Turtling is the hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

 of turtle

Turtle

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...

s, a practice formerly a big part of the economy in many nations of the West Indies. In recent times, however, it has become outlawed.

Turtle hunting was a big part of feeding families in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, the Midwest in particular, in the 1930s.

Throughout the world, hawksbill turtles are taken by humans even though it is illegal to hunt them in many countries. In some parts of the world, hawksbill turtles are taken and eaten as a delicacy. As far back as the fifth century B.C., sea turtles including the hawksbill were eaten as delicacies in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

.

U.S. regulation of turtles

The US government regulates both consumption of turtles and destruction of turtles and their eggs, and many U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

s also regulate behavior toward reptiles and amphibians.