Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This was forwarded to LGCHS board members.

The footage that was apparently shot by a gun enthusiast while testing his weapons and ammunition. He was shooting at live turtles in the wild.

Warning! The footage is VERY disturbing!

rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=9f33ddedfbb0ed8cdb9bbddd53ea41ae&threadid=48513&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

We have contacted the LA Department of Wildlife & Fisheries to see if anything can be done to stop this madness.

~TE

It's a sad world we live in. Ignorance and cruelty toward animals always amazes me. I hope something can be done about this.

this is nothingface.very disturbing.i am depress i think i will hibernate in my room for a while.

?

haha forgot there were other states in the union

That was AMAZINGLY HORRIBLE!!! I stopped watching it after a minute 30 seconds because it was so disturbing..."Hey y'all..let's go shoot us some turtles with dem big guns" Some people are just plain stupid...that was wrong in every way..I wish we had turtle ponds like that around here so I could catch some take a few pics, and let 'em go..can only do that with snappers around here...that was VERY wrong...I hope something is done.
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0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu
0.0.1 Baby Aru Green Tree Python R.I.P. 01/26/04
2.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.4 Hatchling Bearded Dragons
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
1.0 Florida Brooksi Kingsnake
1.0 Blood Red Cornsnake
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

Sadly this bonehead was on his property. According to LA laws, what he did is perfectly legal. So this idiot will continue shooting "cutters that eat his crawfish". The other thing that bothers me is that this idiot is not just killing poor turtles for no reason, but that he gives anti-gun fanatics some good ammo. Oh well, I just hope that what goes around come around. Just my 2 pennies.
-Doc Rojas
p.s. Hopefully a cottonmouth will tag his dumb butt. Wishfull thinking!
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Swift, Silent, Dealy

That is just sick...... I am a hunter myself but I am a firm believer in the consevation of animals and our natural lands...... I cant see killing an animal of any kind unless you are going to use it for food...... I only take one deer a year to make chilli, beef jerky and cut a bunch of steaks...... No trophies on my walls..... That is just a diplay of ignorant hillbilly machoism........ I hope showing this footage to the proper people makes some type of differance...... Is there anything I can do to help the process along?????

"Huh-huh-duhhh, i'm a redneck with a gun, and i'm such a good hunter i can shoot turtles, huh-huh, Thelma, go grab me duh camera, i want to show Billy-Bob my hunting skills, duhrr, where's ma beer, can't go cooter shootin' without ma beer...duurh, Thelma, where's ma camera?...Damn, look at those varmints explode, it's so cool, duhrr, Thelma, go grab me another beer and ma chewy tobaccy, durhhh..."

h
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0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu
0.0.1 Baby Aru Green Tree Python R.I.P. 01/26/04
2.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.4 Hatchling Bearded Dragons
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
1.0 Florida Brooksi Kingsnake
1.0 Blood Red Cornsnake
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

I am going to start hunting some time soon as well but somthing like that just for fun is wrong.last x-mas i got a 20 gage double barrel shotgun.but i would not shoot defenseless turtles like that or birds or anything like that.

It's interesting that you posted this in the venomous forum, and also interesting that several people spoke up to say that they were hunters (who, of course, would never think of doing something as inhumane as shooting turtles for fun). Both the sport of hunting, and, in fact, gun-owning in general, and the hobby/lifestyle of owning venomous snakes and other dangerous animals have one major thing in common: their legality is jeopardized by stupid, thoughtless people who do stupid, thoughtless things.

I agree 100% that something needs to be done to punish people who would use defenseless living animals as target practice. But I also completely support the average, moral, law-abiding citizen's right to own firearms. Unfortunately not everyone agrees with that right -- and it's things like this, an example of a firearm being used in a disgusting, amoral way, that gives these people fodder when lobbying to change the law.

Same as with venomous snakes -- every time an ignorant venomous-owner does something stupid and dangerous enough to make headlines, it gives those people who want to make owning venomous and other dangerous exotics illegal much more power. Of course this is wholly unfair to all the other venomous owners who are completely responsible, as are anti-gun laws to those gun-owners who would never dream of using their tool irresponsibly, as a deadly toy. "Look how dangerous those snakes/guns are -- owning one ought to be illegal!!"

........Anyway, that's just my opinion. Sorry if I offended anybody (I don't think I said anything offensive, but people seem to be real touchy on the internet!)
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A. Fox

you have a good point blue fox,i love shooting a fire arm but i do do it resopnsible i have my dad with me at all times.and such.
i for one am not offended by your post.but beware there some cheap peaple in here evan one who would take shots at me.
happy herpin
Zac G

P.S. I hunt sometimes also, but I'm only hunting for what I'm going to eat...to tell you the truth I'd much rather go out to the range and shoot some trap than shoot anything live...
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0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu
0.0.1 Baby Aru Green Tree Python R.I.P. 01/26/04
2.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.4 Hatchling Bearded Dragons
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
1.0 Florida Brooksi Kingsnake
1.0 Blood Red Cornsnake
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

I wish I could test my ammo on his stupid ass.

I didn't watch the footage but read the replies first and decided that I really do not want to see the footage. The one letter that got to me was the one of "real hunters do not shoot at anything they're not going to use (eat, whatever.) So true! Is it possible to contact this organization (or person) who sponsored the footage and tell them that "real sportsmen" do not shoot and kill non-game animals, just for fun? This type of activity would be illegal in the state of Missouri, no matter who's property the turtles were on! Private or otherwise! And that video would be proof positive to indict someone! Perhaps Louiisiana Fish and Wildlife need to be contacted? They may see it differently?

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