Boy Kills Giant Turtle

What are they teaching those kids in North Carolina!!! Sounds like a wonderful little boy.

Boy kills giant turtle

A 14-year-old boy from Spruce Pine shot and killed a 68-pound snapping turtle on May 21.

Issac Hedrick was at a pond on Lynn Gap Road close to his grandmother's house when he saw the turtle.

Hedrick said he was out looking for snakes with a 410 shotgun and saw the turtle move in the pond.

He kept an eye on it and when it put its head up, he shot it twice.


Hedrick said he wrestled with pulling the turtle from the pond for over an hour.

He ended up using a broken rake from a shed to help him drag the turtle to land.

About 15 pounds of meat came off of the turtle.

http://www.mitchellnews.com/articles...s/sports02.txt

Looking for snakes with a 410 shotgun but settles for killing a turtle? Sad world we are living in.

Though it is easy to point the finger, and question how this child became so evil and twisted, it bears remembering that "about 15lbs of meat came off the turtle". Was he out that day for the purpose of wanton destruction (he was looking for snakes, after all), or did he seize an opportunity to put food on the family table? Would we be up in arms to hear that he had shot a deer or some squirrels?

I'm going to chime in on this one before something is said out of ignorance about the local culture that pisses me off.
This incident occurred in my town. I don't know the boy personally, but my son does I believe. They are the same age and go to school together.
While I personally regret the death of the turtle, as well as the snakes, there's nothing wrong with the boy or how he was raised.
We live in the country in the south. People still raise gardens, and perform other activities outside on a daily basis. As often as not the woods come right up to the edge of a person's yard or garden and it's a common practice to clear the property of snakes in the spring.
While I haven't talked to the boy, I figure this is what he was doing for his grandmother. While I would not have taken the same course of action, other people are not familiar with snakes as we are and this is how they deal with a perceived threat.
I admit there's still alot of misconception and needless fear on behalf of the local population in relation to snakes, this is how things are in the country. Generally it's copperheads that are the primary target due to their abundance in close proximity to homes.
The turtle was found and viewed as a meal, or several meals in this case, and taken. Yes a large percentage of the people here, myself included still eat wild game on a regular basis and a turtle is just that to many people. Just as Harald said, if it had been a rabbit or squirrel nothing would have been considered out of the ordinary.
The fact he killed the turtle is not a suggestion that he is mentally disturbed, deriving pleasure from the killing of animals, nor does it suggest he has been raised poorly.
It merely demonstrates he is from a different culture that the vast majority on this forum, a culture I share with him and wouldn't trade for any other.

This boy is an idiot. Likewise with his parents. It takes a really big, smart person to kill a helpless turtle with a 410 shotgun. I don't care where you live, or how close the woods come to your house.

Actually I wasn't thinking too much about the turtle. It was the snake hunting with a 410 that got me. Now that you've explained it it does make more sense. I'm from Maine, which isn't exactly a metropolis, 2 million peeps in an area about 3/4 the size of NC. We have our share of woods, lakes, mountains and game up here too. I hunt and fish. We have a rule though. If you shoot it you eat it. I just thought the kid was out shooting snakes for fun. Sorry for the mistake.

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake

This boy is an idiot. Likewise with his parents. It takes a really big, smart person to kill a helpless turtle with a 410 shotgun. I don't care where you live, or how close the woods come to your house.

And us folks from the south are suppose to be simple minded.

last time i checked snapping turtle soup was still on the menu on more than a few 5 star restaurants. I believe i all so seen it sold in the can food section at the grocery store. I believe Wolfgang Puck even has hid own brand of snapping turtle soup sold in the can. Of course my preferred method of cooking up some would be cubed on a kabob, and my preferred method of catching one would be with a fishing pole and a hook with maybe some nightcrawlers or a piece of chicken liver.

This wasn't someone's pet turtle it was wild game taken for its meat. No different than any other wild game hunted for consumption. It didn't go to waste. Wasn't left to rot in the pond. It was taken home clean, prepared, and eaten.

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake

This boy is an idiot. Likewise with his parents. It takes a really big, smart person to kill a helpless turtle with a 410 shotgun. I don't care where you live, or how close the woods come to your house.

I bet it's cheaper to BUY meat in the store - than to buy the ammo !
here's a challenge - hunt with a knife !

I live in the woods and would much rather see the wildlife alive than on my plate or hanging on the wall


AND some people in the south are simple minded.

Originally Posted by homegrownherps

I bet it's cheaper to BUY meat in the store - than to buy the ammo !
here's a challenge - hunt with a knife !

Shells for a 410 are really cheap, meat at the grocery store is not.

Originally Posted by homegrownherps

AND some people in the south are simple minded.

So true! Same goes for the north though.

Originally Posted by Mary-Beth is KoRny

Shells for a 410 are really cheap, meat at the grocery store is not.




So true! Same goes for the north though.

Yes ...same goes for the north too !

But when you go hunting isn't there more than the need of JUST ammo ?
A trip to the grocery store and head to the meat dept. seems some much easier

Oh wait I have heard about "the thrill of the hunt"
Track down defenseless animals - or just bait them and wait for them to walk up and then shoot them. sounds like a real challenge