Worm Grunting: A Strange Way to Catch Animals

In summary, William Johnson from Sopchoppy, Florida, uses an "iron" to bang on a "stob" to attract worms, which he then collects with his hand. He claims this method is more humane than using other methods, and helps the worms last longer.
  • #1
zoobyshoe
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In order to block Miss Evo from winning this year's banner for best thread about strange ways to catch animals I bring you:

WORM GRUNTING

SOPCHOPPY -- One foggy spring morning deep in the Apalachicola National Forest, William Johnson took a friend to watch while he "grunted" for worms.

He pierced the loose soil with his "stob," a well-worn stake about three-foot-long, carved from the wood of a black gum tree. His other tool was an "iron," a flat piece of metal, twice as wide as a ruler and 2 feet long.

Johnson, 41, used the iron to bang in the stob: "Tink, tink, tink." He rubbed the iron against the stob: "grunt, grunt, grunt."

Up came hundreds of fat, footlong earthworms, powerless against this man-made vibration. Johnson's friend bolted from the forest.

"It's an art," Johnson said Saturday as he took part in the second annual Worm Gruntin' Festival in this Wakulla County hamlet south of Tallahassee..."

"...The Diplocardia mississippiensis has 12 hearts, each the size of pinhead. Those who use it for fishing admire the thick, long body and the robust constitution that will withstand the trauma of being hooked. This worm does not go limp in the water or easily wilt in the sun..."

"...There are easier ways to draw earthworms out of the ground, including electrical shock or vibrations from heavy construction equipment. But time has proven that the gentler practice of grunting is less traumatic for the worms, which means they last longer.
No one knows why the vibration draws them out of the ground.
"They can't stand it," said Johnson, the Sopchoppy grunter..."

"...And if you rest in a quiet forest after a few minutes of grunting, he said, you can hear the sound of worms rustling up through soil and slithering across the surface..."

"...Sanders, a 28-year-old Sopchoppy native who was one of 10 children. His grandfather paid off a house and raised 10 children, largely from worm money..."

"...The kids at school would make fun of worm grunters, but the money was good, said Sanders, an electrician..."

"..."Charles Kuralt came down here and destroyed it," said Johnson, the longtime grunter from Sopchoppy. "He got good publicity, but he made it bad for the people that lived here. It ain't like it used to be."..."

State: Gruntin' and gathering
Address:http://www.sptimes.com/2002/04/14/news_pf/State/Gruntin__and_gatherin.shtml [Broken]
 
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  • #2
OK, so we have a plausible origin for how noodling got started... but what in the world would possesses one to grind an iron against a stob? For that matter, what in the world would possesses someone to name something a 'stob'?
 
  • #3
I bet it's somehow connected to the same impulse that causes someone to name a town "Sopchoppy".
 
  • #4
zoobyshoe said:
I bet it's somehow connected to the same impulse that causes someone to name a town "Sopchoppy".
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
 

What is worm grunting?

Worm grunting is a method of catching earthworms by creating vibrations in the soil using a wooden stake and a metal object, such as a saw or a shovel.

How does worm grunting work?

Worm grunting works by mimicking the sound of a predator digging in the soil, causing earthworms to surface in order to escape. The vibrations created by the metal object on the wooden stake also stimulate the worms' nervous system, causing them to move towards the surface.

Why is worm grunting used to catch worms?

Worm grunting is used to catch worms because it is a cheap and efficient method. It can be done by a single person and requires minimal tools and resources.

What types of animals can be caught using worm grunting?

Earthworms are the primary target of worm grunting, but other animals such as beetles, grubs, and other invertebrates may also surface as a result of the vibrations.

Is worm grunting harmful to the environment?

Worm grunting is generally considered to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly method of catching worms. However, overuse or improper use of the technique can potentially harm the soil and disrupt the ecosystem.

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