TRUE STORY: Yesterday morning, as I was jogging, I came across this enormous snapping turtle on the side of the road (there was a marshy area of land adjacent to the road where it must have come from). I was intrigued, so I started to poke at it and I discovered that it was a vicious little creature. I have to admit that when it lunged at me the first time, I was very surprised! (If you click on the photo of the entire turtle, then you'll be able to see it's long threatening hind claws!)
I jogged my loop again, and when I came back to the turtle, it was about to try to cross the road (45 mile/hour road). I irritated it enough that it turned itself around. I jogged home, grabbed my camera, and drove back to make sure it crossed the road without getting itself flattened. When I got back, a woman in an old beatup truck had stopped and was in the middle of the road poking the turtle with an old broom. I walked out and talked to her for a minute. She bugged the turtle so it bit the broomstick and then she picked it up by the tail and carried it to the other side of the road. She winked at me and said she wanted to take it home. I laughed and said, "For a pet?" She looked at me in complete seriousness and said, "No, to EAT it." I was totally taken aback. To EAT it??! I asked her if she was serious and she said, "Oh yeah. Have you ever had turtle?" Well, you won't believe it, but she put that grimy mean turtle into the back of her pickup truck and drove away.
How is she going to kill it and de-shell it? Don't ask ME. And how much edible muscle is there to eat on a wild snapping turtle? Who knows. CRAZY. Anyway, how ironic - I drive back to try to keep it alive, and instead I witness it get hauled off for dinner. So disturbing....
I jogged my loop again, and when I came back to the turtle, it was about to try to cross the road (45 mile/hour road). I irritated it enough that it turned itself around. I jogged home, grabbed my camera, and drove back to make sure it crossed the road without getting itself flattened. When I got back, a woman in an old beatup truck had stopped and was in the middle of the road poking the turtle with an old broom. I walked out and talked to her for a minute. She bugged the turtle so it bit the broomstick and then she picked it up by the tail and carried it to the other side of the road. She winked at me and said she wanted to take it home. I laughed and said, "For a pet?" She looked at me in complete seriousness and said, "No, to EAT it." I was totally taken aback. To EAT it??! I asked her if she was serious and she said, "Oh yeah. Have you ever had turtle?" Well, you won't believe it, but she put that grimy mean turtle into the back of her pickup truck and drove away.
How is she going to kill it and de-shell it? Don't ask ME. And how much edible muscle is there to eat on a wild snapping turtle? Who knows. CRAZY. Anyway, how ironic - I drive back to try to keep it alive, and instead I witness it get hauled off for dinner. So disturbing....
7 comments:
This story is such a crack-up. You won't believe what I found when I googled "how to cook a turtle":
http://www.backwoodsbound.com/xturtle.html
This may not be for you if you a weak stomach. :)
This is TOO funny! Yummmm. turtle tastes good.
You know you're in K-ville...
That is hilarious! Eric and I both laughed. You're right though - it IS a little disturbing and very ironic!
Okay, I did some more research and found out this was definitely an Alligator Snapping Turtle. As the largest North American freshwater turtle, they can weigh up to 200 pounds and can live to be over 100 years old. They are found in rivers, streams and lakes in Texas and other states in the south central U.S. And their populations are dramatically declining. The main threat to the alligator snapping turtle is people who kill these reptiles for their meat! I wish I had recorded the poacher's license plate! I thought about it at the time, but I immediately thought that was over-the-edge, but now that I know more about this turtle, I'm mad that she ATE it!!!
Yeah, it makes a great story though!
That is a great story, sad ending, great story. Erin you are a real "care taker." Most of us would maybe think to do that but never take the time but you are so caring, you actually took the time to go back.
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