I've got a variety of Arrowheads called Lanceleaf trying to establish in the pond.
Last fall I noticed parts of the main stalks floating on the surface, apparently stripped from the main plant. After watching the plant closely, I saw a turtle come up in the middle of the plant then go back down, so apparently it's the culprit,trying to eat parts of the plant
Yesterday afternoon I found more shreds floating and could see the plant physically being moved around, so the turtle has returned to it's old habits.
I've found the plant trying to come up in other areas, so I'm not too concerned right now, but it's really got me baffled. I've never heard of turtles eating vegetation. Has anyone else ever witnessed this?
Should I start shooting turtles?
I place thorny branches from honey locust trees over plants that I want to temporarily protect. They rot away in a couple years, so require less work than fences. Once there are plenty of plants, for me turtles have not been a problem.
It's just this one clump of growth they seem to like, but it is the oldest. Its growing in about two feet of water, maybe deeper. I guess because it's the most mature. It's already flowered out and has seed pods. The new plants are coming up in much shallower water, mainly around the spawning grounds, which is good, since the bedders should keep them ran out and itll provide a bit of extra cover
I guess it's not uncommon, then.
If pigs get mine they gotta come thru a fence! I'd be setting some snares and keeping the fire pit smoldering with a cooler of adult beverages. If this keeps up, I'll be having turtle sauce piconte for supper one night soon.
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I’m waiting on the little piglets to get to about 35# live weight then pop one and put it on the pit whole...... mmmmmm
Many years ago, back around 1981 I hired an older Cajon gentleman to do a Kashondelay (this is most likely misspelled). He dug a shallow hole maybe 4'x 6'and 2 foot deep. He put down a sheet of aluminum roofing and then added the gutted pig and then he covered the pig with another sheet of aluminum. He then built a fire on top of it all and kept the fire burning all day. He then dug up the pig and served it up for eating. Outstanding meal. I can't remember if he added some of the dirt to cover the top sheet of aluminum prior to building the fire on top of it all.
I have a feeling Mike Whatley here knows about such things
I have been to a couple Coushon Delai's, Tracy. Translates to "pig in the ground". He likely did put a thin cover of dirt over the top, to help insulate the pit, but some do...some dont. Dats sum dang good eating, rat der!!
Thanks Mike for the spelling and description. I was thinking Pat might want to look into another way to cook up one of those wild pigs. It really looked to be a simple and fairly easy way to cook up a 35# pig.
The crawdads in my pond have been caught chewing the stem bases off my arrowhead plants leaving the stem and leaf to float around the pond. I have snapping turtles too, but I blame the craws for the most part.
I dont have enough crawfish in my pond to be that destructive, and I've seen the turtles come up for air in the middle of the plant.
As long as its spreading, I wont get too upset, but they dont need to push the issue.