Bobert -

Like you, I'm reluctant to harm 'bout any critters except out of necessity.

In your present case, if you dumped him in a crik you can consider the whole of your actions not as the dispatching of one big turtle, but as the providing of an easy meal for a dozen smaller ones.

Of course when the smaller ones all grow up there'll be a bunch of big turtles (bein' well fed an' all), and they may form up in ranks and set out to investicate the scene of the crime - sort of a communally organized great turtle drive like I think I heard about ... .

Might be ya oughta run a disc on that road where it happened, just to scatter the evidence. I can't think of many pleasant resolutions for havin' a dozen 30 or 40 pound turtles knockin' on yer back door a few years hence if they track ya down ...

It might be hard to tell if they want revenge, or just another snack.

John