Saw my first box turtle of the season

[Mongo59]

We normally have enough box turtles around here to make it look like the ground moves. But yesterday I saw the first one out and about.

It doesn't feel like 'turtle walking season' yet, but it must be around the corner.

I have been fixing broken crap around the farm and pulled an old Kawasaki 4 wheeler out of the barn that was parked there in 2006.

I went through it and got everything working but the clutch is doing some slipping at times.

Plan to start on my old Oliver 550 next, no time for fishing...

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

May is already half way over with. It’s hard to believe as cold and windy as it’s been for seemingly most of the month. I haven’t seen any myself yet. I haven’t seen any newborn deer yet either. I’m thinking this is about the time I usually start seeing them.

 

[Meena]

Saw two this year while turkey hunting but also saw several bleached out empty shells.

 

[Mongo59]

We have a bunch of juveniles that have shells smaller than a tennis ball. Can't wait to see them out again.

 

[MindfulMan]

Thankfully, eastern box turtles have been a protected species in Indiana since 2005 ..... which is probably why we can enjoy them in abundance. I often find them moving through my little getaway acreage in Owen county, and have stopped my truck to move them out of gravel lane on several occasions.

Here's a good-looking fellow that I captured with my camera.

 

[Mongo59]

Did you know they have a very limited immunity that is linked to their geographical location?

You can't move these guys too far, obviously across the road is not an issue but some are limited to a few square miles.

 

[MindfulMan]

Interesting, Mongo.....no, I didn't know that.

 

[AtTheMurph]

A box turtles range is probably not more than a couple hundred yards in diameter and probably smaller.

And they should never be eaten. Much of their diet is made up of mushrooms many of which are lethal to humans.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Used to see them a lot in Michigan. Been a long time. Was my favorite turtle.

 

[rem788]

Almost ran over one with my side by side last week. Luckily my grandson stopped on his 4 wheeler and pointed him out before I got to him. Move him off the trail. He was still in the same spot later when we went past again. Grandkids got a kick out of touching the shell.

 

[MindfulMan]

Almost ran over one with my side by side last week. Luckily my grandson stopped on his 4 wheeler and pointed him out before I got to him. Move him off the trail. He was still in the same spot later when we went past again. Grandkids got a kick out of touching the shell.

Heck, I'm 68 years old, and I still get a kick out of touching the shell !

 

[Mongo59]

They are coming out now like popcorn on a hot rock. I haven't seen any juveniles yet.

My small pond the otters try to clean out has a massive female snapping turtle and a large green head in it.

It must be turtle waking season. I can remember making hay in the spring and getting large snappers in my mower/conditioner. Sounds like the recipe for a bad outcome but I never had one that was hurt. I would toss them in the troughs at the downspouts to my barn to keep them occupied until I finished mowing the field and then turn them out. Never got one in the baler, thank God...

 

[johntheplinker]

Been seeing some the last week or so on the roads. Had one in the yard yesterday morning when I went out to fill the bird feeders. Think they just needed a few nights where it was warm for them to get real active.

Still a little early for the fawns. Most aren't born until the first couple of weeks of June. The resident does here aren't even showing signs of being ready to drop. Their baby bumps are still up behind their rib cage. Once that gets back to their hips you know their getting close!

 

[KG1]

A box turtles range is probably not more than a couple hundred yards in diameter and probably smaller.

And they should never be eaten. Much of their diet is made up of mushrooms many of which are lethal to humans.

I ate a box of turtles once. It made me sick.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Been seeing some the last week or so on the roads. Had one in the yard yesterday morning when I went out to fill the bird feeders. Think they just needed a few nights where it was warm for them to get real active.

Still a little early for the fawns. Most aren't born until the first couple of weeks of June. The resident does here aren't even showing signs of being ready to drop. Their baby bumps are still up behind their rib cage. Once that gets back to their hips you know their getting close!

My wife and I saw a doe giving birth just south of Lansing last night. Right out in a field. Looked painful.

 

[johntheplinker]

My wife and I saw a doe giving birth just south of Lansing last night. Right out in a field. Looked painful.

Dang, she must have bred early!

 

[srad]

Moved from Bristol IN to Three Rivers MI about a month ago. Love the rolling hills & landscape, hate the government leanings here compared to IN. Anyway, have had a large snapper in the yard and two turtles which made nests and laid eggs. One was an Eastern Box turtle. Gonna have to keep my eye out when mowing in a couple months.

 

[bwframe]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/great-outdoors/481923-turtle-identification.html#post8326127

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I saw the first snapping turtle and snake of the year while mowing this morning. No box turtles yet though. I got pictures but posting from a phone is such a PIA...

 

[Mongo59]

I mowed around my fields today. It was a box turtle traffic jam. I am hoping they are going up into the woods due to the heat because I plan to mow off the fields on Monday (weather permitting).

I can see them easily enough with the 5ft bush hog, but the 10ft mower will make it harder for me to spot.

The snapper in the back pond already laid her eggs and the coons have already eaten them. I don't know who to root for...