The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-02
THE TERRApIS HUNTERS WEAPON.

there with his stick In the likely places. Now
and again his countenance lighted up hopefully
darken into gloom as the tracks ended in a water
pool or came To u full stop with no terrapin in
Tie l la.ter D case Il ID aen rSwsrd th his p s6ms a hSnt ia
had bagged the prey before him. not failing af-
terward, with the idea Of mystery that pervade.
place 2 %isehis"sas' predecessor r." had left a
the terTRpin had been, n fact which the hunter
was put TO considerable pains and profanity in
yining rod struck something which his prac-
tised sense told him was n %terrapin for sure.
hole down to the dormant reptile sufficiently
large Tor lis removal. Then. reversing the stick.
shell and, with infinite pains and precautions,
hoed and lifted the terrapn 10 the surface. IL
long. with the true diamond back markings and
rich dark color.
Five dollars more for me-" remarked the
mud explorer cheeTiully. as. dropping the terra
pin into the bag, he started ON his search with
stretched across the creeks bottom between
piers was a movable wire netting. the purpose OF
which the draw-teDder explained 10 the fisher
men on their return 10 fishing.
That's for catchin' terrapin." he said. My
partner and | caught seventeen in one week.
Earlier III the season the terraptn swim up and
down the creek, and this netting which we slant
accordin' to the tide stops 'em 50 we can dip 'em
wire netting while the other tends bridge. But
they stopped runnln' about a week ago, 10 the
net ; no more use Tor TINS year.
This is the way we work IL. We can see the
serirSn5pIrs m head a., : l3nI9g WAY on as he comes
10 catch him when he's in the open water, for
when you get anywhere near him down he goes
TO the bottom like "A shot. and that's the last you
he comes up against the wire netting and tries
10 Chamber over il. That brings him out OF
him with the scoop net, Its a trick 10 do this,
Tor II you move too soon the tCrrapin is likely 70
dodge back into the water and you lose him.
blt Nnen he's got well IN on the netting
especially II the tide is lifting him behind, he's
INTO our pen TO keep until We are ready TO send a
We sell ali the terrapin we capture at Fulton
market, The average price for n good one Is
s.. This is the way they class en-, Terrapin
over SIX inches long are counts between hys
ana SIX Inches, short counts females under
five inches, 'heifers;' the males, WHICH usually
run four or five inches In iength. bulls, Ter
rapin are taken all over the island, and some
men make "a regular business Of huntin' them.
The hunters that come over here are mostly
much about their business, for every man has
hls own ways and favorito places for taking
into the secret. The Long Island terrapln. they
tell me Is m every way as good as the Shesa-
eepI that those on Long Island are squarer.
Tbs old settlers round here say that terTapin
that live up the creek through the warm sea-
son always go down 20 the sea in the late fall TO
take a salt bath, and maybe to feed up fat be-
fore they come back % go into winter quarters
IN the mud. | know tins much. that they're ON
the 20 up and down the creek about the time
the irosts come on hard. Up At the head Of tho
tleek, hltre the streams from the hills come
n, IT'S very muddy and shallow. You 20 up
There IN a boat ON a summer day and YOUTH
always see a great many terTapin. but YOU can't
capture one OF EN- anyway you manage. You
Try 70 get near one and he goes to the bottom.
and rs useless TO try To hunt for him in the
mud he sttrs up. But there's one way you can
grt en- m warm weather that we've found out.
Aag partner that was with me last summer was
a great hand for 1ackin' cells. that Is. going out
Ia a boat with a headlight in the bow a. light up
the bottom aud spearin' en-. The light shows
up plenty Of teTrapin as well as GELS. but We
never thought 81 tryin' 70 catch EN- until one
day he said 10 me: / believe 1 could scoop in
some ~ the diamond backs / sec WHEN I'm out
Jackln HE took his soap net with him tho
hexl night and came back with four terrapin,
~ Nasat The right season FOR takln' 'em. but. all
the came, Il was interesting u md cut thst Il
could b dOns-"