The Turtle Man
December 28, 2008 by David Stephenson
Filed under David Stephenson, Multimedia, Videos
Video by David Stephenson and Amy Wilson | Staff
Story by Amy Wilson
In a world without the Crocodile Hunter, there has been since 2006 a
swashbuckling-swamp-hero fame vacuum waiting to be filled.
Now comes Ernie Brown Jr., a rogue naturalist of sorts who thinks he
might just be able to step in and be that guy.
The man from Lebanon calls himself, variously, “Kentucky’s best-kept
secret” and “the poorest famous guy around.”
Mostly, though, he’s just The Turtle Man, known for being paid in gas
money to go on his intrepid forays cleaning out Kentucky’s troubled farm
ponds plagued by apple-stealing, horse-biting, cow udder-clutching,
jaw-snapping turtles.
He works only with his hands, in a job few men in the world are equipped
or willing to do.
It is so rare – and, he imagines, so entertaining to watch – that he has
his own superhero name, his own soon-to-be-working Web site, and his own
imagination working on what he has to do to be famous.
“I don’t kill it,” says The Turtle Man. “I only catch it. Don’t never
torture nothing. That’s my name of the game. That’s how you stay into
it. Keep people liking you.”
Entertainment is sometimes just that simple, he figures.
“Most people use cane poles, jugs, stakes and hooks.”
Not The Turtle Man.
He invented his method: Look “for (air) bubble trails, dive on top of
them, and it’s a tug of war from there.”
Actually, from there he uses his brains, his biceps and his back as well
as his finely tuned sense of where to look, even when underwater with
his eyes closed.
He figures he’s darn near halfway to Hollywood.
Somebody in Iraq gave him a shout-out while CNN’s cameras were on. He’s
already been seen on YouTube, and two disc jockeys on a Dallas radio
station wrote a tune that The Turtle Man likes to play for anyone
willing to listen.
He has his own signature rebel yell and a “Snapper-licious” logo.
As silly and circus-themed as all that might seem, the point is, people
need him. Horses really do get bitten on the lips. Cows do get bitten on
the udders. Ornamental birds get bitten, and small pets get killed.
It’s why you have to respect the turtle. And why the public has to
understand what a rare and dying thing The Turtle Man is doing and what
a rare and dying job he is preserving.
“I’m kind of like a warrior, like Robin Hood,” says The Turtle Man. “I
bring a turtle out of this pond, put him in another where he won’t do no
violence.”
It’s cold this late autumn morning when he’s out to show his stuff. And
that’s good because the turtle has a fighting chance and the audience,
whoever it is that gathers, likes a fair fight.
“Turtles have three natural enemies: the sun, the bulldozer and,” he
adds after a little prompting, “The Turtle Man.”
Most times The Turtle Man wins, though he’s been bitten 25 times in his
36 years of wrestling reptiles. “Let’s see, one got me in the butt back
in 2004. Didn’t see him. Sat down on him. He bit my butt and I was
walking on water,” he says, laughing and pointing at his war-torn pants.
It doesn’t take long for what The Turtle Man calls “live action” to
ensue, when he’s slogging through waist-high mud and picking out turtles
who think they’ve already camped in for the day or the season.
But, no, he yanks them out, yells that piercing, lingering victory
screech and waves his prize above his head.
The turtle, for his part, rails at his own bad luck, snaps wildly at the
warrior that has him by the tail and sneers at those few who might
applaud the warrior’s luck.
On this day, one takes a bite out of The Turtle Man’s arm. A nip,
really. No. 26, more or less. No spilled blood but a trickle.
The Turtle Man openly admires the bite. A foe worthy of his time.
The Turtle Man, like a traveling showman, moves on to the next waiting
throng. His appearance at a Lincoln County family reunion is set up by
his manager.
The family seems a bit startled by the way he looks, first; his yell,
second; and his special brand of entertainment, finally, when he rolls
up in his truck, muddy from stem to stern, showing off the reptiles he’s
already bagged that morning.
Do they want to go looking for turtles with The Turtle Man?
Indeedy they do.
On a hay trailer parked near a silo on an edge of a slimy, stinking
pond, as family members marvel around her, Lynn Philpot of Cincinnati
wonders aloud: “I hope this is very lucrative because I wouldn’t do it.
Who would get into that nasty water? Does he have a day job?”
He does. He works long days at a sawmill.
Another family member wants to know if he is crazy. Another wants to
know if he is single.
It is a fine afternoon in the waning days of 2008, and Philpot’s family
has the forever memory of how 80-year-old Nana grabbed a clean
handkerchief and held a freshly caught turtle and how 7-year-old Hunter
rethought his career choice. Being a pharmacist, it seems, has nothing
on being like this guy who gets to get filthy and rowdy and gross out
Aunt Lynn, all at the same time.
“Another successful entertainment” for Ernie Brown Jr., aka The Turtle
Man, who, it seems, is on some kind of a quest and learning all the
while.
Finding turtles is easy.
Being famous is hard.
I would just want to attack those walls with colouring...
yes, that’s what KY needs; more toothless wonders like this to set the stereotype the rest of the country holds of us
~smiles~ I know ernie brown , he use to work for my husband in construction, He is such a sweet man..If looking at him bothers you..then don’t look…that’s what is wrong with the world today..everything is about image…Do You really care that people You dont know or do not like you for what you got..or how you look????..Isn’t it really surpose to be about being kind , and doing things for each other? or helping other’s …
He doesnt ask for you to accept him and honestly you are missing out, by not knowing him…(noone is making you or anyone else watch this) is he hurting you? He dont even charge people a arm and a leg for his services (just gas money) and to the one that made the comment about leaving creatures alone, well apparently you do not have a farm, because snappin turtles do more harm to your other animals…(he’s just taking them from one farm to another and putting them in creeks or ponds, where they can not hurt any other animals….
He doesnt kill them..he just catches him…so before you judge him..based only by his appearence..then perhaps you need to take a good look at yourself and ask yourself what kind of person YOU are….to judge on someone’s teeth or what they do, I sure hope that you are not ugly..God may not accept you, for how you look ( you may not be pretty enough, to get into heaven ! I’m proud of ernie and for the help he does for others…
ROAST
the reply from Anonymous is very rude! Kentucky needs more toothless wonders!!!!!
What Kentucky needs less is more morons like you! If you are from Kentucky please leave! If you are not keep your damn comments to your self!
There’s many a person in other States other than Kentucky that is walking around with bad teeth!!!! You do not know his money situation!!!
I wish him the bset of luck in his venture!
I was born in eastern Kentucky,and I get sick and tired of people putting anyone down in Kentucky,yes there’s trash in Kentucky,and there’s Trash everywhere else Too!!!
Why don’t you shake your own house and see if there’s skeletons in it,is every family member so beutiful or handsome they’re heading for Hollywood!!!!
What about you bet you aren’t so hot!! You sound like an idiot to me!!!
I really enjoyed this segment. He seems to enjoy this hobby very much and i think that is the best part of it. I also reside in eastern kentucky proudly, and i think as long as he is doing something helpful to the enviroment then good for him.
I wish that people would just leave nature and wildlife alone. The Crocodile Hunter (may he rest in peace) was really lucky to have lived as long as he did considering he harrassed the animals constantly. The best thing these people can do is to admire animals from afar. Leave these creatures alone!!!
WOW that is eastern KY.
Sorry Rose, ‘Anonymous’ is exactly right. If Eastern Kentuckians (and all Kentuckians) are sick and tired of being put down, than they should stop making it so easy. The truth hurts, but here it is… Kentucky is one of the most unhealthy, least educated, and backward places in the country. Don’t like the way that sounds? Then I suggest work on changing that perception…
The Turtle Man is just a country boy who loves what he does. I know his parents personally. I’ve seen him in the Danville newspaper and on Ky afield. He’s quite a character!
If you don’t like what the Turtle Man is doing….DON’T WATCH HIM!!! It’s easy to sit back and throw stones at him….at least he’s his own person and not imitating some celebrity who has no morals nor any redeeming qualities. Let him be and mind your own house.
Will somebody buy me some teeth!!!….yaaaa…yaaaa.yaaaa
although i do really enjoy the turtle man and think he is very entertaining, i have to agree with other posts here rand tte fact that he does go a long way in reinforcing the stereotypes that exist about our state and the peopel that live in it. rose, if you don’t recognize this as a problem then i am willing to bet you are part of the problem. as stated, ky ranks near or at the bottom in most health and education categories. most smokers, most pregnant smokers, cardio vascular health, literacy, etc. i mean how can the rest of the country take us seriously if turtle man is our state’s “super hero”. i am all for the turtle man doing what he does, but do we have to promote him as some kind of celebrity?
Hey Steve, you might want to brush up a little on your geography before you start slamming anyone in Eastern KY for what you see as all their shortcomings. I live in Eastern KY, and even I know that Lebanon is not anywhere near here. Try going over Bardstown way and you might come a little closer to finding it. Duh!
Based on the video I believe this boy had him a few to many at Club 68 before it closed. That WAS in Lebanon, NOT Eastern Kentucky. Kentuckians are known for their down home living and I am proud to be a native Kentuckian. I currently am in exile in Georgia and am looking for the day to come back home to the places like Lebanon, Greensburg etc. These are real people.
Lol, why so sensitive to stereotypes people? Who cares what others think, you shallow, superficial @#%& ’s! There are stupid people everywhere,who may not have a funny dialect, but are stupid none the less. There’s a lot of messed up looking people that span the globe as well. The real goal is to be the best you can be and not worry about others or how your perceived!!!! So, hell yes, go turtle man, do your thing, give the middle finger (if you have one still attached) to all these, “whiny, please don’t sterotype me it would hurt my feelings,” haters!
People are correct in that he is not from Eastern Ky, rather the Knobs region of South Central. Which is beautiful country. It also appears his front teeth may have been knocked out. He may have a partial that he does not risk in the pond. What is sad is that he seeks celebrity status and what he probably believes is easy money. However catching turtles by the tail does not compare to wrestling crocs. There are other ways to catch turtles. No one likes the snappers because they are not very good eating. Regardess he does a service for farmers.
Go Turtle Man!
First off, as far as I know, he was first seen on KY afield, so that would lead me to believe that other Kentuckians found him amusing enough to put him on YouTube. He may be enjoying the spotlight now, but he was just doing what he enjoyed and others took notice.
Second, its funny how anyone doing something out of the norm with a rural twist is automatically expected of being from Eastern KY. I am from Eastern KY and proud to be, but outside of the few metro areas most of Kentucky is rural and has its own rural traditions that most city dwellers look down on or think is a product of inbreeding. I know people from Lexington and Louisville hold themselves in higher regard, but if you go a few states away, especially to the north, all Kentuckians are looked at the same.
Let others think of us as they will. With todays economy and the way the world is heading, being able to live off the land might be the greatest commodity one can have. The Turtle man is helping people, not hurting anyone except for a few peoples ego.
why evurybodie hatin onme…i just tyrin to mak a livung…
Kentucky now has its own version of the Dancing Outlaw!
http://www.juliescoggins.com/dancing_outlaw_page.htm
Yeah- He got his front teeth knocked out by a CHAIN-SAW!
Many fine restaurants pride themselves on their turtle soup. (Much of the meat is farm raised now, as it is illegal in some places to kill the turtles – they can live 30-40 years and reproduce slowly.)
The one time I had snapping turtle meat was many years ago. I made several batches of soup using a small packet of the meat (it freezes well), and it was delicious. I have never been able to make such good soup in all the years since.
Mr. Brown, the Turtle Man, has an unusual and fascinating hobby – I wouldn’t knowingly go near a 30-60 pound snapper! I hope all goes well for him!!!
did your parents ever teach you “if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all”. I am sure many of you have got fawls of your own somebody could make fun of.
I lived in Louisville for 18 years and didn’t think I was any better or worse than folks in the rest of the state. Of course, those who think that a Kentucky stereotype is something to be ashamed of, show their own limitations. No developed human being needs to put other people down to feel good about themselves. Anyway, it ain’t no stereotype anyway. We is us – if you are really from Kentucky, you’re only about two degrees of separation from Turtle Man (maybe one and a half). Love him or hate yourself!
Here is the video from Kentucky Afield…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn8EQ0azXpQ
i had me one of them fawls wunst. But i lost it sommers.
DOES ANY ONE KNOW HOW TO GET A COPY OF THIS VIDIO?
Lincoln co is not in eastern ky. Danville is the center spot of Ky and lincoln co seat Stanford is @10 mile south. Go Turtle Man.
Hey Turtle man your the best in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In reply to the comment made by Rose!!!
That Kentucky is the least educated & etc! Kentucky has produced some very fine doctors,actors & etc.
Kentucky is one of the most beautiful States that you will find anywhere.
I do not judge someone on their looks,it is the way they are inside that counts.
You can be the most handsome man in the world and be a cold,conniving cheat,a Liar and whatever. You can be a beautiful woman and be heartless.
As I said who knows the Turtle man’s money situation,Who Cares? Not me!!!
Agree with me or not I really don’t care!!!!
The man is enjoying what he is doing,who is he hurting?
Way to go Turtle Man. Glad to know there is someone out there that still knows how to have a entertaining hobby.
Of course he’s a character…there are characters everywhere. It just seems that the characters in KY (Eastern, Western, Central) are just more endearing. I’m from Eastern Kentucky, I’m educated, and I’m always proud to let people know where I’m from.
Anyways, I think it’s good for every region to have someone like the Turtle Man. It’s like the catfish noodlers of Oklohoma; it’s simply a tradition. There are really not enough of those people still continuing that tradition to cause harm to the animal population. It’s everyone else that’s causing the harm. Like the Turtle Man says, the sun, BULLDOZERS, and him. The bulldozers (and cars) are the major problems.
I actually admire the fact that he moves the turtles to other locations so they can exist more peacefully without being bothered (although I’m sure that some of them end up as dinner). Like the previous person stated, turtles do (or should) live a very long time. However, they take several years to reach sexual maturity before they can reproduce. It doesn’t take too many things to really wreak havoc on the turtle population because many turtles die before they reproduce. This is why the department of Fish and Wildlife requires you to throw back fish that are not of a certain length; it could cause a lot of damage to start keeping them before they produce offspring. I think if the Turtle Man could put a bit more of an ecological twist on his message–and believe me, a country boy like him probably does understand something about wildlife population dynamics, even if it is in his own country way–then I think he could have a very nice message to share about turtles, their population, and their importance. I’m sure he’d definitely catch people’s attention if he had a message to share: cultural, ecological and entertaining. Go Turtle Man–save those turtles!!!
its people like the turtleman that help me win the state of kentucky. to bad theres not people like turtleman in the state of Pennsylvania
Well as he says in his youtube video he dosen’t smoke, drink, or do drugs he just gets his thrills from catching turtles. That should immediatly exlude him from the Kentucky redneck stereotype where the ecomomy maybe bad, but by golly we’re not giving up our smokes!
Does “Jim Varney” ring a bell with any of you idiots putting Kentucky down? Maybe you have made more money in your lifetime than this “hillbilly” did doing something he loved?
Go Turtle Man, and do well. Also, I love the way the article is worded and written .
I could be a winner…don;t you think ?
It lifted me.
I love the young lady who asks “Turtleman, are you single…that’s all I want to know?”. It’s at 4:45. She’s very funny.
LEBANON in the the direct CENTER if KENTUCKY
Turtle man, you’re the most awesome ‘neck around. Keep rockin on dude.
how much money does it take to buy a toothbrush? hell, the dentist gives them away
I was sent this vid from a friend in KY I live in Scotland and visit KENTUCKY every year. We love the place and the people give the guy a wee break, if we were all the same the world would be a pretty boring place.
I think this guy is amazing and deserves credit for the environmentally sound and ethical approach he takes to his work.
Just because he is portayed as “simple” in this report, should not detract from the value of what he’s doing. And if he’s seeking fame and fortune, so what? Would you rather watch American Idol?
With our world in such a sad state of affairs. It’s refreshing to me to see a man entertain groups of his peers with something so innocent. We’d all be better off if we would appreciate such.
everyone that is so down on turtleman’s teeth or lack of should get a life! His appeareance has nothing to do with his talents. I believe they are just jealous of his popularity , something they dont have. He is a wonderful person , loving , caring and I’ve known him for along time , before he was on the web or any radio or tv , I’m one of his true friends from gallipolis ohio.
go go ernie brown !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we got your back here , and you know who we are ,connie calls us by another name but i wont say it here you know me i wont talk that way . this is sign by YOUNG SPARROW
Turtle Man…I really enjoy watching him. He is just a good ole country boy doing what he likes doing.
I personally like the meat that comes from the snapping turtle. May be some one should follow him around with a barbeque grill and cook up some of them.
Start passing it out for folks to try and maybe they would change their minds.
, John from Clark County Kentucky
Be careful, where you point your finger. It may come back at you !
Until you know his caring personality, and afew more of his blessed traits , you don’t even have a clue about the real Turtle man. In other hobbies, jobs, and events, TheTurtle Man has already proven that he knows more about nature,how to treat others, wildlife, children , Jesus, and respect for his elders.
The Man is much more than what you seen. Go see him in real life, you will be a changed human being .
The turtle man is a very interesting person. He got his teeth knocked out by a chain saw, he knows how to handle dangerous snapping turtles, and he loves what he does to make him the special gifted character known as the turtle man. In fact I hope one day I can meet him and he can show me how to grab a snapping turtle, that way I can go to my grandfather’s pond and get them out of there and surprise him one day. I know that’s crazy but I believe I can do it.
Keep up the good work. Im proud to say Im a Kentuckian and good friend of the T man. Great pickin on the Banjo Uncle Neal.
If you want the facts then Raywick is the actual center of Kentucky, its even marked!! Next, Ernie has been doing this for ever, I first met him on a lebanon farm over 12yrs ago. Some friends hired him to catch some turtles for a cooken we have every year. We paid him for every pound of turtle he caught us.
Ernie its about time you get some spotlight. My friend that hired him even has a VHS tape of Ernie doing his thing in the early 90s. You guys are all late to the show.
hey i live in raywick and i believe that the geographical center of ky is somewhere between miller pike and st mary’s rd. not sure, but my brother did a paper on it in college and that’s where he said it was.
and he’s pretty smart, kinda a big deal really (not in leb. though)
The geographic center of KY is just north of Dr Cooks office on Hgwy 555.(old road…) going into Lebanon. I use to see the sign marking the spot every saturday night on my way to the Golden Horseshoe in Lebanon!!!! Funny thing I never could see it on the way back!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like for him to come and hunt on my farm, how do I get in touch with him?
, John, Clark County Kentucky
His website is http://www.turtle-man.com