If he is that old why kill him. If this guy is 170 years old he is an artifact! I understand the damage turtles do to farm ponds and I love turtle soup and yes they are varmits. Your call.
Is a turtle a varmint?
- Thread starter Ohlongarm
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Thank your doctor friend from all of us here at LRH and tell him that we very much appreciate him not selling his place to the Chinese.
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HaroldNRAEndowment
Well-Known Member
Yes, my father was telling me about one, in his younger days, where they were playing with a snapper turtle with a wooden broom handle. It snapped it in half.
Watch the fingers and anything else that it can snap onto.
He's not a doctor, despite being well off he's an ordinary guy that 's what makes him unique. Has the best imported German shepherds in the country if you're into dogs, I will give him the message , fabulous place.
HaroldNRAEndowment
Well-Known Member
I would feel sorry for the lips on the kisser.Tree huggin', turtle kissers.......
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
Amen to that brother !!!
While growing up and living in the rural South, we did consider snappers and "tarpins" (Southern for terrapins) as varmints in the local ponds and small water sheds. Old ponds and bass/bream/catfish lakes were often infested with younger, and sometimes, old snappers that wreaked havoc on fish populations, ducks, etc, and were a general nuisance by stealing bait off lines.
In the spring when these varmints were sunning on numerous logs, stumps, mud banks, etc, a friend and I found a new sport in attempting to control these creatures. Most of these ponds, lakes and sloughs were very rural and offered plenty of shooting angles that allowed safe zones for any water ricochets. Typically, we used 22LR for these varmint control shoots, and usually, the ranges were 200yds +/- and under to a few feet. Once a small lake or pond had been shot a while, the wiser "tarpins" would instantly go to water upon seeing us on the banks or levees. These called for longer range shooting with 222's, 223's etc.
The real challenges came when the springtime waters warmed enough for the turtles to stay in the water for long periods and only presented head shots to our 22LR's.
Occasionally, we would get a bonus and find cotton mouth snakes lying on these same logs and stumps sunning in the spring sun while out of the still rather cold waters. And more than once, we would be surprised by a rather extremely large female cotton mouth who lazily slithered onto a log or mud bank while we were sniping the turtles. A couple of those we retrieved after shooting were so large, they gave me a cold chill down my young spine. But, they made great belts!
In the spring when these varmints were sunning on numerous logs, stumps, mud banks, etc, a friend and I found a new sport in attempting to control these creatures. Most of these ponds, lakes and sloughs were very rural and offered plenty of shooting angles that allowed safe zones for any water ricochets. Typically, we used 22LR for these varmint control shoots, and usually, the ranges were 200yds +/- and under to a few feet. Once a small lake or pond had been shot a while, the wiser "tarpins" would instantly go to water upon seeing us on the banks or levees. These called for longer range shooting with 222's, 223's etc.
The real challenges came when the springtime waters warmed enough for the turtles to stay in the water for long periods and only presented head shots to our 22LR's.
Occasionally, we would get a bonus and find cotton mouth snakes lying on these same logs and stumps sunning in the spring sun while out of the still rather cold waters. And more than once, we would be surprised by a rather extremely large female cotton mouth who lazily slithered onto a log or mud bank while we were sniping the turtles. A couple of those we retrieved after shooting were so large, they gave me a cold chill down my young spine. But, they made great belts!
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WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
That's a great story ! Sometimes we wish we could relive or childhood . The good old days. It's Terrapin (diamondback terrapins, water turtles) I thought you were talking about the fish "tarpon" and was thinking what ? In a pond ? Lol ! Read story again. Had some rattler stories myself when young.
Take care brother.
Yea, I guess I should have clarified the Southern slang for those. As a youth, all I ever heard was "tarpins", and it was later in high school before I ever read it spelled correctly.
Rattler stories I am sure you have, and I recall my first encounter with a Wyoming rattler while on a P-Dog shoot. LOL !!
Great story wish I'd been there. The doc across from me hates the snappers they all but wiped out a dozen cygnets so far, I reset the turtle trap there today with a chicken leg, if I catch anything I'll post it. There's got to be more as the lake is over 100 years old and no turtles taken out of it that he knows of , but 1900 was a long time ago.
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
Funny, I thought of it pronounced in a southern drawl. Came out your way. Two of my best friends are from Arkansas . I get a kick of of them talking. Most all of my rattler experiences were from Ca. and Az. when I was young. I got bit by a rattler in my garage in Ca.
Not fun. 9 viles 6 times antivenome. $700 a vile. A night in ICU. Don't remember exact amount but I think was $94,000.00. I had insurance. I still had to pay a few thousand .
CBH Australia
Well-Known Member
Thats a funny question, I never considered them Varmints.
I think they are likely protected in Australia.
The indigenous people eat them I think.
What is a Turtle Piccante?
I think they are likely protected in Australia.
The indigenous people eat them I think.
What is a Turtle Piccante?
