Our farm pond has an ancient inhabitant

RichZ · Sep 17, 2014

Well said, Dave!!!!

Happy Gilmore · Sep 17, 2014

Redbug said:
If it bothers you to have him in there...catch him and re-locate him to another home. It's nice to have some wildlife left around since the human race moved in...

Dave, it doesn't bother me having him in there. He'll be there a while I'm sure. I spend a lot of time down the pond, been cleaning up around it a bit the last couple years. I enjoy watching the critters down there, as do my kids. A couple weeks ago, I saw a crawfish, I was pumped as they're good for the ecosystem. Seeing the snapper was cool, first one I've seen that big down there. We get a lot of wildlife using it as a water source. My grandfather dug the pond in the 1950s.

PILOON · Sep 17, 2014

Baby Grand said:
Watch your fingers!
That is one huge snapper.

And no skinny dipping!

MossRoad · Sep 17, 2014

PILOON said:
And no skinny dipping!

Not too many of us fit the skinny definition anymore anyway....

whistlepig · Sep 18, 2014

We swam a lot in creeks and ponds with snapping turtles in them. I have never heard of anyone being bit by one. From my take on them if you leave then alone they will leave you alone. I think them to be a desirable critter.

Pete Judd · Sep 18, 2014

I still skinny dip, but it's not pretty anymore. Things look not the same after 60.

MossRoad · Sep 18, 2014

whistlepig said:
We swam a lot in creeks and ponds with snapping turtles in them. I have never heard of anyone being bit by one. From my take on them if you leave then alone they will leave you alone. I think them to be a desirable critter.

I've been bitten by a softshell turtle while swimming. As for snapping turtles, we'd see them on the logs with softshells and painted, etc... but it seemed like the snappers were first to flee and hardest to get close to. Painted were easy to catch. Small landing net on a long stick. Row the boat from the back seat and push the oars so you can keep an eye on them. Give the boat a good push towards the log, jump to the front as the turtles jump and scoop em up with the net.

They also would bite a hook on a long cane pole baited with bologna! But it soon becomes no fun to hook turtles if you're just going to let them go. Netting doesn't hurt em. They swallow hooks.

Happy Gilmore · Sep 18, 2014

I think with most things in nature they are a heck of a lot more afraid of us than we are of them. If you think about it, most freshwater ponds, if not all, have snappers in them. It's never bothered me before when swimming, maybe it's just a small pond thing. Either way, turtles are cool.