My Good Deed for the Day...

After dropping my g/f off at work, I was headed home when I saw a scaly spined tail peeking out from around the crash barrier next to the river-side park... a good-sized turtle was trying to get into the street.

While we don't have Los Angeles or New Jersey type of traffic up here, someone was going to run the buggar over, so I IMed the g/f to let her know I found a turtle (she really likes turtles) so she ran down from her office to take pictures.

I did a quick Google search (thank god for smartphones) and found out how to safely handle a snapper. So I picked it up and we walked it down to the river.

Kind of silly, I know, but I have a real problem with wildlife being hit by vehicles (they were here first, and I don't count running over an animal as part of "natural selection"... legally hunting one is a different story..)

So here I am with my turtle. I guess my shirt was lucky for us both this morning.



PS. The moose in the background is a statue.. lol

That's awesome that you were wearing your "lucky shirt"! haha

:rockin:

You know that thing is "Eatinsize" don't you?

I hope you gave out a good rebel yell (ie. turtleman style)!

Haven't seen any snappers of that size down here, but plenty of box turtles kicking around (I think that what they are). My dog stepped right over one on our run the other morning (he's not the brightest bulb in the box).

Nice job saving the wildlife brewmcg....maybe with the karma you earned some kegs might come your way

<<Mad Turtle>>: Two ****ing hours I've been crawling AWAY from that damned river and this ******* just picks me up and takes me back. ****ing humans!

Good work, I'm sure it was appreciative.

Snappers won't last 5 minutes down here, the necks must think they carry aids, they smash them quick.

_

wildwest450 said:

Snappers won't last 5 minutes down here, the necks must think they carry aids, they smash them quick.

_

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Heck, even up here we eat 'em! I always thought it was strange to let them go. I remember when grandpa would get one to snap on a pair of channel locks, and when it bit the pliers, I'd pull the neck out and cut the head off and toss the head (and pliers) off to the side. It took hours before the head gave up!

Then he'd nail it to a tree by the tail and start carving. Turtle soup is good!

I've seen a bunch of them about that big smashed on the highway recently. They must be doing the spring walkabout.

Homercidal said:

Heck, even up here we eat 'em! I always thought it was strange to let them go. I remember when grandpa would get one to snap on a pair of channel locks, and when it bit the pliers, I'd pull the neck out and cut the head off and toss the head (and pliers) off to the side. It took hours before the head gave up!

Then he'd nail it to a tree by the tail and start carving. Turtle soup is good!

I've seen a bunch of them about that big smashed on the highway recently. They must be doing the spring walkabout.

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Turtle Soup is indeed good ... my SWMBO and the grand daughter rescued one from the road the other day while I was at work... my question What, rescued, that could have been dinner!

Homercidal said:

Heck, even up here we eat 'em!

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That's fine by me. To run them over just for fun, I have a problem with that. I like turtles more than most people.

_

wildwest450 said:

That's fine by me. To run them over just for fun, I have a problem with that. I like turtles more than most people.

_

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I agree. That's why I picked up that wee little bit of a snapper while headign to a Homewbrew day this spring. Carried him to the car, and then down a long, steep, hill to the lake so he didn't get run over.

There he can grow up big enough to eat!

FYI - They STINK!

broadbill said:

Haven't seen any snappers of that size down here, but plenty of box turtles kicking around (I think that what they are). My dog stepped right over one on our run the other morning (he's not the brightest bulb in the box).

Nice job saving the wildlife brewmcg....maybe with the karma you earned some kegs might come your way

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You're right, as a keg magically appeared on my stoop when I returned from fishing this morning.


I've never had turtle soup.. not really interested in having any, although I won't turn it down if it's offered to me (which is how I found out gator was so good). Obviously since I hunt and fish, I have no problem with legally harvesting wildlife for food, but yeah.. . I couldn't let this gal get run over by an idiot.

Cheers for the responses and stories.

Man.

Back in june we took a trip up to Austin to see Rush. About halfway through my trip we're on 70 or whatever highway it is once you turn to start going north, and I see a turtle. I'm doing about 75 and I swerve to get around him and I look in my rearview and he's fine!






Until the ******* behind me just ran it right over like it was nothing. Really pissed me off that I went through the effort of almost hitting another vehicle to avoid killing him and some *****enozzle just runs it over AFTER SEEING ME SUCCESSFULLY AVOID SUCH A SITUATION.

word of the day..."*****enozzle"

I worked for the GFP for a long time and we used metal grain/snow shovels to pick these guys up off the road. For big prehistoric looking monsters, they have fast heads/mouths.

I once pulled 4 live ones and 4 dead ones off of a bridge during a drought. Seems as though they were going from one dried up waterhole to another.

We've got a pet turtle, so doubt I'd eat turtle soup. But I personally think the cuter something is the more likely it is to taste good. Bambi tastes spectacular. As does veal.

funkapottomous said:

Until the ******* behind me just ran it right over like it was nothing. Really pissed me off that I went through the effort of almost hitting another vehicle to avoid killing him and some *****enozzle just runs it over AFTER SEEING ME SUCCESSFULLY AVOID SUCH A SITUATION.

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So you almost killed yourself and someone else to not hit a turtle.

Maybe we should reevaluate who the *****enozzle is.

jd3 said:

So you almost killed yourself and someone else to not hit a turtle.

Maybe we should reevaluate who the *****enozzle is.

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+1 I was thinking the same thing.

Its one thing to go out of your way to avoid hitting an animal on a wide open country lane, but quite another to do it going 70+ down the interstate.

BBKing said:

+1 I was thinking the same thing.

Its one thing to go out of your way to avoid hitting an animal on a wide open country lane, but quite another to do it going 70+ down the interstate.

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The only good part about this *****enozzle is he is providing me job security. My day would be a lot more boring if I only went on naturally sick people and not evolution proving stupidity.

He'll soon be providing me the same job security. What a guy he is

jd3 said:

So you almost killed yourself and someone else to not hit a turtle.

Maybe we should reevaluate who the *****enozzle is.

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No, I didn't "almost kill myself and someone else." I successfully manouvered around an obstacle while avoiding other drivers on the road, and as I looked in my rearview, the guy behind me just ran the damn thing over. I might also add that there were no drivers in the lane next to him either. So, he either didn't see the turtle (which is doubtful unless he didn't see me swerve to avoid it) or he just decided not to avoid it and run it over.

funkapottomous said:

No, I didn't "almost kill myself and someone else." I successfully manouvered around an obstacle while avoiding other drivers on the road, and as I looked in my rearview, the guy behind me just ran the damn thing over. I might also add that there were no drivers in the lane next to him either. So, he either didn't see the turtle (which is doubtful unless he didn't see me swerve to avoid it) or he just decided not to avoid it and run it over.

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So you almost killed someone? Cool. Keep up the good work. My number is 9 1 1.

jd3 said:

So you almost killed someone? Cool. Keep up the good work. My number is 9 1 1.

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I'm glad the guys that tought my EMT courses weren't as cynical as you. I'd hate to see how that attitude affects your decisions in the field.

funkapottomous said:

I'm glad the guys that tought my EMT courses weren't as cynical as you. I'd hate to see how that attitude affects your decisions in the field.

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Oh don't get all butt hurt on me. Cynicism is directly related to the stupid choices people make every day that keep me in business.

Swerving at 70 mph for a turtle is dumb. Doing it for an old lady on the road is dumb too. Causing 5 deaths to save a turtle us stupid. My guess is your emt instructors have about 3 days of experience, like most good teachers.

Keep doing and defending stupid ****. Seriously. Drive fast. Drink and drive. Pass on curves. Makes my day way more exciting.

jd3 said:

Seriously. Drive fast. Drink and drive. Pass on curves. Makes my day way more exciting.

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*****enozzle.

jd3 said:

Oh don't get all butt hurt on me. Cynicism is directly related to the stupid choices people make every day that keep me in business.

Swerving at 70 mph for a turtle is dumb. Doing it for an old lady on the road is dumb too. Causing 5 deaths to save a turtle us stupid. My guess is your emt instructors have about 3 days of experience, like most good teachers.

Keep doing and defending stupid ****. Seriously. Drive fast. Drink and drive. Pass on curves. Makes my day way more exciting.

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>Implying I almost caused five deaths
>Implying I drink and drive
>Implying I pass on blind curves
>implying any of this matters because it's an internet fight.



I'd really like to continue arguing and defending myself, and start brandishing credentials of instructors and everything else, but I have other **** to do.

funkapottomous said:

>Implying I almost caused five deaths
>Implying I drink and drive
>Implying I pass on blind curves
>implying any of this matters because it's an internet fight.



I'd really like to continue arguing and defending myself, and start brandishing credentials of instructors and everything else, but I have other **** to do.

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I didn't imply you drink and drive. I asked you to do it so I'd have something to do. I also asked you to pass on curves for the same reason.

YOU are the one who implied you almost killed someone.

funkapottomous said:

Man.

Back in june we took a trip up to Austin to see Rush. About halfway through my trip we're on 70 or whatever highway it is once you turn to start going north, and I see a turtle. I'm doing about 75 and I swerve to get around him and I look in my rearview and he's fine!


Until the ******* behind me just ran it right over like it was nothing. Really pissed me off that I went through the effort of almost hitting another vehicle to avoid killing him and some *****enozzle just runs it over AFTER SEEING ME SUCCESSFULLY AVOID SUCH A SITUATION.

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Seriously. Quit being all butt hurt and get over it. It is apparent that you missed the part in EMT class where they tell you to minimize the number of patients. If you do things that can create other patients, you're only making the situation worse. Driving fast, swerving, "ALMOST HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE" are stupid things that kill more people. What did you accomplish now?

I don't really much care that you took an EMT class. Anyone can do it. Anyone can do medic school too. Having real world experience scraping people off the road because of *****enozzles like you who think they are super heroes will give you a different perspective on this.

Also, you should look up the definition of cynic, again.

Also, you'd have been at fault had you killed someone in another vehicle. In my state two people have been prosecuted for manslaughter for doing similar things recently.

Read your drivers manual. No where in there does it say should should put the lives of other drivers on the line for a friggin turtle.

funkapottomous said:

I'd hate to see how that attitude affects your decisions in the field.

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Oh, and when you and your family are critically injured you better hope you get a medic like me and not some *****enozzle that blows 30 intersections and kills someone on the way there, only to pronounce you dead.

My attitude on your e-stupidity has nothing do with the fact that I have a boatload of experience and more training than 90% of medics. You could only hope to have someone arrive on scene that isn't just a taxi driver in a big white bus.

LOOK AT WHAT YOU SAID. You said it. We all get that you were just trying to make yourself feel all super tough for risking lives saving a turtle. But you said it.

Turtles are cool! My wife and I have a couple of turtles as pets. The first, is a Red Eared Slider. My wife and mother found him in a pot of crawfish about to be boiled up around 5 or 6 years ago. He was about the size of a quarter and we thought he was dead. Somehow, I got volunteered as the turtle caretaker guy. I was drinking so, I don't know exactly how it went down. He eventually got big and is now about 10" long. He has a turtle buddy as well. They are VERY expensive. We did a lot of reading about how to properly care for turtles. They need a very large tank with a large filter. I also moved to Alaska in 2009 with turtles in the car.

Snappers are cool too. I can't believe people just kill them or anything else for that matter, for ****s and giggles. I'd definitely eat turtle soup though. I hunt and fish myself. I just hate when people kill something and don't eat it though. There is a snapping turtle at the Oklahoma City Zoo. If you've never been there, I suggest you go and check it out. It's one of the best zoos in the world. Anyways, they have a snapper there that is the size of a semi-truck tire. His head is about the diameter of a basketball. Forget your fingers. You could lose an arm to that thing. He even had plants growing on him the last time I saw him.