Boy Kills Giant Turtle

Originally Posted by sfaoldguy

As for the snake hunting, I very seldom agree with it... The fact that he went snake hunting does not mean that this kid is deranged... It means that he is uneducated on the importance of these reptiles and avenues of having venomous snakes relocated... If no public service is offered to relocate poisonous snakes, I do understand killing the reptiles in areas where humans could be bit... If snakes were not killed in mass numbers every day on roads or by most people that come across them, I may feel more inclined to support an occasional snake hunt within a healthy population...

Doubt this is going to change any views but it's my opinion based on some facts...

if he was "hunting" snakes why the hell did he kill that turtle ?
for food .....gimmie a break. he was a 14 year old kid looking for something to shoot at because he didn't find any snakes to kill. Is it even legal in that state to hunt snapping turtles?
Is it even legal for a 14 year old to be shooting a gun w/o supervision?
Did the law check to see if he even had a license to hunt.
I need a "hunting" license to catch a live snake in the road.

Running snakes over in the road has nothing to do with this, I have run snakes over..... when your doing 55 mph its pretty hard to just stop or swerve to avoid it.

The worst part is I can disagree with this all I want ...I know its not going to change a thing

This is a interesting discussion. Growing in the worst of the Los Angeles area, some folks find it necessary to hunt people. They call it population control. Seeing that is a whole other topic I will stop there.

I have known many people that cannot survive without hunting. A close friend of mine in Missouri, his family has been hunting deer probably since his ancestors settled there. Growing up, money was a serious issue, his father worked many hours and mother tended to the kids. The entire family pitched in when it came to food. Those that did not hunt, stayed home and worked in the 3 acre garden, lot a food, but they have a lot of family. When the boys were 16 they went hunting with the adult men, they stripped the deer themselves and nothing was wasted. They hunted on their own property, they had some 20 acres.

Do I condone hunting? For my friend's family, they did it because that was what they did to feed their family. It cost far less then going to the grocery store, along with the garden, figure how much money you would be saving your family. I figure for a family of 5, that is about $300 a month, it costs more to eat healthy then go to a fast food joint.

I lived in Idaho for a few years and seen many people hunt for sport, a lot of people would take their newly killed deer to a butcher or taxidermist and only take home the bust and about 20 pounds of meat. Sure they killed deer every year, but it cost more to have it mounted then to use it all for the family.

My thoughts are this, I will not interfere if someone wants to kill for food or sport. If they are killing just because, then I have an issue. Like the 300 pound muscle builder that use a shovel and beat the crud out of a 2 foot long garter snake then using the shovel like a guillotine they chop it up after it is dead just in case it survived 10 blows to the body. All because he was scared of it.

I don't know this kid's lifestyle, is it possible that the family does eat snapping turtles on a regular occasion and this is something he does with his father? Is it possible that killing snakes was something his father does for his mother, so he let the boy do it this time?

Wow, this is an interesting thread. Homegrown Herps has his opinion and that is cool, that is why we live in America. I personally do not hunt. Going to the grocery store is easier and McDonald's is just as easy. If I was the kid that saw the snapping turtle I would have tried to catch it to look at.
But on the other hand this how they are raised. I used to live in a town of 30 people. I don't think my next door neighbor ever heard of a grocery store. Me and him used to get in it all the time. He tried to shoot my gator (it moved into my pond, though it was cool until he found out about), he ate a goat that he found walking around. For an animal lover he was your worst nightmare, everything with legs was a potential meal. But that was how he was raised, as long as he stayed off my property we were cool.

I watch TV and see some tribes eating Tarantulas, in Mexico they eat Iguanas. Do I believe in it, no. Will I sell a Tarantula or Iguana for food, no. But I have to remember that that is their culture and it is a normal everday thing for them. Anyone who keeps reptiles is looked at under scrutiny, I have had defax to my house 3 times now for inspection because I own a pet store and keep reptiles (our pet Uromastyx was a big concern because it had spikes). Now all of our animals our kept at the store. Does it tick me off because people don't see my point of view, yes. Do you think any family that eats snapping turtles sits there and says "John Doe does like me eating turtles and hunting, maybe I should stop" doubt it. They have the same view as us, they are not doing anything wrong.

Now, I have to admit that I hate the pointless killing of any animals especially reptiles, but instead of sitting back and griping about it. I actively go out and try to educate the public of the importance of reptiles in our area. We do on average 30 - 40 shows a year and I am approved by the Board of Education.

Now to finish this up, I do not hold a grudge against Homegrown Herps for their view. That is their opinion and he is entitled to it.

Originally Posted by homegrownherps

if he was "hunting" snakes why the hell did he kill that turtle ?
for food .....gimmie a break. he was a 14 year old kid looking for something to shoot at because he didn't find any snakes to kill. Is it even legal in that state to hunt snapping turtles?
Is it even legal for a 14 year old to be shooting a gun w/o supervision?
Did the law check to see if he even had a license to hunt.
I need a "hunting" license to catch a live snake in the road.

Running snakes over in the road has nothing to do with this, I have run snakes over..... when your doing 55 mph its pretty hard to just stop or swerve to avoid it.

The worst part is I can disagree with this all I want ...I know its not going to change a thing

The turtle was not what he was hunting but was a target of opportunity that presented itself...

For the literature I found in that state, I believe it is legal as stated in my previous post... No regulation usually means it is legal and can sustain moderate hunting levels or the state doesn't have an adequate conservation program... I believe the previous...

Whether it is legal or not, he should be supervised...

He probably does not need a liscense at that age, but that state may require him to take a hunter's education course like the one in Texas...

Snakes being run over in the road has a great deal to do with this... So many snakes are killed every day on hiways and roads that there populations are usually kept at relatively low levels where hunting snakes only increases the danger of the population reaching dangerously low levels... Snapping turtles do get killed on roads but not nearly as hi a number...

I do want to add that I respect your position on this homegrownherps...

For this specific animal, I would not have killed it because it obviously has good genes...

Scalesnstuff,
I love meeting people like you who have seen the great need for education and have stepped up to the its challenge...

Originally Posted by sfaoldguy

Snakes being run over in the road has a great deal to do with this... So many snakes are killed every day on hiways and roads that there populations are usually kept at relatively low levels where hunting snakes only increases the danger of the population reaching dangerously low levels... Snapping turtles do get killed on roads but not nearly as hi a number...

I don't see how road kill compares to someone purposely hunting something down and killing it. Most of the time hitting something in the road is unavoidable.

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I suppose there are many different aspects to "hunting" and we can go on and on about it for days. And I am sure we can all find valid points for each side.

Hunting to feed your family, maybe a job would take care of that.

I would just rather see them in the wild (while there are still some left) than on my plate or hanging on the wall.

I would not interfere if someone wants to kill for food or sport either, but I guess when given the chance I can vent how I feel about it. I respect others opinions, as we all have our own. It'd pretty bland if we all agreed on the same things.

Originally Posted by homegrownherps

Hunting to feed your family, maybe a job would take care of that.

I would just rather see them in the wild (while there are still some left) than on my plate or hanging on the wall.

I would not interfere if someone wants to kill for food or sport either, but I guess when given the chance I can vent how I feel about it. I respect others opinions, as we all have our own. It'd pretty bland if we all agreed on the same things.

If only the job paid enough to feed the family, until you know what they have gone through to do so, then it would be easier to understand. Sometimes, in writing, it does not help in that aspect.

Having different opinions is what makes this place so much fun, also a great place to voice our opinions.

In Maine, at least, there are no truely "wild" animals that are hunted or trapped. Deer, moose, beer and all the others are managed just like cattle. Cows are in the fields and the others are in the woods. If it is difficult winter, and the population suffered, they shorten the season. If the population increases they do the opposite. Like Homegrownherps I love seeing these animals in the wild. Just last weekend at camp we saw a bald eagle, bear, 3 deer, moose and plenty of smaller animals. Oh, and 5 wood turtles, one pair copulating. It was great to see them all.
I don't individualize them. They're not pets. The deer I shoot doesn't mean there are not going plenty to be see and enjoy in the off season. In reference to hunting. You get up at 4:30 am in November and it's dark and 10 below outside. You have bacon and eggs, grab a sandwich and hike into the woods. If there is snow you might track a deer that is probably 2 miles a head of you. If there's not then you sit under a tree and freeze your ass off. The nearest house is 10 miles away, and the nearest town 50 miles. But when you're out there, with the ravens cawing overhead, and the wind blowing through the trees, you feel like you're the only guy on the planet. And you really don't care if you ever see a deer.

Just last weekend at camp we saw a bald eagle, beer, 3 deer, moose and plenty of smaller animals.

I don't think I've ever seen wild beer...