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Jumping sturgeon breaks girl's leg
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published June 26, 2007
CHIEFLAND - A 6-year-old girl's leg was broken when she was struck by a sturgeon while riding on a boat in the Suwannee River, wildlife officials said. Taylor Lane Owen of Old Town was a passenger in the 20-foot vessel along with her parents and other family members Sunday. The boat was just north of the Yellow Jacket Boat Ramp, about 9 miles west of Chiefland, when a 3-foot sturgeon jumped out of the river. Taylor's aunt also was bruised and cut. "This is the third confirmed sturgeon strike on 2007. Four people have been injured. That's four too many, " said Maj. Bruce Hamlin, regional commander for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's North Central Region, based in Lake City. Hamlin said the commission is trying to increase awareness of the attacks and warning people to go slowly while boating on the Suwannee. Ten people were similarly injured in 2006, Hamilton said.
[Last modified June 25, 2007, 22:54:02]
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Comments on this article
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by Fla.Cracker
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10/21/07 09:34 AM
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Native Americans,and Real Floridians have always loved floridas natural habitat,Tree hugger is aterm used by people that want to destroy nature. If a mullet jumps and breaks someones nose do I get to gillnet again? Does FWC offer sturgeon permits????
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by Mike
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10/06/07 10:46 AM
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The river used to be peaceful now on any weekend its more like Interstate I75 this is the real problem,no stop signs speedlimits no sense,the wildlife are suffering too! Tell ya a secret motor vibration prompts sturgeon to jump!
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by mike
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10/06/07 10:31 AM
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The real problem is to many people going to fast in boat,personaly I`ve been hit by a sturgeon lucky for me it was a small fish and the boat speed about 20mph, I thought my ear was missing,but all I suffered was a headache! ps slow down!
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by Beth
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07/16/07 01:16 PM
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I grew up on the Suwannee, & growing up NEVER encountered a sturgeon.Now its different.The sturgeon are not being startled causing them to jump. They are ridding themselves of their eggs & waste from the spawning. You just have to be careful.
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by TheFloridian
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07/07/07 02:52 PM
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The one thing I do agree on is that it was not an attack. Just an accident. But most of you are hippocrates that have bought house that have drove people and animals from their homes but want the rest of us to stay out of other habitats? Please!
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by TheFloridian
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07/07/07 02:48 PM
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Wes is one of the only one on here with any brains. If manatee tasted like tofu all of you tree huggers wouldn't be so quick to talk. By the way John this is the Native American Indians habitat and I bet you have a nice house here don't you?
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by john
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06/26/07 11:57 PM
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Easy fix for this problem, get your boats out of their habitat. Sturgeons swim & jump. That is what they do. Stop speeding down their natural habitat. Hope the girls ok though.
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by lori
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06/26/07 08:33 PM
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Hamlin said the commission is trying to increase awareness of the attacks ??? They are fish doing what fish do.. It isn't like they plan it out. It is their river. Leave them alone!!!!
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by chuck
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06/26/07 06:43 PM
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people will either slow down on jet skis or get seriousely hurt.thats next chapter.
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by Bill
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06/26/07 05:33 PM
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She is going to need a SURGEON after that STURGEON "attack".
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by kelly
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06/26/07 04:18 PM
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First Of All Manatees aren't menaces they are beautiful creatures & we are invaded there territory . The Sturgeon incidents are unfortunate You definetly need to be more aware of there surrondings things won't occur.
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by nelson
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06/26/07 03:53 PM
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They're not sturgeons; they are prehistoric dolphins
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by Oliver
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06/26/07 03:32 PM
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Clearly we need an all out War on Sturgeons!
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by Bubba
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06/26/07 03:25 PM
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Good on a Ritz cracker!
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by Brian
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06/26/07 03:15 PM
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Did You Know In The Early 1900's That Sturgen was havested in tampa bay.
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by Simon
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06/26/07 02:27 PM
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I think we can all agree that it's time to start profiling.
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by Drew
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06/26/07 02:19 PM
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I think attack is too loaded of a term. I'm pretty sure the sturgeon was startled rather than being aggressive.
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by Dave
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06/26/07 02:08 PM
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I agree with MAC. Complete lunacy. "The sturgeon are attacking, the sturgeon are attacking!" Before you know it, they'll be viewed right up there with sharks!
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by Bob
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06/26/07 02:08 PM
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Attack? What attack? Are we now going to call natural animal behavior an attack whenever it involves a human? If a squirrel falls out of a tree looking for a nut and lands on a person, is that going to be called a squirrel attack?
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by Rox
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06/26/07 02:01 PM
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see what happens when fish go "peopling" just for the sport of it? he probably doesn't even like to eat humans. cruelty to homo-sapiens at a new low...
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by toni
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06/26/07 01:57 PM
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wes needs a little restraint , maybe the menace isnt the fish, they are in their own environment. It is the people who are not. I agree with MAC
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by jack s
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06/26/07 01:28 PM
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Good grief, Charlie Brown, Sturgeon have been jumping in the rivers for eons longer than mankind has been invading their habitat. There will always be a risk when man invades large animal habitat. Fewer boaters .... problem reduced.
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by zippy
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06/26/07 01:02 PM
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If you are flying down the river and hit a jumping fish how is that considered being attacked by a fish. Was he lying in wait ? Been looking to break someones leg all day ?
Lets hope they don't learn to breathe air and walk upright , yipes.
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by Jamie
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06/26/07 12:44 PM
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I hope the sturgeon gets what he deserves...on a bagel with cream cheese. Hope the child is ok, never heard of this happening or even that we had sturgeon in FL...
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by Kenneth
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06/26/07 12:30 PM
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Mother nature is fighting back - good for her!
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by Jamie
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06/26/07 12:29 PM
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hehehe, I'm not sure how these can be considered "attacks". Don't these fish jump when they get startled??? Just chalk it up to a freak accident. Love the comments Mac and Wes. Awesome!!!!
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by Manatee Hunter
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06/26/07 11:39 AM
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Manatee related deaths are up again this year. We NEED to stop the Manatees from killing any more innocents.
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by Jo
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06/26/07 11:37 AM
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Yeah Wes. Ever see what the prop does to the poor Manatee?
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by Michelle
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06/26/07 11:32 AM
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"Another Sturgeon Strikes" was your headline? "How about Another Sturgeon was STRUCK"! The boat hit the fish while the fish was in its natural habitat swimming and jumping as its ancestors have been doing for hundreds of thousands of years.
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by Ann
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06/26/07 10:46 AM
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WES you ARE NOT funny. Mantatee belong in the rivers and are endangered....your boat on the other hand is not. Go boat in the GULF.
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by Arcee
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06/26/07 10:41 AM
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"Sturgeon strike","attack" ???!!!?
Does the FL badge and gun crowd have the same writers as the Daily Show?
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by David
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06/26/07 10:38 AM
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I'm not getting it. What does the speed of the boat have to do with being struck by a "jumping" sturgeon? I would think whether you were in a slow or fast moving boat you would still be injured if struck by one of these creatures.
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by Sally Sturgeon
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06/26/07 10:20 AM
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"Four people have been injured. That's four too many" Doh - what're ya gonna do about it? Get out your fishin pole?
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by sue
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06/26/07 09:50 AM
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wes, your a jackass, kill the manatee, we are invading their space. MORON
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by Zurc
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06/26/07 09:37 AM
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Ha Ha. You guys make good points. The word "attacks" in this article is simply asinine.
Deer have also been known to attack moving cars. They usually lose during the encounter, but that doesn't stop them from trying.
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