I guess I've become "soft-shelled" in my old age.
Over at least the last 60 years, I cannot even begin to imagine how many snappers I've taken, cleaned, and turned into delicacies.
As I've mentioned in other threads, I'm also not sure how my kindly father let me live as long as I have, after I kind of ruined a couple of his new cars.
One night, another 16 year-old buddy and I brought home a big snapper that we found trying to cross the road on a rainy night between a divided
muskeg.
We felt pretty proud of ourselves for skilfully catching it, and knowing enough to put it upside down in the car trunk (of my dad's nearly new car).
We smartly knew that these big turtles were mostly defenseless when upside down. Unfortunately, as 16 year-olds, one thing we didn't anticipate was how much a big snapping turtle can pee. Worse than that, we certainly had no idea of how awful a big snapping turtle's pee can smell when in an enclosed space. We unfortunately found out that back in about 1964, there didn't seem to be a neutralizing agent for the smell. Vinegar, baking soda, you name it -- didn't work.
The turtle was healthy enough to become several delicious dinners. It was put into a large "wash tub" and we sprinkled coarse corn meal into the tub a couple of times per day, for several days.
As was usual practice, we cleaned out the tub twice a day. Then we sprinkled in the cornmeal when the water was again reasonably clean. The cornmeal would help clean out the nastiest stuff in their digestive tracts. It made cleaning them a little less of a dry-heaves type gagging experience.
As I've slowly approached big snapping turtle's senior age, I began to greatly appreciate how they can prosper for so many years.
A number of them visit our ponds each year. I now let them just enjoy their vacation time while they are here. They seldom stay for more than a few weeks. Then they move on. They don't cause problems.
It has been 5-7 years since I've turned a big snapper into meals.
Just my thoughts.
Ken
