I was appalled to read Chris Fischer’s article in the April 22 edition of the Gazette advocating the hunting of our snapping turtles. Turkeys have overrun the Island in the past few decades and I believe culling their population, and eating them is a practical solution to their ever increasing numbers. But the common snapping turtle, although found Islandwide, takes more than 10 years to reach sexual maturity, and have a shell of 12 inches. The cool, short activity season in more northern areas, like the Vineyard, results in slower growth rates and longer maturation times. Large turtles, and there are some very large ones on the Island, can be 40 years old.

Please don’t encourage people to attempt catching and killing these for soup. Even picking up a large turtle by the tail can paralyze it, or result in a dangerous bite. One could even lose a finger on the hand they hold their chopping knife with. Making an exotic dish at the expense of these important predators is not an attractive notch on your belt. What’s next, snowy owl stew?

Mark Grandfield
New York city and Oak Bluffs