This is the smallest of the 10 huge snapping turtles that we captured in the spring. During the spring, there is an area that floods, that we call the "bottom". It runs from one end of the farm to the other, and past to empty into Nolin River. All types of fish, turtles, and birds, (one of my favorites is the Sandhill Cranes),are here on the farm to feed on the flowing "stream" that occurs.
So the kids and I have TONS of fun as the water finally receeds catching catfish with our hands, and nets and re-locating them into the other ponds that are here year round. We have 20 bodies of water here, and we are slowly trying to place some catfish in the ponds that we fish. We also go "turtle hunting". One of Doug's absolute favorite things to do in life! Its pretty fun to find these giants and catch them.
9 of the 10 were fried up by our neighbor Donnie. They say that there is 7 different flavor types of meat in a snapping turtle....I only tried one piece that tasted like pork chops...but I couldnt get over the thought of eating what we caught and after watching them get cleaned...ummmm....wasnt that in to eating it. Leah wouldnt even try a small piece. Snapping turtles live to be hundreds of years old, and one that we let go had probably seen the civil war era.
Doug, Neal, and I have a blast driving the 4-wheeler through the water or along side where it's too deep to drive searching for the large shells! Silly I guess, this "Turtle Hunting" that we do, but I guess its not silly if Douglas gets so much enjoyment out of it, and if its something we can do together and bond. I love doing anything outside with Doug, even going turtle hunting. I hope this spring we go to find some more, Dinosaur Discoveries!
