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Fisherman holds up the alligator snapping turtle he caught while fishing for catfish. Photo from Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Facebook page

Dave Harrell was fishing for catfish when he hooked largest freshwater turtle

By David Strege, GrindTV, May 14, 2014

A fisherman in Oklahoma was targeting catfish in Mill Creek at Eufala Lake when he got a huge surprise at the end of his line. Emphasis on huge.

Dave Harrell of Edmond, Oklahoma, hooked into a gigantic, scary, prehistoric-looking, can-do-damage-with-its-jaws alligator snapping turtle, known as the largest freshwater turtle by weight in the world.

Harrell hooked the beast and brought it to the boat. Then, his friend Audey Clark of Norman somehow wrestled it into the boat so a photo could be taken of Harrell holding up his catch, which isn’t recommended, by the way.

The photo was sent to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and it was subsequently posted on its Facebook page where it has been getting a lot of attention. These turtles are not uncommon in Oklahoma, but something this big doesn’t become news that often, a ODWC spokesman told GrindTV Outdoor.

As is protocol for this protected species, the anglers released the turtle back into the water.

Harrell is a weightlifter, so he estimated the weight of the alligator snapping turtle as being about 100 pounds. They generally reach 150 to 175 pounds.

Profile of an alligator snapping turtle. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

It is believed that alligator snapping turtles, which get their name from the keels on their shells that look like ridges on an alligator’s back, are capable of living to 200 years old, though an estimate of 80 to 120 years is more likely. They’ve lived up to 70 years in captivity.

And yes, they can be dangerous, according to Michael Bergin of the ODWC information and education division.

“As a general rule, they’re not dangerous if you avoid them, and they will avoid you as well,” Bergin told GrindTV Outdoor in a phone interview. “If you do go to messing with one or if maybe you get too close to one and you don’t see it and it does decide to bite you, it can be very dangerous.

“They have some real powerful jaws that can really injure a person. Because of the strength in their jaws, they can easily damage the skin and sometimes worse. You hear stories of people getting their finger nearly bit off by a turtle and that’s not an exaggeration.

“For the most part, they’re going to avoid people. I would certainly never advise anyone to handle the turtle as that guy did. He had it in a way it wasn’t going to get him, but most people aren’t going to be able to [handle] a turtle like that.

“You can’t tell, but the neck on that turtle can come out a lot further than that and they can definitely injure a person.”

Bergin advises anyone hooking into a turtle like this to simply cut the line and leave the hook.

“That hook inside the turtle will eventually work itself out or rust itself out, and the turtle will be fine,” Bergin said.

And so will all your body parts.

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Mind can be compared to an ocean, and momentary mental events such as happiness, irritation, fantasies, and boredom to the waves that rise and fall on its surface. Just as the waves can subside to reveal the stillness of the ocean’s depths, so too is it possible to calm the turbulence of our mind to reveal its natural pristine clarity. ~Kathleen McDonald

You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying.
What you CAN do is calm yourself.
The storm will pass.

~ Timber Hawkeye

By Kiley Dumas in Healthy Eating
May 10, 2012

If you are an avid beet lover, this article isn’t for you (but read on anyway for validation of your beet love)! You already know that beets are an extremely nutritious food choice that just happens to be tasty and delicious – you can eat the greens too! You already know that beets are an insane source of vitamins and minerals. But did you know that beets are the second largest source of sugar, after sugar cane?

If you’re not a beet lover, read on, and you soon will be.

1. Beets are nature’s Viagra
Seriously. One of the first known uses of beets was by the ancient Romans, who used them medicinally as an aphrodisiac. And that’s not just urban legend – science backs it up. Beets contain high amounts of boron, which is directly related to the production of human sex hormones.

2. Beets are high in many vitamins and minerals
Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine; folic acid. These are but a few of the many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can be found in beets and beet greens. Beets are particularly beneficial to women whom are pregnant, as the vitamin B and iron are very beneficial to new growth cells during pregnancy and replenishing iron in the woman’s body.
3. Beets cleanse the body
They are a wonderful tonic for the liver, works as a purifier for the blood, and can prevent various forms of cancer. Nuff said, right? Tastes good and prevents cancer? Sign me up!

4. Beets help your mental health
Beets contain betaine, the same substance that is used in certain treatments of depression. It also contains trytophan, which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of well-being, similar to chocolate. Beets can also lower your blood pressure. So if you’re already steamed about not eating beets, you can get a two-fer by diving into them right away.

5. Beets are used as a stomach acid tester
How in the world does that work? Glad you asked. If you are eating a lot of beets or beet juice, and your pee turns pink, guess what? You have low stomach acid. Pee still clear? Ratchet it up and get juicing (use the greens too)! Nutritionists use beets and beet juice to test stomach acid levels, so stay ahead of the curve by adding beets to your diet now.

6. Beets are a high source of energy
At the same time they are low in calories and high in sugar (although the sugar is released into your system gradually, as opposed to chocolate). Very few foods found in the natural world are as beneficial as beets in this regard.

Beets are a wonderful addition to any dietary need. With their high volume of nutrients, delicious taste, and multitude of uses, anyone can jump right into beets without missing a beat.

Bet you didn’t know:
Beets were served in space when the astronauts of Apollo 18 met up with their brethren in Soyuz 19. They served borscht.

To-do:
If you are juicing, but haven’t gotten to veggies yet, give beets a try. Use a small amount at first to supplement your already yummy fruit smoothies. Work your way up to more as you see fit.

Source: Full Circle
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