We love our pond. One of the many things that we desired to have when we bought our property was a pond. Of course I had no idea that our pond was full of snapping turtles until I found a goose floating in the pond with its head missing! We have pulled out 8 large ones so far, and 6 babies. Actually we didn't pull them out, I found turtle hunters to do it for me. What do I do with them? I let the turtle hunters take them home to make turtle soup. I have never tried turtle soup and I have no desire to.
I wonder if previous owners actually made this a turtle pond with the intentions of having an endless supply of turtle soup! I plan to build a walkway along the edge of the pond, and even a bridge across it eventually. I am going to fill the pond with catfish and bass for eating. I would also like to have a small fountain to get the water moving. Our pond is now home to crayfish, snails, spring peepers, bullfrogs, leopard frogs, dragonflies, and salamanders just to name a few! I love to stand by the pond at dusk and watch the bats fly over the pond eating insects, and I also open the windows at night and listen to the sounds coming from the pond. I would consider a pond a very beneficial addition to every homestead! It can provide a wonderful habitat for a diverse population of insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
