The story of America’s largest and rarest turkey subspecies

The Gould’s turkey (Meleagris gallopavo mexicana) is one of the few wild turkey subspecies that survive in the arid regions of the south-central United States and Mexico. Although there are some limited hunting opportunities in Arizona and New Mexico, you’ll likely have to head south of the border to pursue one. Here is what you need to know about our largest and rarest turkey subspecies.

Description and life history of the Gould’s wild turkey

The Gould’s turkey subspecies is similar in weight to the Eastern wild turkey, with males weighing 18 to 30 pounds and females weighing 8 to 12 pounds on average (NWTF 2018). However, they generally are larger in size with longer legs, larger feet, and larger tail feathers than any other subspecies (Kennamer 2009). Their feathers resemble the Merriam’s turkey, but have metallic copper, greenish-gold, and bluish-green reflections instead. Differing from the Merriam’s turkey, the rump feathers and tail fan tips on Gould’s are white instead of creamy or buff-colored (Kennamer 2009). Hens have duller feathers to hide well on a nest, and the breast feathers are buff to brown with a slightly purple reflection. The Gould’s turkey is thought to have moderate length beards and spurs compared to all the turkey subspecies (NWTF 2018). The colors of male and female heads are similar to Easterns, with males having a red and blue colored head and females having bluish-gray heads with more feathers present.

The breeding season occurs in the spring and is usually the most concentrated in April through June (NMDGF 2017; Kennamer 2009). It is believed that the Gould’s turkey has a lower frequency gobble than the Merriam’s or Rio Grande subspecies (Kennamer 2009). Most courtship displays and breeding occur in the morning hours, while afternoons are spent foraging. After mating, a hen scratches a nest into the ground, usually located on a steep slope at the base of a tree or other obstruction in heavy cover (NMDGF 2017). Anywhere from 4 to 17 eggs (usually 10 to 12) are laid in the ground nest and incubated for approximately 28 days (NMDGF 2017; Kennamer 2009). Hens normally leave the nest in the morning to feed briefly, but otherwise incubate the eggs steadily until the chicks hatch.

Afterword, the poults (called a brood) and the hen forage together in riparian areas and forest openings where insect life is abundant. The poults feed heavily on invertebrates (e.g., insects and spiders) as they are rich in protein (NatureServe 2018). Adult birds primarily forage on seeds, nuts, fruits, tubers, and leaves. In the Peloncillo Mountains of New Mexico, the most utilized food items for Gould’s turkey include juniper, piñon pine, oaks, manzanita, grape, and various grasses or forbs, with fruits and grasses being the most preferred items throughout the year (NMDGF 2017). Typical predators of the Gould’s turkey in Arizona and New Mexico include bobcat, mountain lion, coatimundi, black bear, coyote, and grey fox (NMDGF 2017).

Range and habitat of the Gould’s wild turkey

Like the Merriam’s turkey, the Gould’s turkey prefers mountain habitats, which are often quite dry and rugged. In the U.S., Gould’s turkeys are found in the Animas and San Luis mountains of New Mexico and in the Peloncillo Mountains of New Mexico and Arizona (Kennamer 2009). Gould’s typically occupy mountain ranges with elevations between 4,500 and 6,500 feet above sea level in the U.S. and elevations above 9,800 feet in Mexico (Kennamer 2009).

Gould’s turkey habitat is often located in rugged terrain with steep and rocky canyons (Kennamer 2009). Similar to Merriam’s turkeys, mixed pine and oak (e.g., evergreen oak, juniper, piñon pine, and Chihuahuan pine) forested canyons and slopes are often used, as well as open woodland/savanna habitats and riparian areas dominated by cottonwood and sycamore trees (NMDGF 2017). Riparian areas provide water and tall trees for roosting, while the nearby oaks provide hard mast (acorns) in the fall.

Conservation issues with the Gould’s wild turkey

The Gould’s turkey population is very limited within the United States. Hunting by early settlers and miners between the Civil War and World War I drastically reduced populations by the time of the first legal hunting season in 1929 (AGFD 2018). The Gould’s turkey is threatened in New Mexico, and the primary threats and limiting factors there include habitat destruction (due to wildfires, overgrazing by livestock, or harvest of fuelwood and beargrass), a lack of reliable water sources, genetic issues (e.g., inbreeding, hybridization with non-native turkeys, etc.), or poaching (NMDGF 2017). It is likely that these same risks threaten populations in Arizona and Mexico.

Hunting opportunities for the Gould’s wild turkey

The Gould’s turkey historically occurred throughout Arizona and New Mexico as they currently do. However, their range has been drastically reduced to the southeast and southwest corners, respectively, of these two states. If you want to hunt these birds in the U.S., you need to be in one of these areas.

In Arizona, fewer than 100 Gould’s permits are sold for turkey hunting. In New Mexico (where the Gould’s turkey is threatened), the state has determined that only a very limited hunt can occur and only two permits are sold. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) and National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) sell one Gould’s turkey enhancement permit at an auction and raffle the second permit off. The funds raised from these two enhancement permits are utilized solely for the management of the Gould’s subspecies. While the New Mexico turkey season dates are shown in the table below, any consecutive 30 day period from April 15 to May 10 in 2021 can be authorized for the Gould’s turkey hunt.

Spring 2021 Gould’s turkey seasons

(Last updated February 8th, 2021)

* Varies by unit click on state for details** Some or all permits maybe subject to drawing

Similar to Merriam’s, start your hunt by looking for mature oak and pine trees along steep slopes and canyons. Then locate open meadows and water sources nearby, which will all be attractive to the turkeys as strutting and roosting areas. Set up quietly along one of the meadows or water sources early in the morning and start calling towards the trees. With a little luck, you can harvest one of these rare turkeys.

Remember that your hunting license dollars support the continued management and habitat work that is so critical to saving the Gould’s subspecies here in our country. Hunting is conservation at work.

Osceola Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo osceola) – A Wild Turkey Profile

Rio Grande Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia)

Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) – A Wild Turkey Profile

The 30-06 is used for a lot of different things, and hog hunting is one of them. Hogs are hoofed game that can weigh anywhere from a few dozen pounds to over 300 pounds. There have even been documented kills of wild pigs weighing more than 1000 pounds in the United States. It all comes down to knowing where to shoot a hog with a 30-06.

Proper shot placement is vital when hunting feral hogs. When using a well-balanced, versatile, affordable hunting cartridge like the 30-06, targeting any of the vital organs (lungs, heart, brain, and the spinal column) will give you a kill shot.

Wild pigs are tough, from their thick skulls to the cartilage shoulder shields that protect their upper bodies. If you have been looking for recommendations on ammo to use when hunting hogs, here’s a bit about the .30-06.

The 30-06: A Brief Introduction

For nearly 50 years, the.30-06 was the primary rifle and machine-gun cartridge used by the United States Army before being replaced by higher calibers.308 Winchester. The “.30” refers to the bullet’s caliber, and the “06” refers to the year the cartridge was introduced – 1906.

The “thirty-oh-six” caliber is widely used in bolt action rifles, machine guns, the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), and the Famage Mauser. The 30-06 is one of the most versatile cartridges ever designed in terms of ballistics.

Many hunting loads have over 3,000 foot-pounds (4,100 J) of energy at the muzzle and use expanding bullets capable of transferring energy to targets quickly. The .30-06 is still one of the world’s most popular sporting cartridges. Another advantage of the 30-06 is its widespread availability.

Where to Shoot a Hog With a 30-06

While feral pigs are invasive and vexing, shooting one in the back, front legs, or guts and letting it run away will cause undue suffering. It is cruel and inhumane.

Proper hog shot placement is imperative because it minimizes the prey’s suffering, reduces damage to the meat, and preserves your ammo. Typically, when deciding where to shoot a hog with a 30-06, several factors come into play, such as:

• The bullet’s grain weight
• The firearm’s physical condition
• The size of the wild hog
• Wind conditions in the area
• The shooter’s marksman skills (expected accuracy)
• The distance from the hog to the downrange.
• The ethics of the optimal number of shots allowed

Despite these variables, you will never go wrong if you know where to target your shots.

The Vitals

Forget all you know about the deer anatomy while hunting deer. Applying the exact shot placement will get you nowhere. You’ll end up spending precious time trying to track a wounded animal.

The Heart, Lungs, and Liver

Unlike the North American deer, the vital parts of hogs are located in a much lower position. When the hog is in a broadside position, shots to the heart, lungs, and liver are aimed at the hog’s front shoulder zone. Some experts recommend aiming for the heart (the area immediately behind and above the shoulder). Aim for just above the shoulder because the lungs are located above the shoulders. Hitting the shoulder area will immediately put the hog down.

However, keep in mind that the lungs, liver, and heart are all protected by thick shoulder cartilage. It usually is densest at the top and thins slightly toward the top of the front leg.

The Central Nervous System

The CNS consists of the brain and spinal column. If the hog is front-facing, this is the best shot placement. Aim for the center of the forehead, directly above the midline of the eyes. A bullet between the ear and the eye effectively penetrates the brain, resulting in instant death!

Hitting the spinal column will also bring the prey down. The hog’s spinal cord center is located in the neck region. As a result, a neck shot will result in an instant kill. However, aiming for the brain isn’t recommended for noobs unless you are an excellent marksman. This is because hogs’ brains are tiny and are protected by a hard bone.

The Ear Hole

The ear hole serves as a gateway to the animal’s neck area. This shot works best with stationary hogs. Because this wild game rarely stands still, a little patience and a good scope will also come in handy. A well-placed shot to a boar’s ear hole will cause the neck to snap, resulting in swift death.

Through the Eye

Similar to the ear hole, shooting a hog in the eye will cause it to drop dead. You are most likely to hit the brain, just like the earshot. Most hunters prefer the ear to the eye but go for it if that’s the only option.

How Far Can I Shoot With a 30-06?

Although the maximum effective range varies depending on load and rifle, the .30-06 Springfield is certified for an extreme reach of 4.75 miles and an effective firing range of 1,000 yards with its original 150-grain spire point bullet 2,700 fps. A flip-up rear leaf sight with a range of 2,850 yards was graduated. You can effortlessly hit a standing, mid-sized target at a point-blank range of 500 yards.

In Summary

If you were wondering where to shoot a hog with a 30-06, you have the answers. However, other factors are worth considering (like the quality of the firearm and your marksmanship) shot placement to the vital organs, neck, head, ear hole, or through the eye. If you are confident in your shot accuracy, you can try aiming at the chest area. The 30-06 caliber dissipates enough energy to deliver a center-punch kill shot.

All in all, I would say any 30-06 rifle will get the job done, whether you’re stalking hogs in woodlands or using bait in the fields.

Hunters who don’t pay attention to thermals likely won’t experience as much success, especially when bowhunting. Image by Bill Konway

After a tedious climb, I crested the ridgetop as a bugle rang out 250 yards below me. Carefully, I negotiated down the slope, scanning for a large tan shape amidst the dense timber as I descended. Eventually, I put my eyes on a cow elk. Glassing a little bit more, I soon turned up a second cow. Finally, the bull appeared in my binoculars. He was bedded down, bugling occasionally. At about 100 yards away, I didn’t dare take another step because one of the cows was facing me. I nocked an arrow and held tight, waiting for the elk to stand and hopefully wander closer.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Suddenly, I felt air pull downward, and a commotion ensued as the bull and his cows instantly rumbled downhill. I’d been busted. Although the wind had been steady higher up the ridge where I’d originally heard the first bugle, the morning shadows shifted, instigating a swirl that betrayed me, pulling my scent straight downhill to the bedded elk. Welcome to the world of thermals.

Elk live longer lives thanks to strong thermals. Image by John Hafner

WHAT ARE THERMALS?

From my point of view and experience with thermals while hunting, I describe them like this: Thermals are air currents that rise as the earth warms after sunrise and drop as it cools after sunset and through to the early morning hours. However, I was interested in a more scientific explanation, so I spoke with friend and meteorologist Mike Breunling of central Wisconsin.

“Thermals are small-scale phenomena that meteorologists classify as localized effects,” he said. “They’re small currents of heated air produced above a surface that is warmer and more buoyant than its immediate surroundings. There’s no magic to thermals. It’s just a situation in which a given locale is favorable for differential heating — one part of the earth’s surface is heated more than the immediate surrounding areas, which puts a circulation in motion.”

Thermals can happen anywhere and anytime where the earth’s surface is heated in a very small area more than surrounding areas.

“The surface in this context could be a forest or flat ground on the prairie,” Breunling said. “It could be rock outcroppings in a more topographically diverse region. The heat essentially sets the air into motion. When the air is heated, it tends to rise. As well, other atmospheric factors can determine to what extent the air will rise when it’s heated.

“Cold air will start to flow off from where the thermal originated and pool toward the low-lying areas as surfaces of the earth cool back down. The intensity and amount of cool air is based on how long the thermal was in existence in that given locale. Other atmospheric conditions also play a role in this. For example, if there isn’t much ambient wind, the thermal circulation is going to rule the day. But, if there is a greater prevailing wind, it can tend to mitigate the thermal’s intensity and thereby diminish some of the localized cooling effects that the thermal might produce.”

Knowing this, you can anticipate that elevations higher than the thermal will be warmer and elevations lower than the thermal will be cooler. This can help you make some educated hunting plans, which we’ll discuss next.

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When possible, whitetails almost always use thermals to their benefit. Image by Russell Graves

THERMALS AND HUNTING PLANS

Although Breunling isn’t a hunter, his long meteorology career positions him to talk about how hunters might become more effective in the presence of thermals.

“Over time, the more one hunts in a specific environment — perhaps wooded, hilly or even mountainous terrain, for example — the better they will come to understand how thermals work in very specific locations,” he said. “You’ll begin to understand thermal circulations for each location and can make plans accordingly. There are all types of varying situations, so when you get to know the topography and surroundings, then it’s a matter of whether or not the overall atmospheric conditions are favorable to allow thermals to form and to what degree of intensity.”

You can typically count on some basics. If you’re hunting whitetails in a draw that connects a valley to a ridge top during late afternoon, you can anticipate thermals to cause an air circulation that floods down the draw toward the valley as the sun sets, taking your scent with it. When you’re at the top of a ridge at noon on a sunny day and want to approach a bugling bull elk on a bench below, the thermals will typically draw your scent uphill away from the elk — the exception being if a prevailing wind is overriding or mitigating the thermals.

One of the most effective ways to hunt elk or mule deer in mountainous topography is to approach along a sidehill at the same elevation as the animal. Whether the thermals are falling or rising, you should be in a safe zone approaching from the sidehill in most cases.

It’s risky to approach an animal on foot when the thermals are switching from falling to rising at sunrise or from rising to falling around sunset. If you use a wind checker at this time, you’ll notice the powder often swirls erratically. There are many inconsistencies as the shift occurs, and I’ve been busted by elk numerous times in these instances. You’re better off waiting for the thermals to fully stabilize before approaching.

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Deer, elk, and other big game animals are difficult to tag, especially if the thermals are in their favor. Image by Bill Konway

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Back up the mountain, I was chasing a herd bull that was being badgered by multiple satellite bulls. It was a magical morning when they just didn’t stop bugling. Managing the thermals as I shadowed the herd was difficult, but I monitored them closely with my wind checker.

Finally, at about noon, I slipped into a situation I knew would work. A bull was bugling at roughly my same level, and another bull bugled beneath me about 100 yards away. I worked in between the two bulls, knowing the heated landscape would keep the thermal circulation going uphill. I no more than nocked an arrow when the bull below me appeared and was walking directly at me.

I drew back when he was 50 yards out, and soon after, when he paused to assess the bowhunter standing 14 yards away, I shot him perfectly through the front of the chest. He ran a little more than 100 yards before going down. I’d waited for the thermals to be consistent and for the right opportunity to strike, and the good Lord blessed my plans.

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When you understand thermals, it will be much easier to get within bow range of big game. Image by Bill Konway

CONCLUSION

If you haven’t paid much attention to thermals or just haven’t quite figured them out, you might be limiting your success and giving the animals you hunt an edge. For the most part, thermals can be predictable at certain times of day, especially given clear, sunny conditions, and a lack of wind. Of course, there are also times when they’re unpredictable, such as cloudy days or right at sunrise or sunset. But, the more you hunt in a given location, the more you’ll understand how they work in that spot and how to hunt more effectively around them.

Whether we’re ready to admit it or not, the number of natural disasters that occur each year has steadily increased over time. From flash floods and wildfires to heat waves and hurricanes, major events are plaguing the planet more consistently, which puts us at risk when help is hours, days or even weeks away. To prepare for such events, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends we put together an emergency supply kit that contains batteries, first aid supplies, water and food. But a kit filled with perishable foods won’t do you good—any kit worth its salt should contain the best emergency food supplies.

Thanks to their astoundingly long shelf life—up to 30 years in some cases—emergency food supplies are perfectly suited for your preparedness kit. They’re typically offered in larger quantities with individually packaged meals that take minutes to prepare. And while some kits require hot water (in which case, you’ll need to add a camp stove to your kit), others can be rehydrated with nothing more than cold, bottled water (though you should still have a water filter handy just in case).

Non-perishable food kits have long been associated with campers and travelers, but for many of us, keeping long-lasting food on hand just makes good sense. These emergency food supplies tend to be affordable, convenient, easy to use and they last forever, which is why you should keep some in your pantry, garage or basement should you need it.

With this in mind, we’ve rounded up the best emergency food supplies for your basement stockpile, backcountry survival kit or dedicated bug out bag. This list includes options for people with dietary restrictions or specific preferences, and it includes kits that actually taste good, which makes it easier to literally weather the storm.

• Best Emergency Food Supplies For Families: ReadyWise Emergency Food Supply
• Best Emergency Food Supplies For Vegetarians: Survive2Thrive Vegetarian Preparedness Pail
• Best Gluten-Free Emergency Food Supplies: Mountain House Essential Bucket
• Best Emergency Food Supplies For Appetizing Fare: Good To-Go Emergency Food Kit
• Best For Variety: Augason Farms Emergency Supply Food Kit
• Best Emergency Food Bars: S.O.S. Rations Emergency Food Bars
• Best Splurge-Worthy Emergency Food Supplies: Momofuku Noodle Variety Pack
• Best Emergency Canned Food Supplies: Scout Smoked Wild Pink Salmon
• Best emergency Hydration Supplements: Protekt Hydration Supplements

How We Chose The Best Emergency Food Supplies

As backpackers, homeowners and family members, we understand the unique challenges that come with sourcing food in the midst of unpredictable circumstances. We’ve camped in the backcountry for weeks at a time, just as we’ve endured long-term periods without power, and were it not for emergency survival foods and other dehydrated meal kits, we likely would have found ourselves in tough situations. As such, we know what to look for when testing, reviewing and researching emergency food supply options, and we know how to source credible options that speak to quality and extended shelf life.

When assembling this review, we considered each meal kit’s serving size, shelf life, total weight and nutritional value before weighing these factors against their respective reviews. We scoured the web for options, spoke with experts, poured over hundreds of reviews and tested many of these products ourselves. Only the best survived our rigorous testing.

Why Trust Forbes Vetted

At Forbes Vetted, we know how frustrating and time consuming it can be to spend hours sifting through a seemingly endless list of survival products and online reviews. That’s why we took the headache out of the process by testing and reviewing many of these products ourselves. And because the emergency food landscape is changing in accordance with the times, we update this list regularly to reflect the best options and up-to-date information. This list was last updated September 2024.

What To Consider When Shopping For Emergency Food Supplies

Investing in emergency food supplies is a crucial step in ensuring you and your family are prepared for unexpected scenarios. To find the right emergency food for your needs, consider these essential variables:

Nutritional Content

Look for foods that offer a balanced nutritional profile, including protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, and check for allergen information, especially if anyone in your household has dietary restrictions.

Shelf Life

Longer shelf life ensures that your supplies remain edible for an extended period, so be sure to evaluate both freeze-dried and canned options, as they often have different shelf lives.

Storage Requirements

Determine whether the food requires special storage conditions, such as cool, dry places, and consider space limitations when storing bulk supplies. If live in a home with a garage or basement, storage won’t likely be an issue, but if you live in a smaller apartment you may need to take kit size into consideration.

Caloric Value

Calculate the daily caloric needs of your household members to ensure you have enough food to sustain everyone—some emergency food supply kits are designed to provide a specific number of calories per day.

Food Variety

Aim for variety to prevent flavor fatigue during extended emergencies, and to do this, look for kits that offer a mix of entrees, sides, snacks and beverages.

Special Dietary Needs

Consider any dietary restrictions, allergies or preferences within your household when selecting supplies. Be sure to seek out options that cater to specific diets, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or kosher, as these dietary restrictions will limit which foods you can store.

Ease Of Preparation

Examine the simplicity of cooking or rehydrating the food, especially if you don’t have access to elaborate cooking equipment. Some emergency meals only require hot water, while others may need additional ingredients or equipment.

Taste And Quality

Emergency food supplies don’t generally taste all that good, but you can still read reviews (or sample products if possible) to assess the taste and quality of the emergency food supplies. If it tastes good, there’s a better chance you’ll be willing to eat it, even in the midst of an emergency.

Are Survival Food Kits Worth It?

Survival food kits represent a low-cost, risk-free means of preparing for the unpredictable, which makes them a worthwhile investment. While we can’t recommend replacing your normal diet with survival food options (these kits don’t offer a number of essential nutrients, despite claims that suggest otherwise), we can recommend keeping a kit in your basement on the off-chance that you need it.

Should I Stock Up On Emergency Food?

According to the FEMA, your emergency kit should contain at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food. The agency also recommends choosing foods your family will eat and paying attention to special dietary needs. Common non-perishable foods include protein or fruit bars, dry cereal, ready-to-eat canned options and high-energy foods.

What Is The Best Survival Food Supply?

The answer to this question depends on your personal situation and what sort of emergency, natural disaster or food shortage you’re preparing for. If you live in a part of the country that isn’t prone to natural disasters, you may be able to get by with a stockpile of peanut butter, granola bars, water and canned beans and vegetables. But if you live in an area that tends to experience hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes or wildfires, you may need to invest in larger quantities of emergency foods that can be prepared with only water and are highly portable should you have to leave your home.

Around the middle of August, wing shooters start preparing for the upcoming dove season. Shotguns will be cleaned and oiled up, camo clothing will be unpacked, and the serious hunters will try to get in a few practice rounds of skeet or sporting clays. Just before the dove season starts, I see first-time hunters at my day job, stocking up on dove hunting gear. Inevitably, one of the questions asked has to do with the ideal clothing for dove hunting, but another commonly asked, and related question is can doves see color?

As a child, dove hunting was my first introduction to the sport of wing shooting. Although I was too young to carry my own shotgun then, my father and his brothers would let me take a few shots under strict supervision. After my first dove hunt, I was hooked! I eagerly looked forward to Labor Day weekend in central North Carolina when dove season opened. My love of wing shooting also led me to hunt quail, mountain grouse, woodcock, and the occasional pheasant out of state. However, dove season remains one of my favorite hunting activities.

Dove Eyesight Basics

Like most North American bird species, all species of doves have excellent vision. Their vision is acute enough to identify small food items (usually seeds) while flying along at speeds of 50+ miles per hour.

Research indicates that, due to their eye location, doves have a 340-degree field of view. And, unlike a dove’s distant relative, the pigeon, who has issues with depth perception, nearly all species of doves have very good depth perception.

Because doves rely on their eyesight as a primary means to detect danger, they are extremely good at detecting even the smallest amount of movement. While dove hunting, the hunter’s movement is usually what doves pick up on first, causing them to flare away or change course to avoid the perceived predator.

Are Doves Able to See Color?

Not only are all species of doves able to see color, but a 2007 study found that they can also see more colors in the color spectrum than a human. The portion of the eye associated with color detection is called cones. Humans have three cones, allowing us to see reds, blues, and greens. Birds, including all species of doves, have four cones allowing them to see colors invariable to the human eye. Doves are able to see blue, green, and red but can also see ultraviolet colors. So not only do doves possess superior vision compared to a human, but they can also see colors in the UV spectrum that we can’t.

In addition to being able to see a broader spectrum of colors, the additional cone in a dove’s eye also offers wavelength filtering allowing them to see the differences or contrast in color changes. Although their vision isn’t quite up to being polarized, it’s pretty darn close. The enhanced contrast is believed to assist doves in detecting movement, identifying predators, and identifying food sources on the ground.

What Should I Wear Dove Hunting?

While blaze orange or hunter orange safety clothing certainly has its place in most hunting scenarios, out in a dove field is not one of those situations. Doves can certainly detect the color orange (quite well), and the contrast between orange and a darker background would likely make the hunter easily identifiable.

While complete camouflage clothing isn’t really necessary, I would recommend wearing darker-colored or drab-colored clothing in an effort to help blend in with the background being hunted. I prefer to wear camo pants, a camo shirt, and a camo hat with a wide brim to help block out the sun.

Some dove hunters go the extra mile and wear either a face covering or face paint in an effort to make their face less visible. Personally, I don’t wear a face covering for early-season dove hunting but do while hunting late season doves.

Late season doves are far warier of hunters and movement and will flare away or flee at any movement or strange objects in their flight path. I find that dove decoys are more helpful during late-season hunts compared to opening day hunts.

FAQS

Here are some frequently asked questions related to dove hunting and a dove’s eyesight:

Do doves have good eyesight?

As I mentioned above, all species of doves have excellent eyesight with color contrast and very good depth perception. The color contrast aspect of their vision allows them to identify even slight movement as a predatory defense mechanism. In addition, their vision is acute enough to perceive predators or threats due to color contrasts that are not visible to the human eye.

Do I have to wear orange or blaze orange while Dove hunting?

First, I’d check the specific dove hunting regulations for the state where you’ll be hunting. It’s possible that your state may have regulations that mandate blaze orange safety clothing while dove hunting. However, since doves can see color, I’m not aware of a state that does mandate hunter-safety clothing during dove season.

Assuming that your state does not have a rule or regulation in place mandating hunter-orange clothing, I’d suggest not wearing any blaze orange while dove hunting. Doves are not colorblind and can see orange quite well. Wearing orange on a dove hunt could decrease your odds of a successful hunt.

Iguanas are large lizards native to Central and South America. They can grow to be over 6 feet long and weigh up to 20 pounds. Iguanas are not typically aggressive, but they can be if they feel threatened. They have long, sharp claws that they can use to defend themselves. Iguanas also have long, sharp teeth that they can use to bite. Can an iguana kill a dog? It is possible, but it is unlikely. Iguanas are not typically aggressive animals and will only attack if they feel threatened. If an iguana does attack a dog, the dog could be seriously injured or even killed.

There is no social aspect to iguanas, and they are not instinctively affectionate toward humans or other animals. During a cold snap, it is possible for a dog to become ill if he or she eats a fallen tree limb. According to the RSPCA, iguanas should not be kept as pets. Digging lizards are native to Central and South America, and they are one of the most popular lizards on the planet. Their teeth are designed to break down plants, but they can be extremely painful to humans. Even iguanas are known to climb human enclosures, though their claws are less impressive than their teeth when digging into the skin. A iguana can grow to be as large as a house lizard and resembles a mini dragon.

Unlike many other reptiles, iguanas do not harbor salmonella. As iguanas get older, they require more humidity in their cages and rooms (70-80%), two mistings per day, and bathing twice a day to stay hydrated. The iguana has distinct personalities that can range from calm and laid-back to aggressive and domineering. In the day, iguanas rely heavily on leaf, flower, and fruit consumption, with their primary food sources being leaves, flowers, and fruits. Salmonellosis and botulism are two of the most common iguana illnesses.

A green iguana‘s teeth are intended to shear plant material while also delivering a painful bite to humans and pets.

Despite having no predators in the wild, iguanas are not fond of dogs.

In accordance with the law, iguanas must be slaughtered in a humane manner and their bodies disposed of properly. If iguanas do not suffer during removal, they can be shot with a pellet gun, stabbed in the brain, or even be decapitated. It is illegal to kill, drown, or freeze iguanas.

Most people believe that dogs and cats are at risk of contracting iguana feces, but this is not the case.

Can Iguanas Hurt Dogs?

There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the individual iguana and the dog. Some iguanas may be docile and not pose a threat to dogs, while others may be aggressive and attack dogs. If an iguana does attack a dog, it is possible for the iguana to cause serious injury.

Humans are rarely spotted by the iguana, but the reptile will defend itself against any animal that attempts to catch it or corner it. When iguanas are attacked, they defend themselves by biting humans. Despite the fact that iguanas lack the same mannerisms and behavior as cats and dogs, they are friendly pets. Because iguanas are venomous, they are the least dangerous of all venomous lizards. How can you tell if your dog and reptile are compatible? They’re just sitting around, playing with one another, and nuzzling each other like family. Adult iguanas can bite, scratch, and slap each other with their powerful tails.

Despite its avoidance, the iguana will defend itself against any and all animals who approach it. Can dogs get sick from iguanas? A number of the dogs have died as a result of the test.

They are not the best pets for people who have children, but iguanas can be trained to be good pets. Buddy, like many other iguanas, has been known to live with children for years, and they all get along well. Other iguanas, such as Leo, may attack children and make them less tolerant of them. There are some people who will make excellent pets, and iguanas are a great choice for those who have the time and resources to properly care for them, but they are not a great choice for people who do not have either.

Do Iguanas Go After Dogs?

In an adult iguana, there is a large, powerful animal that can bite, scratch, and slap, as well as cause severe scratch wounds with its extremely sharp claws. The iguana will generally avoid people, but will defend itself against those who attempt to catch it or corner it.

Iguanas: Why They Make Bad Pets

Iguanas are lizards that can grow to be 20 feet long and live in the Patagonian region of South America. Their diet is not made up of mammals, making them one of the few animals on the planet that does not do so. As a result, iguanas are not fond of dogs. Iguanas are common as pets, but they aren’t the right pets for most people. Because iguanas dislike humans, training them to become friendly is difficult. An iguana may not be the best pet for you if you’re looking for something to spend time with.

What Happens If An Iguana Bites A Dog?

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If an iguana bites or scratches your dog, it is possible that it will develop botulism toxin. This can result in paralysis in an animal. The animal will no longer be able to walk or eat normally in the near future.

Bacteria that cause botulism poisoning can live on crusty skin on iguanas. If you have an iguana that is very large, it can cause fractures in both your dog’s and your own bones. Contrary to popular belief, iguana feces are not harmful to dogs or cats. The iguanas will sometimes attack pet owners or people who try to catch them or corner them, but they are more likely to avoid humans. Salmonella bacteria can be carried by some reptiles, and dogs can become ill from bacteria on a regular basis. The green iguana causes damage to landscape vegetation, and some property owners consider it a nuisance.

It is not as serious as it may appear for iguana bites. There is no need for reptiles to bite to defend themselves; instead, it is a natural part of the reptiles. The teeth of a iguana are designed to tear apart plant matter, but they can also cause pain in some cases. If your dog or cat becomes aggressive or has difficulty eating, it is critical that you bring it to the vet for an examination. If you’ve been bitten by an iguana, don’t wait to seek medical attention.

Can A Dog Get Sick From Biting An Iguana?

Dogs can become ill after eating iguanas. Because iguanas lack toxins or venom, they can develop worms or flukes in their internal organs that can be passed on to their owner.

What Happens If A Iguana Bites You?

Salmonella bacteria can be carried and spread by iguanas, in addition to causing a painful bite. They are especially dangerous if they sustain a bite to the skin that causes blood loss. Because iguanas are pleurodonts, they can also shed their teeth while biting.

Can A Dog Get Sick From Killing An Iguana?

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It is not only lethal, but it can also cause serious bodily harm. Anxious veterinarians are still treating dogs that may have contracted botulism after eating iguana carcasses as a result of the cold snap that killed thousands of reptiles throughout South Florida. It resulted in paralysis so severe that a few of the paralyzed had to be euthanized.

In South Florida, dozens of dogs have died from paralysis. The veterinarians may have been able to identify a culprit: dead iguanas. The iguana population plummeted in recent weeks as a result of a lengthy cold snap. As a result, their toxic entrails could cause them to become ill. Each affected dog bears a distinct suburban provenance. Why are not dogs coming down with a dreaded, dead iguana disease? It isn’t exactly like botulism. Why are iguanas cute? There is no information about them, so it’s possible that we’d mistake them for being able to produce Botulism toxin after death.

Salmonella can be transmitted to humans as well as causing serious injury to iguanas when bitten. If you’re thinking about getting an iguana as a pet, you should make sure to do some research on its safety.

Can Dogs Get Salmonella From Iguanas?

Salmonellosis has been linked to a variety of pet iguana infections, including fatal ones.

How To Treat Salmonella In Your Pet

You might be wondering what you should do if your pet develops Salmonella. Salmonella, a bacteria, can cause serious illness if consumed. When Salmonella infections are treated promptly, it can be difficult to treat them. Severe Salmonella infections that cannot be treated with antibiotics may require hospitalization in a veterinarian’s office. You can get a good idea of the health of your pet by going to the veterinarian. Although Salmonella may affect all of these animals, it is especially important to be aware of the risk in turtles, frogs, iguanas, snakes, geckos, horned toads, salamanders, and chameleons. Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause serious illness in humans, is frequently found in these animals. If you suspect your pet has salmonella, you should consult with your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Can Reptiles Make Dogs Sick?

Toads and lizards secrete poison on their skin in order to protect them from predators, while venomous bites can occur in other lizards as well. According to Daily Puppy, even a nonvenomous or nonpoisonous reptile can spread bacteria and parasites like salmonella to your dog, causing him to become ill.

Lizards And Dogs: A Risky Combination

There are numerous harmful bacteria that lizards can carry, but it is not usually dangerous to dogs to catch them. However, salmonella bacteria can be transmitted by lizards in Florida, posing a serious risk to humans. If your dog consumes one of these lizards, they may become extremely ill. Even in Florida, small lizards are not harmful to dogs, and if swallowed, salmonella can easily spread to them.

Can An Iguana Kill You

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Despite the fact that iguanas are not aggressive or dangerous to humans, they can dig long tunnels, damage pavements, and build foundations. Salmonella bacteria can sometimes infect them. Females can lay nearly 80 eggs per year and can grow to be 5 feet tall ( 1.5 metres) and weigh 9 kilograms (20 pounds).

The iguana population in South Florida has grown dramatically, as have complaints from residents. A pellet gun can be used to shoot them, stab them in the brain, or decapitate them if they do not suffer. It is against the law to freeze, drown, or poison them; otherwise, you may face criminal charges. Net-baiting, cage traps, and noose poles are just a few of the methods used to capture iguanas alive. Except at firing ranges, most cities prohibit firearms on private property. According to state guidelines, homeowners are responsible for any animals caught in traps. Animals captured at the site are required to be released as soon as possible.

Only doctors and other professionals with the proper licenses are permitted to inject lethal drugs into humans. Workshops have begun where wildlife commission members can provide residents with tips for living in harmony with nature. In fact, Deborah Millman, outreach director at the wildlife center, says he’s a feisty guy.

Feeding wild animals, including iguanas, is dangerous. The best thing we can do for our children and pets is to stop feeding them food or putting them in the wrong situation. A wild animal is neither a food nor a toy. There is no reason why these animals should not be kept as pets. They should not be viewed as something else when they are seen as such.

Why You Shouldn’t Kill Iguanas

Do iguanas kill anything besides turtles? When an iguana is an adult, it eats foliage, flowers, and fruit. Their diet consists of various animal foods, including insects, lizards, and other small animals, as well as nestling birds and eggs. Are you supposed to eat iguanas? If iguanas continue to invade your property, trapping and catching them may be the best solution. You don’t have to kill them, but you can try to trap them. If you want to capture one, you can use one of these do-it-yourself traps. How aggressive can iguanas be? Some iguanas may exhibit aggressive behavior. It is commonly assumed that behavioral changes in green iguanas that occur during their breeding season and territorial aggression are related to male aggression in general.

What To Do If Your Dog Eats An Iguana

If your dog eats an iguana, the first thing you should do is call your veterinarian. If your dog is showing any signs of illness, such as vomiting or diarrhea, you should bring them to the vet immediately. If your dog is not showing any signs of illness, you should still call your vet to ask for their advice on what to do next.

Pets are notorious for consuming the most bizarre items, including toys, rings, and small creatures. Your dog may die if he eats iguanas because they are reptiles. If your dog has an unusual situation that may result in serious consequences, having a plan is critical. If your dog has eaten a lizard, you should keep an eye on him for any changes in his behavior, such as vomiting, weakness, and loss of appetite. Most commonly, dogs develop an intestinal blockage when they swallow items such as toys or paper clips that they cannot digest. In the United States, if the condition is not diagnosed and treated as soon as possible, it can quickly kill.

Are Iguanas Poisonous To Cats

There is some debate over whether iguanas are poisonous to cats or not. Some people believe that they are, while others believe that they are not. There is no scientific evidence to support either claim.

If a dog eats one that fell from a tree during a cold snap, he may contract salmonella or botulism. Hawks, owls, egrets, herons, cats, and dogs are among the predators that prey on the majority of newborn and juvenile iguanas. An antibiotic may be required to prevent opportunistic infections in cats. According to Iowa State University researchers, catnip is 100 times more effective at repelling cockroaches than DEET. Pets are not poisonous, but they can become extremely ill if they vomit or drool excessively as a result of gastrointestinal irritation. Nausea, illness, or stress can cause cats to salivate excessively and foam at the mouth, just as dogs do.

Iguanas And Cats Can Be Best Friends

If you have cats, iguanas can be an excellent house pet. Although iguanas can sometimes be unsuitable pets for scratching or biting cats, they are gentle creatures that are not harmful to humans. Raccoons, snakes, hawks, owls, egrets, herons, and cats are among the most common predators of iguanas, but they have few natural enemies. If you have a cat, you can keep your iguana in a separate enclosure and give it lots of toys and chew toys to keep it busy.

Are Iguanas Good Pets

There is no definitive answer to this question as everyone has different opinions on what makes a good pet. Some people may find iguanas to be intriguing and low-maintenance, while others may find them to be aggressive and difficult to care for. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not an iguana would make a good pet for them.

IGNITION: Despite their striking appearance and distinct personalities, iguanas are among the most popular exotic pets. Despite being considered good pets by reptile enthusiasts, iguanas are not ideal pets for everyone. If you’re looking for a long-lasting reptile, a iguana can be a good option. The iguanas are diurnal, which means they rise whenever the sun rises. A iguana will not sustain any injuries if he falls from 50 feet. It’s not a problem to feed iguanas live crickets or creepy crawlies because their diet is entirely herbivorous. If you are looking for a pet that is not only fun to watch, but also unique and long-lasting, the iguana might be the one for you.

It is critical to understand that your iguana should not be kept as a pet and that it will require a lot of care and money to care for. A iguana, in general, is a good pet for reptile enthusiasts. It is harmful to keep them as pets for those who cannot afford to do so. Furthermore, iguanas are not suitable for children. It’s up to you to decide whether or not these cute little dinosaurs will fit in with your home.

An iguana is a green iguana or a red iguana. The green iguana is found in the Amazon rainforest, whereas the red iguana lives in the Andes Mountains. In terms of their ecological niches, the two types of iguana differ. A green iguana is a prey species, while a red iguana is a predator species. The green iguana is a prey species that can be found in abundance in the wild. Green iguanas are herbivorous herbivores that consume leaves, flowers, and fruit. The red iguana is a predator that is native to the Americas. It eats both reptiles and birds, and it is a carnivore that eats both mammals and reptiles. A green iguana will require time to be with his owner. They begin to associate with their owners and even fall in love with them. There is no need to potty train your iguana.

Do Iguanas Like Being Petted?

Can iguanas be affectionate? The iguana is not affectionate; however, if you tame and bond with it, it will become more attached to you. As a result, you will need to be hands-on and spend time with your iguana every now and then as a young adult. Owners can interact with and pet tame iguanas as they become more accustomed to handling and petting them.

Iguana Care When You’re Not Home

Furthermore, while you are away, you can crate your iguana. While it is acceptable to occasionally chastise your iguana for a short period of time during the day, it will not harm it. When you’re away, make sure your iguana is well cared for.

Are Iguanas Friendly To Humans?

The iguana is not dangerous or aggressive to humans, but it can cause damage to seawalls, sidewalks, landscape foliage, and burrow tunnels in and around your home. Male taslings can grow to be 5 feet 1.5 meters tall and weigh around 20 pounds (9 kilograms).

Do Not Attempt To Pet Or Handle A Red Iguana

A red iguana, on the other hand, is less territorial and more social, so when threatened, it may become aggressive, and attacks can be fatal. If an iguana bites you, do not pet it or handle it; seek medical attention if you get bitten.

Do Iguanas Like To Cuddle?

Even if their chubby little bodies may shout the phrase “cuddle me, human,” iguanas aren’t cats and aren’t interested in being cuddled up.

Iguanas: Why They’re So Scared

It is no surprise that iguanas are extremely scared of a variety of things. They are also scared of loud noises and bright lights. The fact that water makes iguanas sound so scared is one of the reasons they are so scared. When water is sprayed, iguanas find it very frightening because it makes a rushing sound. When it comes to light, iguanas are also scared of it. Lights, such as flashlight batteries, can be quite dangerous for iguanas.

Do Iguanas Get Attached To Their Owners?

Many iguanas are unique in that they have personalities ranging from calm and reserved to aggressive and domineering. It can be difficult to live with and care for the latter. A more calm iguana, on the other hand, is more likely to bond with its owner while also remaining peaceful.

Herbivores At Heart: The Best Food For Your Iguana

A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit, should be provided to your iguana to help it adapt to life as an herbivore. If you cut it up into small pieces, your iguana will eat it. It is best to feed your iguana twice a day in the morning and evening, but not at the same time during the day.

Can Dogs Eat Cooked Iguanas

There is no one definitive answer to this question. Some experts say that cooked iguanas are safe for dogs to eat, while other experts caution against it. The best advice is to speak with your veterinarian about whether or not feeding your dog cooked iguana is right for your pet.

I’m willing to try anything. The pellets I ordered will arrive Monday. To see if the pieces taste good, I’ll put them on a salad with some healthy ingredients. Her habits mirror that of Chance, who loves dog food and will eat anything she can get her hands on. The only thing I could do was to remove the bowl when she fell down; nothing else could stop it. The only thing I will say about them is that I do not believe they will harm Luna, but I would love to give them as a replacement for dog food; the food is processed and fresh, so what a fantastic idea. Regardless of what someone says, iguanas are strictly herbivores, and no matter what they say or eat, they should not be fed meat.

My goal is to see some videos. The iguana is one of the most fascinating animals on the planet. Flowers and leaves are the only foods available to iguanas in their natural habitat. When a dog’s bottom teeth are clean, they’re great for scraping any debris off of them. Cleaning after the event is a breeze. It can be difficult to find a suitable diet for home terrarium reptiles because they require a large amount of nutrients. The iguana may lack some substances in its diet, so it should be given some fruits and vegetables. They are not designed to handle meat or meat products in any way.

Iguanas And Dogs Don’t Mix

They are quite adaptable, despite their small size; however, if you keep them away from your dog, they will find it difficult to coexist. Botulism poisoning is a serious and fatal condition in dogs caused by iguanas, and iguanas have been linked to it. It is safe to eat iguana meat, but the skin and other parts of the iguana can be poisonous.

Are Iguanas Dangerous To Humans

There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the individual iguana and the situation. Some iguanas can be aggressive and may bite or scratch if they feel threatened, while others may be more docile. In general, however, iguanas are not considered to be dangerous to humans.

Although iguanas are not dangerous, they can cause harm and pose a risk to humans. A dog is not typically aggressive toward its owner, but if necessary, he or she may bite, scratch, or even whip his or her tail in self-defense. Salmonella can also be found on iguana skin, so it’s critical to avoid handling them. The genes of wild iguanas are what determine how they behave; they are born instinctively. They will be instinctively wild animals if you take care of them correctly, regardless of how you care for them. When they are threatened or in fear, they are more likely to overreact and engage in self-defense. A iguana is a large iguana that can climb and hang from trees in the wild and has evolved sharp and long claws.

They have developed a sophisticated set of claws that they use to combat a variety of predators. The tails of iguanas are frequently whipped with great force, and they are not uncommon. Salmonella, a common bacterial disease, can cause severe illness in humans. Salmonella is naturally present in iguanas on their skin. You can still interact with and socialize with your iguana, which is naturally voracious eaters. A good anti-bacterial soap should be used on a regular basis to keep your hands clean. The best way to prepare and take care of an iguana is to learn what it requires, how it needs to be cared for, and what are the best safe practices.

They will actually bite to help them get out of danger. Knowing where they are most vulnerable when biting is critical to preventing biting. Wearing gloves is usually a good idea if your iguana has long nails for the first few times, or if they are quite rough. It is impossible to ignore the fact that iguanas can bite at any time during their lives; be careful not to bite them at any time. Because iguanas can carry Salmonella, it is critical that the wound be cleaned as soon as possible. Trimming an iguana’s claws is an excellent way to improve its health. Salmonella can be prevented through a number of strategies, including good hygiene and contamination control.

The best thing you can do to keep your iguana healthy is to wash your hands on a regular basis and frequently, especially after each time you pet it. This species of iguana is not overly dangerous and does not appear to pose any risk to its owner. Salmonella, a dangerous bacteria, cannot cause harm to iguanas unless you maintain proper and effective hygiene practices. The information and considerations required to determine whether a pet iguana poses a significant threat to its owner are sufficient. You should, however, take precautions in order to keep your iguana and you safe at all times. Salmonella is most commonly found in bites, scratches, tail whipping, and other forms of eating.

It does not mind biting humans if they pose a threat to its reptile. An iguana bite is typically caused by an iguana’s defense mechanism, such as when a human intrudes on its territory or when it defends its young. It is possible for iguanas to bite humans if they are threatened. A bite from an iguana is highly painful because it has teeth that are specifically designed to tear apart vegetation. The iguana is also scared of loud noises, such as water spraying, so if you try to scare it away with a loud noise, it will run away. Furthermore, iguanas are scared of bright light, such as those produced by products marketed to them. When it comes to iguanas in your yard, it is best to be cautious not to scare them too much.

Iguanas 101: How To Tame And Handle Your New Pet

It is absolutely necessary to handle iguanas on a regular, consistent, and gentle basis in order to keep them tame and manageable. When the iguana becomes more accepting of your attention, you will be able to respond better to its moods. A properly cared-for iguana can be an exciting and delightful addition to any home.

Pet Iguana

An iguana makes a great pet if you have the right setup and are prepared to care for it properly. Iguanas are very active and require a large enclosure with plenty of branches or other structures to climb on. They also need a basking spot with a heat lamp to keep them warm. Iguanas are omnivores and need a diet that includes both vegetables and fruits, as well as a calcium supplement to keep their bones healthy.

There are approximately 40 iguana species in the Iguanidae suborder, but only a few of them can be kept as pets. The adult green iguana, on the other hand, can weigh between 15 and 20 pounds when it is fully grown. Despite being the smallest of the aforementioned species, the desert iguana can grow to be more than 15 inches long on average. If you’re interested in adopting an iguana, here are the most important things you should know before bringing it home. Because iguanas are omnivorous, they require fresh greens, vegetables, and fruits on a daily basis. In general, an iguana’s price varies greatly due to the wide variety of species available. A home with an iguana enclosure can cost anywhere between $100 and $500. If you buy fresh food for your iguana once a month, you should expect to spend $50 to $100. The reptile vet should come to your iguana’s house at least once a year for a checkup.

Iguanas: Great Pets For Those Who Want To Learn About Reptiles

Those who are interested in reptiles but are not ready for a more aggressive animal will find iguanas to be a great pet. Because they are easily handled and can interact with other animals, they are safe to be around children. However, iguanas can become aggressive during mating season, so you should be aware of their behavior and prepared to deal with them if necessary.

If you learned to fish as a child, your earliest memories, much like ours, were watching a bobber with great anticipation waiting for it to abruptly disappear under the slick calm waters on an early morning fishing trip with a loved one. I’m 51 years old now, and watching a fishing bobber go under still gives me a childlike thrill. Nostalgia not withstanding, a fishing float is a great way to present not only live baits but also small artificials to fish in a natural way.

Fly anglers use small floats and indicators to let them know when a trout has sucked in a nymph in current runs that you won’t see or feel. Crappie anglers will slip float a jig in timber to catch fish that are reluctant to move much. Whatever your preferred method of fishing, knowing the best fishing bobbers and where to use each one will help you present your baits better and catch more fish.

OUR LIST OF BEST FISHING BOBBERS

• Best Weighted Spring Bobber: Thill Premium Weighted Float
• Best Slip Floats: Thill Pro Series Slip Float
• Best Rattling Float: Bett’s Mr. Crappie Rattlin Pear
• Best Weighted Clip Bobber: Bett’s Mr. Crappie Weighted Bobber
• Best Crappie Bobber: Thill Crappie Cork
• Best Catfish Float: CJ’s Catfish Float
• Best Panfish Quick Floats: Leland’s Lures Trout Magnet E-Z Floats

Best Weighted Spring Bobber: Thill Premium Weighted Float

The Thill name and premium fishing floats are synonymous. Regardless of the species you chase, you’ve likely found yourself looking at one of the many versions of Thill floats to float your offering. Arguably their most popular model because it’s simple, effective and well designed, the Thill Premium Weighted Float features the spring or slip versions but we think the spring bobber is the best no-nonsense float for a variety of species of fish.

Pull the spring down, run the line into the notch and let the spring loose and you’re good to go. We often use this bobber in the spring when casting to crappie in shallow water with jigs we want to work ultra slow around shallow cover that might be spooky (like when they are moving up to spawn). These high quality bobbers come 2 to a pack for $3.99.

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Best Rattling Float: Bett’s Mr. Crappie Rattlin Pear

We got into using a rattling bobber with tungsten bluegill bugs this spring to chase some of our personal best bluegills and shellcrackers. The Mr. Crappie Rattlin Pear is a small bobber that attaches quickly to help make casting very light jigs a little easier and letting you slow down your retrieve and add pauses you can’t do otherwise.

I took some of my biggest bluegills and panfish on this bobber this year because I felt the rattle called fish in that were curious and then they found the bug. This was especially productive for me in laydown trees in the spring and early summer.

The Rattlin Pear comes in a three sizes from 7/8 inch to 1 1/4 inch for bluegills and crappie alike and would probably work for trout and wallyes as well.

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Best Slip Floats: Thill Pro Series Slip Float

Another staple in the slip float arena, the Thill Pro Series Slip Float comes in many different sizes and diameters as well as weighted and unweighted. These floats work really well when you want to cast to fish that are in deeper water and you need the rig to be compact on the cast but then sink down to the fish and sit in one place over deeper water. From 1/2 inch diameter up to 1 inch in diameter. These floats work for a ton of species and applications where you want to float fish a little deeper. They are made of premium balsa to ensure a long last bobber that always floats well and is easily pulled under by the right size prey.

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Best Weighted Clip Bobber: Bett’s Mr. Crappie Snappers Float

There is something to be said for having a bobber that works quick and easy when you suddenly need to change your presentation or need to improve your casting distance because of the wind without having to upsize your lure and speed up your retrieves. A clip on bobber is very handy to have. I keep several in my travel bags and boat because I’ve had lots of times panfishing where I wished I could add a float to a jig to slow my presentation, get a little more distance or make a bait present more naturally in current and wind.

The Bett’s Mr. Crappie Weighted Bobber casts like a rock, attaches quickly and easily and won’t crack or fill up with water. It’s a foam style bobber that comes in a few different sizes for bluegill and crappies alike. I’ve even used the larger ones on other species like catfish. They come two to a pack for $2.29.

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Best Crappie Bobber: Thill Crappie Cork

The Thill Crappie Cork is the do-it-all bobber for crappie fishermen. It’s made to be the only float you need for crappie. It comes in multiple sizes, offers both spring clip and slip cork design with a bobber stop already built into the stem. It’s the ultimate float for versatility and convenience for serious anglers. Always good to have a couple in your bag. Weight is printed on the float for convenience. These floats start at $2.49.

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Best Catfish Float: CJ’s Catfish Float

We’ve talked about these floats before in our Kayak Catfishing feature as these are a dynamite way to present bait to channel catfish and blue catfish alike. Check out our feature to see how these are employed. But these unique floats feature a long 14-inch stem and a rigging mechanism that makes them a slip float but your line runs on the outside. This float is designed to let you know a cat is biting without them feeling any resistance so you have the drop on them everytime. These floats excel for drift fishing and that’s why they have become the staple among serious catfishermen. They come 2 to a pack for $8.99.

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Best Quick Float Indicators: Leland’s Lures Trout Magnet E-Z Floats

Sometimes you just want to throw quick small float on an ultralight setup to float your jig or slow your presentation and without having to completely rerig, it’s nice when you can use something like the Trout Magnet E-Z Floats, that use a slit style bobber with a peg to pinch your line in place on the bobber. You can add them quickly to your ultralight offerings to keep your bait up and out of cover and off the bottom as you fish through shallow areas with tiny lures. They are made of a high-float foam, come 4 to a pack in high viz colors for $1.87.

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TYPES OF FISHING BOBBERS AND FLOATS

Fishing bobbers and floats vary in size, materials and how you connect them to your line. There are basically three ways to connect a bobber to your line that include the following:

• Clip on
• Pinch/peg
• Slip on with a stopper

As you’ve seen going through this list, bobbers can ether be clipped on with spring loaded clips or external springs or rubber sleeves. Floats can also be pinched on with a peg where you either run the line through the bobber or put it through a slit in the side of the bobber and then use a peg to pinch the bobber onto your line. Or you can use a slip style bobber where your line runs through the bobber after your slide or tie a bobber stop onto your line above it. Each of the three ways to connect have a time and place and often convenience and depth are the determining factors.

BEST BOBBER BRANDS

With bobbers, you can get by with a cheaper bobber in a pinch but their are a few brands that are the best at making specific application floats. Brands like Thill, Betts and Eagle Claw have some of the widest selections of bobbers to fit all types of fish and fishing applications. There are a lot of other good brands that don’t have as diverse a selection but also offer great bobbers like Rod-N-Bob, Raven, Sheffield, Northland, and Lunkerhunt. You can find a very good selection of floats at FishUSA.com

BOBBER FISHING SETUPS

When fishing with bobbers, anglers often like to use lighter lines and either spinning or spin casting setups. I spent a lot of time fishing small bobbers on tungsten jigs for panfish this year on spinning rod and reels with 4-pound line as well as BFS baitcasting gear with the same light lines like 4-pound mono and 8-pound braid. With the bigger bobbers you can go up in size and weighted bobbers also allow you to use larger line sizes without sacrificing castability.

BEST BOBBER AND FLOAT MATERIALS

Balsa and foam are probably the two most common types of fishing bobbers along with plastic. The first two will hold up a lot better than the latter. Plastic tends to eventually crack or wear out and let water in which makes it stop floating. Balsa will still float if it breaks, splinters or loses pieces.

Orange mushrooms growing in your yard or lawn can seem to appear overnight. Bright orange mushrooms are easy to spot growing among blades of grass in dark, shaded areas, or on rotting tree trunks. Species of these orange fruiting bodies can grow in spongy clusters or have cylindrical stems with rounded or flat caps with gills on their underside.

Although some varieties of orange mushrooms, like the golden chanterelle, are edible, many are highly poisonous. For example, the toxic orange mushroom, Jack-O’lantern (Omphalotus olearius), is easily mistaken for a chanterelle because it has a similar shape and deep yellow to orange cap.

This article is only a general guide to identifying varieties of orange mushrooms common in yards and lawns. However, its purpose is not to advise on how to identify edible orange mushrooms from poisonous mushrooms. Mushroom foraging for consumption requires expert knowledge and experience. Therefore, never eat any type of mushroom without correctly identifying the species.

Descriptions and pictures of orange mushrooms and toadstools will highlight identifying features to look for. Please read on to learn about the types of wild orange mushrooms you could find growing in your yard.

Orange Mushrooms in the Lawn

Clusters of orange mushrooms are common sights in lawns in the fall after abundant rain. The bright to deep orange shades of these orange fruiting fungi contrast with dark green turfgrass. Common orange lawn mushrooms include the Jack-O’lantern (Omphalotus olearius), orange peel mushroom (Aleuria aurantia), and the bright orange goblet waxcap mushroom (Hygrocybe Cantharellus).

Why Mushrooms Grow in the Yard

Orange mushrooms grow in your yard because fungi in the soil start fruiting under ideal conditions. Like all fungi, wild orange mushrooms are small fruiting bodies that thrive in rich soil, shaded conditions, warm temperatures, and high humidity. Hence, you will most likely find lawn mushrooms in yards in late summer and fall.

You will likely find orange mushrooms near decaying organic matter growing in shaded conditions in your yard. Therefore, wild mushrooms are common under shrubs, in mulch, in the grass, and where tree trunks enter the ground.

What should you do if you find brightly colored orange or orange-red mushrooms in your yard? Generally, you can leave them alone. However, if you are unsure of the species and kids or pets play in the garden, removing them is best.

How to Identify Orange Mushrooms

Apart from their shades of orange, identifying features of orange mushrooms are the shape of the cap, stem, and size. After picking the mushroom, look to see if the cap’s underside has gills, pores, or a spongy feel. Then examine the mushroom’s color and the color of the flesh.

Some identifying features of edible species of mushrooms are their brown, orange, or tan gills, brownish orange caps, and smooth caps without scales or warty growths. Also, there should be no veil-like ring around the stem. However, these are only general guidelines, and you should never identify mushrooms based solely on these criteria.

Types of Orange Mushrooms (With Pictures) – Identification Guide

Let’s look in more detail at common mushrooms with orange fruiting bodies in shades of yellow-orange, red-orange, or pale orange with white spots. The chances are that some of these varieties of orange mushrooms are growing in your lawn or backyard.

Jack-O’Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus olearius and Omphalotus illudens)

The jack-o’lantern mushroom is one of the most common orange mushrooms you will find growing in your yard. This common mushroom, with its deep orange shades, has a broadly convex round, indented cap, bright yellowish-orange to brownish-orange color, gills running the length of its tapering stem, and pale orange flesh.

The Jack O’Lantern is a relatively large, brightly colored orange mushroom. Its cap measures 1.5” to 4.7” (4 – 12 cm) wide, and its thick, orange stem is 1.3” to 3.5” (4.3 – 9 cm) tall. Apart from growing in your yard, this orange mushroom commonly grows at the base of tree stumps and roots.

This poisonous orange mushroom is a dangerous look alike to chanterelle mushrooms.

Orange mushroom identification

The jack-o’lantern mushroom is identified by its orange color, brownish-orange cap, and fluted gills tapering down the stem. In addition, this glow-in-the-dark mushroom is bioluminescent with a bluish-green color.

Chanterelle Mushrooms

Chanterelle mushrooms are medium orange to yellow edible mushrooms with a broadly flat, convex orange cap. Identifying features of orange chanterelles are the slightly depressed cap’s center, false gills under the cap, and pale yellowish flesh. Some species of chanterelle are red-orange to deep red, like the red chanterelle.

Pale yellowish-orange chanterelles have a distinct vase shape. The tasty mushrooms grow 1.5” to 2.3” (4 – 6 cm) tall, and their cap is 1.1” to 4” (3 – 10 cm) wide. Chanterelles are common throughout North America. You will typically find orange chanterelle mushrooms in coniferous forest floors and shaded areas.

Orange mushroom identification

Chanterelle mushrooms are easy to spot due to their yellow-orange color, tapering long stem, and tiny black scales on the cap.

Orange Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria var. guessowii)

The orange fly agaric is a highly poisonous mushroom with a cylindrical white stem, orange cap, and white warty growths. The large orange cap can be umbrella-shaped or like a flattened disc. This orange-red mushroom also has a variation of a bright red and white toadstool, the red fly agaric.

The orange fly agaric has a large cap 2.7” to 8.2” (7 – 21 cm) across, and the large orange mushroom grows 2.7” to 7” (7 – 18 cm) tall. Sometimes growing in lawns in shaded, sheltered locations, the orange mushroom is typically found near birch trees or in coniferous woodlands.

Orange mushroom identification

The orange fly agaric has a rounded orange cap covered in small bumpy white growths. It’s got white flesh, white gills, and a distinctive orange-red cap.

Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia)

The cup-shaped orange peel fungus is a brilliant orange mushroom with a distinctive crinkled appearance. This common orange lawn fungus is distinguished by its wavy, smooth, bright orange cap that looks like a large slice of orange peel curled on its side. In addition, the irregularly shaped fungus has a fuzzy underside.

The fruiting body of this unusual stemless orange fungus grows 0.6” to 2.7” (1.5 – 7 cm) across. You can often find this vibrant orange mushroom in grassy areas, trails, and residential yards.

Orange mushroom identification

The distinctive orange peel fungus has a unique cupped shape, sometimes with a split down one side. As the mushroom matures, it becomes more flattened.

The Orange Bonnet Mushroom (Mycena acicula)

The orange bonnet is an orange mushroom that grows in dense clusters. It is recognized by its slender, curving stem and bell-shaped cap. The rounded, bright orange cap develops a conical shape as it grows. Under the bell-like cap are closely spaced orange gills with red-orange margins. The sticky orange mushroom also has dense hairs at its base.

The cluster-forming orange mushrooms grow 1.1” to 2.7” (3 – 7 cm) long with wiry stems a few millimeters thick. The small, slimy orange caps measure between 0.39” to 1.5” (1 – 4 cm) wide with a somewhat rounded, conical appearance. The clusters of orange mushrooms are found on the floor of deciduous forests.

Orange mushroom identification

The tiny orange mushrooms have dull orange caps on top of slender yellowish-green stems with bright orange gills underneath the cap.

Goblet Waxcap (Hygrocybe cantharellus)

The goblet waxcap is a small bright orange mushroom with a long, slender orange stem, a round orange cap with in-rolled margins, and attractive white to yellowish-white gills underneath. Other identifying features of the orange mushroom are its sticky feel, bright orange cap with a scalloped margin, and yellow-orange flesh.

The tiny goblet waxcap mushroom grows 1.1” to 2.75” long, and (3 – 7 cm) its small disc-like orange cap is 0.2” to 0.78” (0.6 – 2 cm) across. The orangish mushrooms grow in loose clusters near hardwood trees in deciduous woodlands and sometimes in lawns.

Orange mushroom identification

Identifying features of the goblet waxcap are its long, slender stem, white gills, and broadly convex and scalloped cap that is sticky to the touch.

Red Pine Mushroom (Lactarius deliciosus)

The red pine mushroom is a robust, vase-shaped fungus with a carrot-orange cap that has a sticky feel when wet. The orange mushroom is relatively stout, with noticeable pale orange gills tapering down the stem. When fresh, the fungus secretes an orange-red sticky liquid. After handling, the mushroom develops greenish stains.

Also called the saffron milk cap due to the latex-like orange liquid it emits, the red pine squat mushroom grows 1” to 3” (3 – 8 cm) tall and 1.5” to 5.5” (4 to 14 cm) across. As its name suggests, the orange mushroom is commonly found in coniferous forests near pine trees.

Orange mushroom identification

The short, stumpy orange pine mushroom is identified by its vase-shaped appearance, mottled patterns, and evenly-spaced yellow gills.

Bradleys Mushroom (Lactarius volemus)

Bradleys mushroom is a type of edible orange mushroom with an inward turning, burnt orange round cap, bright yellow gills, and a thick, tubular stem. The orange mushroom typically grows solitary. Other features of the orangish-brown mushroom are the milky-white sap, tapering gills, and white flesh that stains brown.

Bradleys mushroom grows 2” to 4” (5 – 10 cm) tall, and its large disc-shaped cap with tapering gills are 1.1” to 5.1” (3 – 13 cm) in diameter.

Orange mushroom identification

The Bradleys mushroom is identified by its apricot to tawny colored cap that can sometimes be dark brownish-red. However, this orange mushroom is mostly noted for its stinky fish odor and the copious milky white sap it exudes when cut.

Woolly Chanterelle (Turbinellus floccosus)

The unmistakable woolly chanterelle is a vase-shaped, fleshy orange mushroom with a dark orange to brown upper surface and bright white gills on the underside. The fruiting body develops into a trumpet shape as it grows near conifer trees. The mushroom’s flesh is fibrous and easily discolors with brown patches.

The distinctive woolly chanterelle is a tall orange mushroom that can grow 12” (30 cm) tall and wide. The wide top and tapered gills with their pale buff to whitish or yellowish ridged appearance make it easy to spot.

Orange mushroom identification

The woolly chanterelle is easily recognizable by its cylindrical vase-shaped appearance, thick, fibrous flesh, and shades of deep red to yellowish-orange.

Jackson’s Slender Amanita (Amanita jacksonii)

The Jackson’s slender amanita is a relatively large orange mushroom with a tall, cigar-shaped stem and deep orange convex or umbrella-shaped cap. The distinctive features of this wild orange mushroom are its yellow stems, yellowish gills, and bright orangey-red appearance. In addition, the mushroom has a smooth, sticky feel to the cap.

The Jackson’s slender amanita grows 3.5” to 6” (9 – 15 cm) tall, and its cap is 2” to 4.7” (5 – 12 cm) across. This edible orange mushroom is easily confused with poisonous mushrooms like the fly amanita.

Orange mushroom identification

The identifying features of the Jackson’s slender amanita are its tacky, orangey-red convex cap, yellowish gills, and slender yellow cylindrical erect stem.

Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms (Laetiporus sulphureus)

Chicken of the woods is a type of cluster-forming orange fungus that creates shelf-like, overlapping growths on trees. This parasitic golden yellow or orange fungus looks like fan-shaped shelves on a rotting tree trunk. Fresh fungi emit a strong, earthy aroma and exude a pale transparent yellow liquid.

The shelf-like structures of this common woodland fungus measure between 2” and 24” (5 – 60 cm) and up to 1.5” (4 cm) thick. Because of the clumping nature, the large yellowish-orange fungus can become huge orange growths. Additionally, the parasitic fungus kills the host tree long before the edible, yellow-pored fungus appears.

Orange mushroom identification

The easy-to-identify chicken of the woods has large golden orange shelf-like structures attached to dead oak tree trunks. Other common names for the orange fungus are sulphur shelf, crab of the woods, and sulphur polypore.

The Golden Trumpet (Xeromphalina Campanella)

The golden trumpet mushroom is a small rusty brown to dark orange mushroom growing in dense clusters. This orange mushroom is identified by its umbrella-shaped cap, thin dark orange stem, and pale orange gills. As the tiny mushroom matures, the bell-shaped caps grow upward, creating a distinctive vase shape.

The tiny orange mushrooms measure 0.6” to 1.1” tall (1.5 – 3 cm), and their yellowish-orange caps are 0.2” to 1” (0.5 – 2 cm) across. You can typically find clusters of these orange mushrooms growing on fallen logs and old tree stumps of old conifers.

Also called the bell omphalina or golden trumpet, these moisture-loving fungi grow throughout the year.

Orange mushroom identification

The golden trumpet mushroom is a small bunching orange mushroom species, identified by its umbrella-like cap that eventually grows into a funnel shape.

Conical Waxy Cap (Hygrocybe conica)

The conical waxy cap is a small orange-topped or red-capped mushroom with a pointed sticky cap, erect yellow-orange stem, and white or orange-red gills. The orange-red mushroom caps emerge sharply conical and gradually flatten to a broadly convex shape with a pointed tip in the middle.

Also called the witch’s hat due to the cap’s shape, this orange conical waxy cap measures 1.18” to 3.14” (3 – 8 cm) tall, and the cap is 0.39” to 1.5” (1 – 4 cm) across. You will often find these pretty orangish mushrooms growing under oaks in woodlands.

Orange mushroom identification

The conical waxy cap mushroom has a distinctive broad cap with wavy margins and a pointed center.

Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum)

The lobster mushroom is a parasitic type of fungus, not an actual mushroom. The fungus attaches itself to certain mushroom species, turning them a reddish-orange color. This gives the affected fungi a distinct cooked lobster coloration. As the parasitic fungus grows, it distorts the shape of the host mushroom, creating a tough, bright orange outer skin.

The size of lobster mushrooms depends on the size of the host mushroom. Lobster mushrooms are edible fungi and are sold commercially in some grocery stores. Their seafood-like flavor and dense texture make them a delicacy.

Orange mushroom identification

The identification features of a lobster mushroom are its bright reddish-orange coloring and hard surface dotted with tiny white pimples.

Learn how to identity common types of yard mushrooms.

Related articles:

• Types of Red Mushrooms – Identification Guide
• Types of Edible Mushrooms

Are Slugs edible? What about Snails?

There is only one rule you have to remember: When it comes to land snails, land slugs, and fresh water mollusks you must cook them thoroughly or they can kill you. Got that? Taste is a secondary consideration.

Okay, why cook them? People do eat slugs raw on a dare, and the Indians used live slugs to numb gums, tongues and toothache. These common little creatures aren’t too bad unto themselves, but some of the land crawlers especially in warmer areas have parasites, one of which they can get from rat feces. That parasite, normally infecting a rat’s lung, goes from your stomach to your brain, crawling there over time — yes, crawling there — and causes your brain to swell. That big head folks have accused you of having will come to pass and kill you. Thorough cooking will kill the parasites.

Some of the freshwater mollusks (clams, snails et cetera) are in water with bacterial waste, be it beavers’ or Butt Head’s. Cooking thoroughly kills all bacteria and parasites. It is recommended you collect said, especially slugs and land snails, while wearing gloves and or be careful, have no cuts on your hands, and wash your hands immediately and until then keep them away from your eyes, nose and mouth… the same precautions you would do if you handling raw chicken. The chances of you getting the disease are really low should you eat a slug raw. A few have been sickened that way, but the possibility is there: Avoid it.

Now what about taste? Some taste good, like escargot, some taste bad regardless of preparation, some have no taste. But there are no truly poisonous slugs or snails. Once cleaned and cooked, or cooked and cleaned, it is a matter or preparation and personal taste. Slugs are just snails with no shells, and snails are really just specialized clams that moved from water to land. By the way, all of this applies only to land slugs, land snails and freshwater mollusks, not slugs and snails and mollusks in salt water. (Salt water slugs tend to be toxic.)

Here in central Florida we’ve had a gourmet invasion of Apple Snails. Thirty years ago they were introduced to such places as Taiwan and Japan as delicacies. They were also favored among aquarium owners because of their looks and speed of growth. They never caught on big with Asian gourmets and some how got released into Florida lakes. One lake near here, Lake Brantley, went from no Apple Snails in 2003 to being overwhelmed in 2004. The battle has been on going since and the fear is from that lake the snails will invade the Weikva River, just a few wet miles away. And the Weikiva leads to virtually half the state. Personally, I haven’t seen any non-native Apple Snail eggs in the Weikiva basin but it’s like having an open gallon of gasoline next to a roaring fireplace. It only takes one bird to drop one uneaten snail in the river.

Let’s hear from an expert on the edibility of snails, Dr. Tim Pearce, Assistant Curator and Head, section of Mollusks, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

“As far as I know, any land snail is edible. Although I don’t know any land snails that are poisonous, I do know one species that tastes very bad (Anguispira alternata, the tiger snail). Most species of land snails are very small (less than 1/8 inch or 3 mm), so eating them would be a challenge. But (despite being a vegetarian) I have eaten some of the native snails with shells 3/4 inch (20 mm) diameter. Maybe you want to know where to find the snails that are commonly eaten as escargots. Those species are from Europe. Some of them have been introduced into the United States, but most of them are considered pests. For example, Helix aspersa, one of the most commonly eaten land snail species, is a very abundant garden and agricultural pest in California. I think Cepaea nemoralis is also eaten; it is another introduced species and not generally considered a garden pest. There are populations of C. nemoralis in eastern New York, and a few populations in Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia area. Be sure to get permission from the land owner. Note also that transporting living land snails is now regulated by the federal government . Also, if you collect the native species, be careful not to over collect. The native species generally reproduce more slowly than the introduced species, so over collecting could wipe out a population.”

Locally, the easiest way to identify snails in a given body of water is to look at their eggs, their size and color, usually found on stems of water plants above the water line. You can also find their empty shells on shore where they’ve been dinner already. Native Florida Apple Snails lay white eggs on the large size, like peas. Island Apple Snails lay small pink eggs that turn white. The Skipped Topped Apple Snail lays salmon colored eggs and the Titian Apple Snail lays eggs that are pastel green or sea foam green.

How do you get the snails? You can noodle around for them or use a trap. There are commercial traps or you can make one out of an oil drain pan.

So snails are edible, you’ve got that. You’ve heard of escargot, but what about slugs? Dr. Pearce again.

According to Dr. Pearce, counting all gastropods in the sea, freshwater, and land, a good estimate is that there are about 80,000 species. For just the land snails, they estimate about 35,000 species in the whole world. In North America north of Mexico, there are about 1,000 species of land snails. Pearce says he can almost guarantee that in eastern North America, all the slugs in your garden are non-native species from Europe. Incidentally, the gigantic land snails native to Africa and now found in Florida are edible.

“Species that are successful invaders tend to have fast reproductive rates, probably explaining why there are so many of them in your garden. For some reason, slugs seem to be better invaders than snails do,” he said.

So, we know slugs are edible, unless they been feeding on some poisonous plant. Ray Mears, best known of the professional bush crafters, does not recommend eating slugs because they often feed on mushrooms, and most of them are toxic, and Mears is an expert on edible mushrooms.

To avoid getting mushroom poison from a slug it is usual to either starve the slug before eating or feed them for several days before serving them up. The Romans used to fatten their snails with meal and wine until they got huge and tasty. In Italy they are sometimes kept in bran for several days before eating. In many places in Europe people have home-made snail-preserves, or escargotieres, little corners of gardens enclosed with boards and netted over the top. In these enclosures hundreds of snails are kept and fed vegetables and herbs to flavor them. The same could be done with slugs.

Before I move on to cooking snails, how do you collect them, other than snorkeling? Do what those who capture snails to get rid of them do: Trap them. There are two simple traps. Take a small crayfish trap and either lay it in the water/reeds half in the water, half out. Or in deeper water arrange the tap vertically half in, half out of the water. Surprisingly traps work with or without bait. The second trap looks like an old tire with a grate in the middle and a stake through it. Imagine the grate slightly smaller than the opening and set a couple of inches lower as well. The snail crawls over the tire, on to the grate then off the grate into the trap below. This should be done in water just reaching the top of the tire. An inexpensive alternative is a plastic oil drip pan with the grate cut smaller than the opening and a piece of PVC put through it and the pan to hold it at the right height.

Cooking snails: Put some water into a saucepan, and when it begins to boil throw in the snails and let them boil a quarter of an hour; then take them out of their shells, wash them several times, clean them thoroughly, place them in clean water, and boil them again for a quarter of an hour. Then take them out, rinse them, dry them, and place them with a little butter in a frying-pan, and fry them gently for a few minutes sufficient to brown them.

To cook snails the French way crack the shells and throw them into boiling water, with a little salt and herbs, sufficient to make the whole lot savory. In 15 minutes take them out, pick the snails from the shells, and boil them again; then put them into a saucepan, with butter, parsley, pepper, thyme, a bay-leaf and a little flour. When sufficiently done, add the yolk of an egg well beaten, and the juice of a lemon or some vinegar. Snails have about 90 calories per 100 grams of meat. They are high in protein (12 to 16 percent) and rich in minerals.

Cooking slugs: Slugs, far more than snails, eat toxic mushrooms. If it is the season of toxic mushrooms the slugs should be kept for many days and fed meal or brand or lettuce to purge them. Put pre-fed slugs into a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar. This will kill the slugs and force them to release mucus. Simmer five minutes it boiling water. Change the water and boil again for ten minutes. Change the water a third time and boil again for fifteen minutes (so you have three changes of water and a total of 30 minutes boiling time.) If the slug has a foul tasting digestive organ remove and rinse. The cooked slug is now ready to eat or use in other dishes.

Another way to cook snails is to put them upside down next to your fire and leave them there until they bubble vigorously.

Slug Fritters

Ingredients

10 cooked and cleaned large slugs

1/2 cup of cornmeal

1/2 cup of flour

3 eggs

1/4 cup of heavy cream

4 tbs. Of butter

4tsp.of sour cream

Instructions

First chop the slugs into fine mince, then beat the eggs with the heavy cream together. Sift the dry ingredients and then cut two tablespoons of butter into that mixture. Add the egg and cream mixture to the dry ingredients and whip with a whisk vigorously for one to two minutes. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan and pure the batter into 2 1/2 inch cakes in two batches. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream. Yields four servings.

Slugs that are still in palatable after boiling can be fried until crisp and tried, or ground into a flour and added to other meals for nutrition.

According to the Journal of Experimental Biology, August 2006, slugs are 5.1% carbohydrates, 0.5% fat, 7.1% protein and 85% moisture. When cooked they are probably lower in carbs because that is contained in the mucus which is lost in cooking. Slugs were on the diet of many Native Americans in the northwest US, where they have some 27 different kinds. German immigrants to that area gutted them and fried them in batter.

Incidentally, freshwater clams can make “pearls” and they command a high price. When I was a kid I use to use freshwater clams for bait and collected a few black pearls at the same time. I had a girlfriend at the time who was quite fond of them… probably still is, and she didn’t have to get wet to get them.

Also, check with your local authorities and do not collect endangered species or exceed harvesting limits. Many exotic species have no limit.

Australian doctors issued a warning in October 2003 about eating slugs after a Sydney college student contracted a potentially fatal brain disease when he swallowed some slugs on a dare. Tests found the man’s meningitis was caused by a worm normally seen in rat lungs but carried as larvae in slugs and snails. The worm caused the brain lining to swell, forcing doctors to drain fluid from inside the man’s skull. He was hospitalized for 17 days with brain lesions. It was five months before he could resume his studies. A friend of the student also ate some raw slugs as part of the dare but threw them up, losing the bet.

The doctors said there had been numerous cases of meningitis since 1971 caused by people eating garden snails or slugs. One child died after eating snails and one patient contracted meningitis after eating lettuce covered with snail slime, according to a report in the Medical Journal of Australia.

To watch a video on eating slugs, go here.