ornate box turtle hibernation

Question
I have an ornate box turtle I'm not sure if it's ready to hibernate I'm afraid to hibernate it not knowing if I'll see it in the spring I need help.

Answer
Where and when you acquired the box turtle is important, just as what it has been fed while you have had it. If it is a recent wild capture and still healthy, I recommend release in the area it was found while it still has time to prepare if you do not have experience hibernating turtles. We have 7 rescued Ornate box turtles here, but Ornates are not really recommended as the box turtle of choice for a pet if you are not quite skilled. They can be demanding and difficult to care for, being described most often as more fragile in captivity than other species of Terrapene, especially to RI.   

The turtle should feel solid and heavy for it's size, not hollow. There should be clear eyes, fat on the bones, bowels cleared a couple of weeks before hibernation, good hydration and access to water all the way up to hibernation time, no open wounds or other illness.   

The habitat construction, temps it will be exposed to, substrate type and depth, hydration and fat store status, as well as infections and possible parasite load are all important. There is simply too much to cover, and hibernation is a state of minimal life support, so factors must be correct and health, good. This is not really the time of year to be asking and learning about this. It's a little late for that unless you already have a pretty good understanding of these factors and what to do.

Some good places to start reading about what to look for are:

http://anapsid.org/mainchelonians.html
http://aboxturtle.com
http://boxturtlesite.info