Paging Mr. Turtleman... come in Mr. Turtleman.

So lets start by giving you some background to the story.
My grandpa Ron is a snapping turtle catching machine. He use to catch them all the time when they lived in North Dakota and then even back when my dad was young in Minnesota. He has seen his fair share of turtles.
...I only saw him catch, skin, and cook up a turtle once in my 26 years and I was only about 10. I barely can remember anything about it other than looking at the turtle tail nailed up to the tree.
Kathrine on the other hand has never seen one, let alone saw one captured and cleaned. (and she still missed out because she is working today, but I did get pictures)
... Anyway.
My grandpa was over the other day and we got on the subject of snapping turtles. He was telling us how they have 7 different kinds of meat on them, and how the season is open. I let it be known how excited I would be if we got to see one and how cool it would be if we could actually catch one.
Kathrine took it to a whole other level by going into town that night and getting a new rod, bait, and hooks to catch a turtle.
I joked and told my grandpa that if we EVER by chance get a turtle I know who to call. The turtleman!
...well.... last night.... some resort guests caught a turtle! A big one on top of that! As they pulled out from under the docks I could see its massive body hit the ground and then could hear the loud hiss of anger!
I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I had the guest throw him in the dog kennel? It was the only thing I could think of that would hold the wild beast in!
But the best part of the morning was when I got to call my grandpa at 8 in the morning and say,
"Mr. Turtleman, you are needed at Eagle Lake Resort."
"I'll be there by 11," he said.

Now, my grandpa is pretty cool. One of the cooler guys I know. But nothing exuded cool like when he went into the dog kennel, in open toed sandles, grabbed that bone crunching beast by the tail and made it look easy.
I swear that turtle's neck stretched out a good foot trying to get a chunk out of grandpa turtleman! But that didn't phase ol' turtleman... nope. He grabbed a crecent wrench pinched the mouth of the turtle, and the rest is history.
....all of the kids were in awe of the whole process, including myself. It was pretty interesting.
And while some of you might be offended at the topic of this blog with the obvious result of death for the turtle please know this;
All of the meat will be eaten. None of this was done in vain. Everything from that turtle will be used, (except the mouth! That sucker was still clenching after the fact!!). It was a learning lesson to all the kids. Something like a biology lesson, and food preperation lesson in one.
And it was a display of carrying on up north tradition.

Thank you to Mr. Turtleman for coming to our rescue!
And thank you to the turtle for giving us 7 different kinds of meat.
We appriciate it very much.