...to quote a few lines from an old Kenny Rogers song. No, I'm not into country music, and no, this is not about holding your favorite reptile. This is about when to keep you mouth shut when someone tells you some ridiculously tall stories about reptiles, and you want to inform them that they're misinformed, but...you don't.
The reason for this blog...I went to buy some fish food for my (legally obtained) alligator snapper. When I was leaving the bait shop an older gentleman (think 70s probably) asked me if "the fish are biting." I said no, that I was feeding a turtle. Of course, to a fisherman, that's anathema! Because turtles eat all the fish!
Anyway, he proceeded to tell me that he has a huge snapping turtle in his pond. All his friends want him to get rid of it, but he said it eats the excess bluegill, as he has too many in his pond. I told him it would indeed eat the sick ones, etc, and that it was a good idea to leave the turtle there because the fish that survive will be bigger and more hearty.
Okay, he then tells me how it sits there with its mouth open, and the little "worm" in its mouth lures the fish in. Huh? I always thought that alligator snappers lived in big river systems, and they have the tongue lure, and common snapping turtles lived in farm ponds. But I'm not going to tell this man he probably misidentified the turtle. He'd probably deny me anyway. After all, he knew his turtle, and I would just be going by heresay.
Then he told me if the "wood ducks" nested there, and the turtle started to eat the ducklings, the turtle would have to go. He said the turtles just "suck the babies" down into the water. Okay...another misunderstanding? Better to let it go, i.e. hold 'em.
When trying to educate the public, you learn when to keep your mouth shut, just nod in agreement, and try to make positive remarks to offset some of the bad information, while not offending the person(s) you're speaking to, or just walk away on a, hopefully, positive note. Know when to fold 'em!
The reason for this blog...I went to buy some fish food for my (legally obtained) alligator snapper. When I was leaving the bait shop an older gentleman (think 70s probably) asked me if "the fish are biting." I said no, that I was feeding a turtle. Of course, to a fisherman, that's anathema! Because turtles eat all the fish!
Anyway, he proceeded to tell me that he has a huge snapping turtle in his pond. All his friends want him to get rid of it, but he said it eats the excess bluegill, as he has too many in his pond. I told him it would indeed eat the sick ones, etc, and that it was a good idea to leave the turtle there because the fish that survive will be bigger and more hearty.
Okay, he then tells me how it sits there with its mouth open, and the little "worm" in its mouth lures the fish in. Huh? I always thought that alligator snappers lived in big river systems, and they have the tongue lure, and common snapping turtles lived in farm ponds. But I'm not going to tell this man he probably misidentified the turtle. He'd probably deny me anyway. After all, he knew his turtle, and I would just be going by heresay.
Then he told me if the "wood ducks" nested there, and the turtle started to eat the ducklings, the turtle would have to go. He said the turtles just "suck the babies" down into the water. Okay...another misunderstanding? Better to let it go, i.e. hold 'em.
When trying to educate the public, you learn when to keep your mouth shut, just nod in agreement, and try to make positive remarks to offset some of the bad information, while not offending the person(s) you're speaking to, or just walk away on a, hopefully, positive note. Know when to fold 'em!
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