The Beast of Busco of Indiana is a bit of a different cryptid. It is reported to be some type of large snapping turtle, and is sometimes called “Oscar”. It obtained the name from the farmer, Oscar Fulk who worked his land in the late 1890. His farm included a lake that encompassed nearly seven acres. Mr. Fulk reported to have seen the giant sized turtle in 1898, but was never able to capture the cryptid, nor provide proof of the creature’s existence. He told others of the large reptile, but finally decided to leave it alone and went back to farming his property.
The animal was described as being approximately five hundred pounds, with the shell as big as a dinner table or car roof top. There was some speculation as to the turtle being a large version of the Alligator Snapping Turtle which normally weighs in at 40 pounds. The world’s record for the Alligator Snapping Turtle is recorded at 236 pound, and there is some rumors of a turtle in Kansas weighing in the 400 pound range.
Ora Blue and Charley Wilson reported to have seen the enormous turtle in July of 1948 while fishing on Faulk lake. This was fifty years after Oscar Fulk had his sighting. However, the word spread. Gale Harris, the current owner of the land, reported to have seen the creature in the same lake. Soon after curious people from all over the state started to show up at the lake to try to get a glimpse of the monster. Traffic got so unruly; the State Police were called in to control the traffic.
Several attempts were made to capture the creature. Traps were devised and set up and two divers made attempts to search the bottom of the lake. Unfortunately, equipment malfunctions stopped the divers, but not before they were able to determine the bottom of the lake was a mire of mud.
Harris continued to try to capture the turtle. He even used dynamite to try to bring it to the surface. Finally he decided to drain the lake. He used his tractor as the power source to drive a large sump pump. After weeks of pumping and two thousand dollars of fuel, the lake was down to the mud mire on the bottom. However there was still no sign of Oscar the turtle. It started to rain, and all the efforts went out the window. The run-off refilled the lake. The search for the giant turtle was over.
No recent sightings have occurred. Perhaps, Oscar the turtle died or escaped to another lake or river. We will keep our eyes and ears open watching for his return.
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