We actually shoot them when they pop thier heads up out of the water. Much harder to do than you think.
BS
Many years ago I worked on a large cattle ranch and we also had stock tanks. They were about 3’ high and made of corregated metal.
Climbing turtles? C’mon, my FRiend, we’re not that stupid. Besides that, I would think that the rotting carcasses of “...hundreds of turtles” would poison the well, so to speak.
Those are snappers in the tanks- they are a pest species, and can be quite dangerous. Everybody shoots them. I once saw one in the middle of a road near a lake that was big enough to be a traffic hazard- and two teenage girls standing right by it wanting to help it. I pulled up and told them to get away from the thing before they lost some fingers or toes- and then called the cops to get animal control out there and dispose of the thing.
This article is about a box turtle- they are a harmless, helpful species, and nobody shoots them. In fact, if I see one in the road, I’ll pull over and put it off the road.
The story is about tortoise “Box Turtle” not what those of in Texas know is the water turtle called a “slider”.
Secondly, its pretty lame to be shooting a rifle at a low angle on the water, the damn 22 can fly a mile from glancing off water surface. Want to shoot, go to a range, we don't need to be dodging your whizzing ricochet bullets every weekend!