My wife comes in from taking the grands to school the other morning and informs me that I need to turn the police scanner on as fifteen law enforcement vehicles had a pick up pulled over, bed cover raised, and with multiple coolers on the ground around the truck being opened and searched. This was about two miles from where I live. There were a couple of state troopers, a couple of Dept. of Fish and Game vehicles and the rest of the LEO wagons were county and local police. A couple of days later I came across this story of the "turtle bandit". I can recall several such incidents of turtleknapping in recent years. We also see arrests of the "root diggers" (people who roam the woods digging plants such as Ginseng, Yellow Root, Star Root, etc. for profit) in our national forest.
Story is a bad link, great blog btw.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys. Hopefully the link is working now.
DeleteJust in case no one else says it, that link "Story" is just to the picture used on the top of the post.
ReplyDeleteYou can't dig for roots in our National Forests anymore?
ReplyDeletePeople do, but it is illegal in our ours (USDA).
DeleteGoobermints gotta get there pound of flesh
DeleteTurtles cannot be moved outside of 2 miles from their AO. Movem more and they die.
ReplyDeleteTurtle rescue friend told me as Im just not that smart.
Mc
I certainly do not know much about turtles other than according to some old wives tales, some will bite and they won't turn loose till it thunders. Seriously, we have a lot of different species of turtles and lizards here where I live. I did not realize until I was older, but there is a species of turtle here called "Flattened Musk Turtle". It is found nowhere else in the world, but here in the Black Warrior Basin in north Alabama. (pdf link showing snakes and turtles of Wm. B. Bankhead National Forest http://www.alaparc.org/Pubs/Bankhead_Checklist.pdf ).
DeleteWe've been given many turtles from many miles away.They've lived for decades as long as they like where they're living.We've had all kinds,box,yellow bellied,red bellied,river cooters,and snapping turtles.They are interesting,if incredibly stubborn as pets.
DeleteAllotta folks out here in the Wild, Wild West keep Sulcata tortoises. These things grow to over 100lbs and go for thousands full-grown. They also have a tendency to disappear in pickup trucks when the owners aren't looking, which really sucks. I hope this guy enjoys making your license plates!
ReplyDeleteWe have a big meth problem in Iowa, so it wouldn't surprise me if he was planning to sell the turtles for a score.
ReplyDeleteClicking on 'story' only brings up the picture, so this is all a guess on my part.
-lg
Multiple coolers and no mention of beer on ice....????
ReplyDeleteLOCK HIS ASS UP!!!
He shirley has isssues
Story says innocent till proven guilty. That is the great lie. Once you are charged you are now guilty and have to prove your innocence. If you don’t believe me just ask me.
ReplyDeleteI've been breaking the law since moved to Alabama 10yrs ago. I brought my 15 Box Turtles from SC, here you can only possess 1. I've had a few of them 40yrs & I ain't giving them up. They have 30+ babies every year that I sold but this ridiculous state doesn't allow that so they get released in the forest. To get a permit would have allowed people on my property without notice & that ain't happening.
ReplyDeleteMitch McConnell was not one of them./s More government overreach to justify their jobs. In Florida box turtles can be a problem if found on your property especially if you want to develop it or build on it.
ReplyDelete