He just said that you shouldn't catch raccoons with a live cage trap. It's inhumane because they will break their teeth off. Instead you should poke them with a sharpened stick, grab them by their tail, stuff them in a bag and twirl it around and around!

I've actually had a few calls in the past week asking why I don't do it this way. They want me to go up in the attic and catch them by hand.

How are your turtles getting into the attic?

Whoops I corrected the post!

There are all kinds of folks willing to do anything for recognition and fame.Personally if any of my employees attempted such methods they would be warned, then if they didnt comply and begin to fly straight they would be looking for other employment. Some of these show and tell type shows are for entertainment and ratings while others are more practical and realistic removal methods.

Ernies tactics will eventually, if not already cause him some potential health risks. He has been bitten several times already in a few of the programs I have watched and we all know how risky that is, so why take the chance just for the amusement of others.
The sad part is the viewing public is influenced into thinking that is the accepted method of handling such scenarios and actually expect you to do the same as the turtle man.

Combine a few episodes of Turtle Man, beer, the general public, and soon there will be problems.

This kind of display of a side of our industry is not favorable for any of us. The public is getting representation of wildlife remvoval that is not typical or an accepted method or methods of problem animal removal or techniques.

After watching a couple of Turtleman shows I quit watching. Now I'm beginning to wonder if the whole show isn't "scripted" ucing Farm raised animals placed in situations where he can come in and catch them, all while being filmed and shown as "reality". That would explain him not being hospitialized after so many bites.

I have had a bunch of people ask why I do not put on spikes or have a special yell like the yahooos on TV and I tell them because I am a true professional and have a healthy respect for sharp teeth and I am concerned for the welfare of all creatures.

I thought for sure that the "turtle man" was here on T-man but under a different handle?

If he is he should pay a [Please excuse my language... I'm an idiot] of a lot more attention and give us WCO a better reputation. God I hate that show and the way he does stuff. I am sure he is a hellava nice guy in person but his TV personality and what he makes us all look like makes me sick.

You can insert Billy in the above statement also. What an idiot.

All those kinds of shows should start with: "Hey Bro, hold my beer!".

Hey I have been known to say that just not on the job!!!!

I don't get those channels at my house and have never seen Turtle Man. Caught part of Billy The Exterminator while at a friends house once.

Now when someone compares me to Billy, I quickly inform them that "No! I don't have the hair OR tattoos for it." I've heard enough about Turtle Man that when they compare me to him I just comment "What an idiot!"

I will say this much, though... Who's the guy on "River Monsters"? I want to go fishin' with him!

Jeremy Wade, he seems to be authenthic in his approach to what he does and is a good narrator for the programming. If find his shows to be educational and entertaining.

Love them or hate them they do make the world aware of people like us that do wildlife control. Now if a certain organization would spend some advertising money on some TV ads during those shows they could justify their super bucks dues.

I would just tell them the show is fake and you would be more than happy to nock down the walls in there house to remove the animals . We use traps so they don't need to hire a drywaller after were done . I haven't herd 1 siingle person ask me to be like that guy . I have herd many talk about that show infested and that show is great PR .

come on pesky,I can see you doing a turtle man style yell,while swinging a oppossum around by the tail! LOL!

I grab every animal I can , it's nice to rap up a job with just one visit , I also try not to cause anymore damage to the home so that's where the traps come in . It would be nice to just oneway door them out but that doesn't work because they chew back in . The problem animal needs to be removed . If its a chimney coon that's different they can be pushed out and cap installed .

Not to mention what he does would be illegal in a lot of states...

The few times I have had the misfortune to watch that show I have learned a few things.

1. Coons with short tails are a sign they have been kicked out of the pack.

2. The north american red fox is known to swallow it's prey whole.

Where do they come up with this crap???? Both of the above statements are wrong in so many ways. I also saw Billy's show where they were setting a live trap on a beaver dam because that is where they "hunted" at night. Pretty hard to stalk a tree.Idiots.

Lets not forget Jim Fowler from the Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom. I talked to Jim before, and asked him why he did the crazy stuff he did. He told me that he was broke, in a new country(From Australia I think) And they offered him a lot of money. That guy took most animals by hand. He jumped out of choppers, and I dont think any of it was set up.( Of coarse I was 10)

Oh ya I remember that show . We where all brain washed as kids . Grab critters get animals with choke poles , run them down . Pick up animal crap and test for freshness . Turtle man wouldn't have made it as water boy on that show . It would be sweet to see that show again .

Actually saw my good friend , Forrest London ,( American Trap Talk ) dive in a murky pond and out swim ( and catch ) a turtle that he couldn't even see beforehand...all because I told him I didn't think he could !
I also saw him run down a fox squirrel across an open field, while holding a soda in one hand and I don't even think he spilled that much of it...

Billy the Exterminator and Turtle Man... as a guy who ( actually) does ADC work, that stuff is insulting !

Now I will say this much for Billy. At least his actions look somewhat professional. I've only seen one episode but he was using snakes tongs to catch a snake in the ladies house.

It's just the whole wild hair, tattoos, body piercings, biker chained wallet, bang your head eat your mama T-shirt thing that turns me off. I wouldn't let any thing that looked like that into my home.

Real professionals DO NOT dress like that.

You think he looks wild? You should see me on 105 degree day when my air cond. doesnt work in my truck. I wear my swimming shorts, a wife beater shirt, and my running shoes that look like feet with toes. Ugliest shoes I ever saw, but realy comfortable.

Mike, let's see a picture of them shoes.

Nah...is that real ?
I'd wear those.
Tell me who sells them ?

Vibram FiveFingers : Barefoot Sports Shoes : Toe Shoes ...
The human foot is comprised of numerous bones, joints, sensory receptors,
tendons and ligaments. To keep feet stimulated, we recommend wearing ...

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ - 34k

Next thing ya know Ill be getting my nose pierced and have a show on animal planet!

There's video on YouTube from wild kingdom roping jaguar and grappling puma by the tale . I forgot all about this show . Just loved it as a kid .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbJXzwURlRw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGMf4QQdI9c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Maybe I should get my own show, huh?

I can see the promo now:
"Deep in the lowlands of eastern North Carolina, when nature crosses the line, one man emerges to do battle with the nastiest of critters, restoring order to the balance of nature and protecting the people who live there... They call him Muddawg!"

What do y'all think? Would I be famous or what?

You should write and narate, you are AWESUM!

It have to be better than that mountain man show where they just wine the whole show poor me

Just imagine that narrative done with the voice of, oh, I don't know. Say, James Earl Jones.

Now picture a view from deep inside the swamp with this big bearded guy wearing hip waders and a big brim hat silhouetted against the sunset, walking stick in right hand and gunny sack slung across the left shoulder.

Yeah, that would be too cool! But knowing my luck, the next step I took would find a stump hole and I'd disappear up to my chin in the water. And THAT'S the shot the camera would get!

Or the look on your face when you catch your thumb in a mb750 breaking it over your knee. I did that with an oiley brand new 750 wolfer at a state fair once.....nobody took a picture, maybe the next time.

All turtle mans shows are set up and scripted, I went to school with half the people that have been on the show and they were telling me how they used animals that they brought with them . The show with the fox in the hen house the farmer told me it took three of them to throw the fox in there to get caught

That coyote that couldn't get out of that guys back yard was totally setup . You could see where they had placed hardware cloth and fencing to keep the coyote in the yard . He couldn't really handle that one , the hog man had to step in and grab it by the tail . My kids are like wow this is great . I'm like it's a total setup . There no its not Dad it's real

Mike... I think you should be on the show and grab a feral hog by the tail but with your feet. While wearing those toed shoes of coarse!

I made a "How to" video on the beaver line, once. You should've seen some of the stuff I cut out of that.

330 slamming shut across the back of my hand,
Tripping over limbs on a beaver lodge and hitting the mud face first,
I showed one set and guaranteed a beaver would be there the next day and the next morning the camera saw me pulling out a nutria. At another set on that same line, I showed how the trap had been tripped, and told the camera what the beaver did to trip it and then pulled up an otter.(those non target critters have a way of messin' up a shot)

And not once,... Not twice... But THREE times I was on camera, center frame, going under the water. My foot slipped once, I found a stump hole on another occasion and once found a submerged ditch that was a wee bit over my head.

Oh, well... In every life a little rain must fall.

Ive grabbed alot of critters but never a hog. I think Ill wait until it quits breathin first.