Snapping turtle attacked gosling (**WARNING ** GRAPHIC PICTURES)

[b.hromada]

Poor little thing!!!

I know that turtles do things like this, I just hate to see it happen.

I hope your baby is going to be fine. Its surprising how fast they heal up! I had my duck attacked by our dog when he was a puppy, trying to play with her. She healed super fast! Thats also nice of you to relocate the perp!!

 

[The Tinman]

I heard they are good eaten but the smell of them would deter me from eating one.I would just relocate.
Quote:
I think you pretty much have to catch and kill/eat/relocate them. The good news is that snapping turtles actually are good eating if prepared right.

 

[Swampwood]

I would have killed that turtle In A heart-beat

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

The interesting thing about that turtle, is that in order to reach that size, She is probably over 25 years old! Our northern climate snapper grow slowly, but we see them each spring when they come in and lay eggs in our gardens. We mark each nest, and put a wire basket over it, so nothing can dig it up. They may be predators, and smelly, but they are an important part of the eco system, and some of the big girls I see come strolling thru my yard are the size of steering wheels, and they make me glad I didnt live during the age of dinosaurs! And I figure that they have been nesting in this area for a lot longer than my house has been here, so who am I to get in thier way?

They are impressive to watch, and important to respect. Even tho it may be a hassle, I hope you relocate them, to live that long in this world, shows some resourceful genetics that our planet could really benefit from. Like the doe that I have seen in our field that for 3 years has taught her young to wait before crossing the road. I swear she looks both ways before heading out! Smart girl!

 

[desertdarlene]

That snapper had a lot of guts trying to get a gosling that big, but I've seen where the turtles gang up on ducklings and tear them to pieces. Glad that didn't happen in this case.

We have them in our lakes, too, but I don't think they catch that many ducklings or baby grebes (though I'm sure they get a few now and then). I worry more about the bass in the lake.

I haven't seen the geese here reproduce, so I don't know what hazards they would face.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Quote:
Turtle soup sounds better than moving.

 

[sourland]

Good news is that the gosling will recover. Bad news is that half a mile relocation is not effective. The turtle will return to the area it knows as home-your pond or lake.

 

[crtrlovr]

When my next-door neighbor had ducks, there were at least 2 snapper attacks that left one full grown duck dead (bit its foot off) and another full grown duck severely injured with 1/2 its foot gone. She didn't find the first one until too late. The second one healed fairly well and while it still walks with a limp, it can keep up with the rest of the flock relatively well. She gave them to someone she knew who had ponds on his property because they had found a way to get out of their field (a house was there for them, but not much attention other than an occasional toss of cracked corn

) and started getting into the road. She is an elderly lady, and was afraid of the liability if someone had an accident while trying to avoid hitting one of the ducks.

 

[dieselgrl48]

Yea lucky you got the baby when ya did. had 2 FULL grown taken down.This turtle was Huge and took us 2 season's to get the Big one.It was very elusive and had offspring a few years and got a few duck's in process.I do kill every snnapping or mud I see now.They will get your waterfowl eventualy!

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Anyone in SE Louisiana with a pond and turtle trouble (in an area where rifles can be discharged) let me know. I just bought a new rifle .17 HMR just for popping turtles. Actually it will take any varmint up to and including youts and medium size pigs. I’m re-sighting the 06 next week if you have a BIG pig problem.