Image 1 / 4
That big game is a predatory large snapping turtle, which can tip the scales at up to 72 pounds. Growing up in Glenola, it’s a skill he learned from his Grandpa Hodge and a skill he teaches his son Henry.
“There are not many people who know how to catch a turtle, clean and prepare it the right way,” said Steve, a medium-sized man whose arms are covered in tattoos.
He doesn’t trap turtles — doesn’t consider it sporting. He calls himself a turtle hunter, and he’s been doing it for about 20 years.
Steve goes after the snapping turtle, not to be confused with the smaller basking turtle or box turtle. The size of the snapping turtle increases with age, and compared with the smaller variety of turtles they can grow to monster size. The smallest turtle he caught this year was 32 pounds, while the largest tipped the scales at 72 pounds.
According to Dick Thomas, naturalist with the Piedmont Environmental Center, the largest snapping turtle on record is 60 pounds.
Some snapping turtles can live up to 150 years.
“There is no sure-fire way to determine a turtle’s age,” he commented on Steve’s 72-pounder, “but it’s pretty substantial.” Factoring in the turtle’s poundage and it being found in the wild, the 72-pounder could be 25 years old or more, he added.
Steve maintains a license to hunt his prey. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission handbook specifies large snapping turtles as big game. According to Wildlife laws, up to 10 snapping turtles may be harvested in a day, not to exceed 100 in a year.
“I don’t want to wipe out the whole population,” he said. He hunts with the notion that a critter is just a critter until it becomes a predator causing a problem.
Smaller turtles are not so much a threat, but several big snapping turtles can wipe out a pond’s fish population.
A neighbor told Steve that he had caught a nice string of fish and then a turtle helped itself to the catch. Another neighbor said that her young ducks and geese were being devoured by turtles.
Reports like this put him on the hunt. He doesn’t use a gun or a boat. He just puts on his
snake boots and walks into the marsh-like area around a pond. Sometimes the vegetation is so think, it’s like a big game hunter on safari.
Sometimes Steve hunts with his uncle Danny Kidd. Most often he goes hunting alone, but even then Steve isn’t out there by himself.
“My three worst enemies are mosquitoes, ticks and water moccasins,” he said, “cause I’m right in there with them.”
He utilizes techniques developed from experience. First, he looks at the pond water from the shore. “I look for bubbles,” he said. “It’s like a submarine coming. Most of the time they will come up for air.”
He uses a fishing rod threaded with a heavy wire line. When he sees the bubbles, he casts out a big hook baited with a chunk of fish, the turtle’s favorite food. Once the turtle is hooked, he reels him in. While the turtle is thrashing, Steve grabs him by the tail.
Most turtles, known for their belligerent disposition when out of the water, put up a big fight. Nevertheless, Steve holds on, even though the predator is trying to get a grip on him. Sometimes it’s difficult to stay out of the turtle’s reach. Their powerful beak-like jaws and highly mobile head and neck can extend six or eight inches.
“This size here can take your finger right off,” Steve said.
Steve hunts armed with a knife strapped to each thigh. The knives are for emergency self-defense. He’s never been bitten, but he has seen a turtle snap a broom handle in half.
While others can manage to catch a turtle, fewer people know how to get a turtle from the tub to the plate.
The process begins with a cold-water bath for several days. This helps rid the turtle’s system of mud. After butchering, Steve cleans the meat and puts it in freezer bags.
Some describe reptile meat like chicken, but that’s not the case for turtle meat. Steve describes the taste as a mixture of pork, beef and fish. Some folks are afraid to try it, he said. His wife Mary and daughter Katie don’t eat it.
He prepares the meat by first simmering it for 21⁄2 hours in a stock pot. The meat is dredged in a flour mixture and fried. The final result resembles fried chicken.
All that is left over is the bony shells, formed from interconnected plates. Each turtle shell is different, like a fingerprint. The shells are treated with borax, cleaned and shellacked like a shiny trophy.
As the weather gets cooler, Steve will put away his waders and fishing rod. But come spring, he expects that his neighbors will invite him to rid their farm ponds of more monstrous reptile predators.
Folks can contact Steve through Hillsville Hardware.
“They’ll know where to find me,” he said.
Post a Comment
