DSGB Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 We were enjoying a boat ride on Saturday with my parents when I spotted this big ol' girl beached on the bank. It's a shame anyone would want to kill an animal just for the heck of it. She most likely was there to lay eggs. Here's one with my hat for size reference. Alligator Snapping Turtles are protected in both Georgia and Alabama. This one happened to be in Alabama. I really want to get the shell from this "dinosaur" but I'm not sure if that will be possible. Instead of leaving it on the bank where it was, I looped a rope around it's head and drug it up in the woods. I'm going to talk with my uncle who is a federal game warden, and works in that county, and see if there is any way I could keep the shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 See just a few of them around here. Never one quite that big. Did see some in Florida years ago that were around that size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 Was it shot? Sometimes they get caught on trot lines and drown. I bet that's what happened. They probably cut her loose and laid her on the bank hoping she'd revive. We're allowed one turtle per boat here. But we don't keep them. They are too "prehistoric" to kill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSGB Posted April 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 If you look at the second picture, towards the front of the shell, it had what appeared to be a bullet hole. There was dried blood around it, as well. It could have been caused by something else, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAstringking Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 that thing is huge!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 Sheeeesh you got a small head!!! LOL j/k I've heard of them things but never saw one. Yeah, it's beyond me why someone would want to kill something and just leave it to rot. How much do you think that thing weighed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beagleboy Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 That is a huge animal. What a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSGB Posted April 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 How much do you think that thing weighed? I'd say about 80 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUTSIDER Posted April 26, 2007 Report Share Posted April 26, 2007 Gosh i wsh i could have eaten that sucker!!!Do yall eat those guys down that way??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSGB Posted April 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 Gosh i wsh i could have eaten that sucker!!!Do yall eat those guys down that way??? I don't personally, but there are people that do eat them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 Woah! Never even heard of one of those before, what a giant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 I don't personally, but there are people that do eat them. I have eaten them several times. They are good eating. We have them thick around here and people kill them every chance they get. Honestly I think they are protected here too but they can do some damage to a pond (fish numbers). I see them squashed on the side of the road a lot. People run them over while they try to cross to another body of water. I need to check and see if they are protected here. Im really not sure but they are thick, thick, thick. My family has 13 ponds on the Ranch and Ill bet you a week's worth of dinners that every pond on the Ranch has turtles in it. The largest we have ever caught out of a pond (they sometimes will grab a worm and hook) was 76lbs. It looked to be about that size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckslayer Posted April 27, 2007 Report Share Posted April 27, 2007 Cool pics dsgb, have never seen one of those before, just regular snappers up here. Hope you get to keep the shell. That would be a neat coffee table ornament!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted April 28, 2007 Report Share Posted April 28, 2007 Cool pics dsgb, have never seen one of those before, just regular snappers up here. Hope you get to keep the shell. That would be a neat coffee table ornament!!! :D Ornament! Heck, that could be the whole table. Sure would be a shame if someone just shot it for the heck of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntinguide Posted April 30, 2007 Report Share Posted April 30, 2007 they say that it takes the 10 years too gain 5 lbs so go do the math..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted April 30, 2007 Report Share Posted April 30, 2007 They get really big. But like huntinguide stated it takes them a LONG time to get that big. THe bass pro in Springfield MO use to have on in a case that they said was like a 100 some years old and it was a GIANT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSGB Posted April 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2007 I talked to my uncle this weekend and he said as long it is not alive I can keep it. He even asked if he could borrow it sometime for his classes. Now I just gotta figure out the best way to get it cleaned. Right now it stinks so bad I don't wanna be near it, but I don't wanna leave it long enough for squirrels and stuff to chew on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rem308 Posted April 30, 2007 Report Share Posted April 30, 2007 Yeah, well hope all works out. Post a pic once you get it completed. What a sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoyt_hunter Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 wow, that is huge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 They get really big. But like huntinguide stated it takes them a LONG time to get that big. THe bass pro in Springfield MO use to have on in a case that they said was like a 100 some years old and it was a GIANT!! I remember that one. There is a HUGE one in the Tulsa Zoo! I cant remember exactly but its something like 200lbs... ill dig and try to find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 I talked to my uncle this weekend and he said as long it is not alive I can keep it. He even asked if he could borrow it sometime for his classes. Now I just gotta figure out the best way to get it cleaned. Right now it stinks so bad I don't wanna be near it, but I don't wanna leave it long enough for squirrels and stuff to chew on it. Dig a pit, throw in some lime, and bury it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSGB Posted June 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 I went and got the shell on Saturday. All of the meat and skin was gone and it didn't smell as bad. It still smells a little, though. The scutes were all coming off, so I went ahead and removed them and cleaned them up a bit. There are years of caked on red clay on them. The inner shell or bone was the part that still smells. I'm gonna let it sit out in the sun to "cure" for a while. Then I'll put all the scutes back on there (it's gonna be like a big puzzle) and glue them, then cover it with polyurethane or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Looks good. Cant wait to see it finished!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 A lot of folks around here just leave those things off and stain the shell with a similar colored varnish. Looks good!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 WOW! That is awesome. Thanks for sharing your pics with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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