

[Deerherd]

Last spring I watched a mama turtle lay eggs in my soybeans and in October they hatched. Dozens of theses little buggers crawling around...

 

[MossRoad]

Last spring I watched a mama turtle lay eggs in my soybeans and in October they hatched. Dozens of theses little buggers crawling around...

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Nice that you could see that. :thumbsup: