Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations dead turtles...lots of them

hello again, gentlemen. I have a question but wasnt sure where to put it.

Anyway, I have a 75 acre pond that is actually a dammed-up creek. Ergo, we have no real control over the types of fish and critters that get in there, but the bream and bass have been "supplemented" over the years and I caught my first ten pounder out of there this spring....which is why I love taht place and am concerned about a recent sighting...

I was marking some timber to be cut and decided to go to the pond to walk around and saw no fewer than 50 dead turtles in varying stages of decomposition in a 100 yard stretch of the bank. Most of them were only the shell, but there was an odor in the air. I walked a couple of other sections and saw nothing. The shells ranged in size.

Should I be worried? What could this be indicative of?

predation? who eats 50 turtles?

i am going back this afternoon to check via boat.

I don't know of anything that eats turtles. Perhaps an otter. You can probably examine them and see if parts of them were eaten.

Also, you can probably tell whether they sickened and died in place, or were dragged to a convenient eating place.

shells are of varying sizes and very few had any meat left. no tracks on bank.

Do you live on the property? Could it be lead poisoning, a la .22 caliber?

Sounds like a two legged trespasser with a gun to me too. Have you ckecked for any holes in the turtle shells? If it was a .22 they could be quite small.

i looked closely yesterday. all shells appeared intact. i am talking about over 50 of them in a short stretch. i am sure we get unwanted visitors from time to time, but who shoots a turtle and then goes out there to get it and drag it to shore?

caught 15 bass. all in the 2-3 pound range. all healthy, or so they seemed. lost one real nice fish later in the day on a horny toad.

I will keep checking and let you guys know. thanks in advance--2th

2thDoc, I would think that some sort of disease would and could take out that many turtles. Maybe some of our professional ponders can weigh in with some turtle disease facts.

i went out there again on mom's day and walked a small island out in the pond. there were at least 30 shells on the island. someone mentioned otters, but i have never seen one, but know they are in the area. it still baffles me....

i bet i could market a turtle disease.

Maybe your pond is the turtle equivalent of the elephants' graveyard?

i just told a patient the same thing.

She didn't get it.

Dr. Condello says jokes are always funnier AFTER the patient gets the gas.

AND before they get the bill!