Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
CATCHING SEA TURTLES.
Hew the Fishermen of Savannah and
Vicinity Capture Them.

CATCHING SEA TURTLES.
Hevv the Fishermen of Savannah and
Vicinity Capture Them.
From the Savannah (Ga) News.
One of the favorite summer sports Of the
fishermen and marooners of Savannah Is
turtle hunting on the sandy beaches of the
neighboring islands, where from May to
August the turtles come out to lay their
eggs
On the long flat stretches Of sand the
turtle crawls about 100 feet or more from
the water line and there, with her fippers
scooping out round hole from two feet
to three feet deep. deposits her eggs, often
900 or more, covering every fifty or so with
a thin layer of sand and putting final
layer of considerable thickness over the
top Of the nest after her maternal duties
are finished This final filling In Of the
nest she smoothes off even with the beach.
and, after making the surroundings as near
as possible like the remainder Of the beach.
if undisturbed orawls backs to the water
with the pleasing consciousness of duty
well performed and the confident conv1c-
ton that in a short time her maternal heart
will be gladdened with a numerous progeny.
Even when she escapes with her life,
however, her hopes of family are often
disappointed, for turtle eggs are conceded
to be delicacy by nearly everybody who
has tried them, from the greeneet cracker
whose only conception of turtle Is the
pound and half terrapin Of the inland
Swamps and ponds, to the most accom-
plished epicure familiar with the celebrated
dishes Of every land. and it is this tooth
somenesS of her product that leads to the
undoing of the turtles hopes, for during
the season of her laying the nests are
sought for continuously, and many Of them
found and robbed of their contents. The
method of search is very simple: where the
fra nkS of thk. frfT.f ara I'm
the beach they are followed. and the ground
at various points along the trail tested
by means of a slender rod or walking cane.
The nest is distinguished when reached
by the ready yielding of the sand, and the
hunters scoop out the sand with their hands
and appropriate the eggs.
But it is in securing the turtle itself that
the hunter finds the greatest pleasure. The
hunt is almost always made at night and
preferably during moonlight The condi-
tons are best about the middle of May,
during a full moon. and In the early morn
ing hours. Then skirting the water line,
the hunters walk along the beach. keeping
sharp lookout for tracks as they pass
along, and still sharper lookout ahead
for the creature itself. On a clear night
the great slumbering animal can be distin-
ed the hunters determine their further pro-
ceedings in accordance with the position of
the creature in respect to the nearness of
the water line and it's evident intentions.
IL
known by it's crawling up the sand and
away from the water. there Is no partic-
ular need to hurry, as. unless disturbed, the
turtle will not return to the water until she
has deposited her eggs. So usually the
hunters are content to wait a safe distance
away until the nest has been completed
and the actual laying Of the eggs begun.
Then they may approach with impunity,
for the turtle once on the nest will not
move until she has completed her task 1t
Is when she commences her retreat to the
water that the hunters secure her by
catching the side Of the shell and turning
less and can only fan her mighty and pow
erful fiippers In wrathy impotence
The turtle is a firm believer that discre-
ton is the better part of valor, and she
shows fight only when cornered and has no
way OF escape. Should she catch sight Of
her natural enemy. man, before she has be-
gun to lay she will at once beat hasty
retreat toward the water. scaling the hard
beach and throwing back quantities Of sand
In her haste. But when she is brought to
bay she will both bite and strike heavy
blows with her fiippers. and these must be
carefully avoided while she Is being turned
on her back.
1t is owing to her efforts to injure her
enemies that her final undoing is accom-
plished, for, like most OF the family. Tes-
tudinata, the turtle. can draw its head Into
the shell and CLOSE it's fippers close to Its
sides, making itself practically impervioua
to attacks. This its captor knows. and so
when ready to slaughter it he pokes its
head with q stick. until, to stop the an
noyance, the animal extends It head, when
1t Is cut off by q well-directed blow with
Ratchet or ak.
Some persons claim that there oan be
found In the turtle portions that taste like
and resemble in appearance chicken meat,
veal and beefstsak. but the average ma
roonsr finds in the turtle only turtle, which
both in texture and taste closely resembles
beefsteak.
Turtles are still quite numerous on War
saw. though not nearly 80 plentiful as they
were several years ago, when AS many as
nine have been turned in one night. They
average In size from the comparative small
one of 100 pounds to 500 pounds. and In ex-
ceptional cases 600. One caught seven
years ago weighed fifty pounds more than
the last number, and established a record
for large turtles that has since remained
unbroken. A few have been caught dur
ing the present season. but no very large
one. Only lest week one was caught UNI
der exceptional conditions: 1t crawled out
on the beach Of Cabbage Island during the
broad daylight. Its life paid for Its to-
merity. however, for 1t was seen by q ne
gro fisherman. who forsook his lines 70,
the bigger game, and succeeded in bag
ging 1t.