June 2022 • Nebraskaland 19
the Ruttens are known for throwing the best parties. That's
why they hunt these aggressive reptiles. When cleaned
and cooked well, snapping turtle can be delicious, and the
Ruttens certainly know how to do it right.
Good to Eat
Turtle hunting started with Ben's dad, Chic, and his uncle,
Maurice, in the late 1930s. As boys, they would go down to
the swamps along the Cedar River to catch turtles to bring to
an old man in town who ate them. One day, Chic and Maurice
decided to stick around to watch. The old man butchered
and cooked the turtles, and then he sent the boys home with
some to try.
"They ate it, and it was so good that they quit giving the
turtles to that old guy and started eating it themselves," Ben
says, chuckling.
The hunting stuck. Almost 90 years later, Chic's great-
grandchildren still hunt turtles near the Cedar River and
Beaver Creek. Ben and his younger sister, Kim Rutten
Schilousky, are making sure the tradition stays alive. For
Kim, the turtle hunts were always about family time. Her
dad took her along as soon as she was able to go with her
brothers: Ben, Sam, Dave and Jay.
"I went everywhere the boys went," Kim says. "Although,
I'm sure that when my brothers got into high school, they
weren't as happy to have me going — you know, dragging
your little sister with — but they never told me I couldn't. We
From left to right: Scottie Kolm, Seth Schilousky, Todd Schilousky, Cody Schilousky, Jim Torres (Dead Meat videographer),
Kaine Schilousky, Bryce Schilousky and Solomon (Ben's dog) at the Rutten family property, called "The Island."
