22 Nebraskaland • June 2022
man who lived outside of town off ered up his quonset for the
party. Kim's parents brought all of their friends, and all the
guys who hunted invited their friends and family as well.
"We sat on hay bales and set up tables, and we brought all
the food in — salads and turtle and some other meat. And
we fi lled that quonset with people and danced and partied
all night," Kim says. "There were four local guys who had a
band, and they came out and played, and we didn't pay them
for any of it. They were there to party and have fun, too. It
was just a good time."
And they went through a lot of turtle meat. Back in those
days, the Ruttens typically butchered 60-70 turtles per
year, and as far as Ben knows, they're probably the only
family who hunts turtles with any consistency in the state.
They've hunted private swamps near Albion, Belgrade,
Primrose, Spalding and Fullerton. After so many years, all
the landowners know them. Turtle hunting isn't like deer
hunting. They can come and go, leaving little trace, and no
one would mind.
Unfortunately, the days of the large turtle parties are gone.
Now, gatherings are much smaller family picnics at the old
house on The Island, typically after a hunt. Ben's longtime
partner, Doris Kolm, also helps Kim with the cooking.
"People don't socialize like they used to anymore," Kim
says, wistfully. "You try to set something up, and then it's
'gee, I got something going on.' I miss it. Every now and then,
the older folks in town will mention it."
Still, the family continues to enjoy the pastime. Although
many of the original turtle hunters have passed on, the reins
have been handed down to Kim, Sam and Jay's children and
grandchildren.
A Rutten Tradition
Kim's daughter, Crystal, helps with the cooking now and
even a couple of her nieces have tried walking the swamp
with the boys. Her oldest grandson and nephews, who have
tagged along since they were little, love to get in the swamp
and take part in everything. Kim's younger grandchildren
enjoy the hunts, but they're still at the stage of playing along
the edge and getting muddy.
"We always called it a 'Rutten tradition', but it's more and
more coming down to my boys. Or, my boys are the ones
left who still go and do it, but they don't care. They still call
themselves 'Ruttens'," Kim says.
Most parents might think that snapping turtles and
From left to right: Todd Schilousky, Cody Schilousky, Ben Rutten, Seth Schilousky, Scott Leysath (host of Sportsman Channel's
Dead Meat), Bryce Schilousky, Kaine Schilousky, Greg Staub, Scottie Kolm and Crystal Hohn.
