Hunting relatives of dinosaurs in the middle of town
People don’t need to leave the United States to find exotic sporting adventures. Just go to South Florida.
Sportsmen can hunt iguanas and catch Amazonian fish amidst South Florida’s urban sprawl. Native to Central and South America, green iguanas first appeared in Florida in the 1960s. In the warm, semi-tropical environment, the population flourished.
“We hunt iguanas all over South Florida, as long as the county allows it,” said Brett Isackson, a guide from Fort Lauderdale. “I hunt them out of Fort Lauderdale and other places.”
A big male iguana can reach more than five feet long and weigh up to 17 pounds. The extensive South Florida canal system provides the reptiles with excellent habitat. Thick brush line many canals, mimicking unnamed waterways in the Amazon jungle, but only yards from major highways and very expensive homes.
The state, as well as many people who own homes in the area, want the foreign reptiles gone. Florida allows people to kill the exotic invaders all year long without limit. People cannot hunt the Everglades National Park and some other preserves, but Florida does allow iguana hunting on some public properties.
“When going down the canals, many people give us a thumbs up,” Isackson said. “Many people want us to come onto their properties to eradicate these invasive reptiles from their backyards. Iguanas can carry bacterial diseases and ticks. They have small teeth, but they can cut someone.”
Powerful air rifles
Hunting iguanas almost resembles squirrel hunting from a boat. The green lizards climb trees and flatten themselves on branches where they virtually disappear among the leaves and become extremely difficult to hit. To kill one of these tough animals, shooters must bullseye its tiny brain, a target about the size of a quarter, from a bobbing craft.
“Iguanas blend in well with the foliage,” Isackson said. “They are very tough with tough skin. It’s all about shot placement. It’s not hard to hit a whole iguana, but shooting for the brain is the challenge. If someone doesn’t hit the iguana directly in the head, it’s not going to knock it down.”
Most people slowly cruise the waterways looking for lizards in overhanging brush or on the banks. In the urban or suburban environment, people cannot shoot high-powered firearms so most hunters use powerful air rifles in .22, .25 or .30 caliber.
“I shoot exclusively FX Impact and Dreamline air rifles,” said John Larsen with Bass Flats & Beyond guide service who mainly hunts Palm Beach and Broward counties. “A .25 caliber or .30 caliber tend to perform the best. I utilize tripods and shooting bags to try to get the gun more stable. When we see an iguana, we stop the boat and let everything and everyone settle town for 10 seconds so we have a more stable shooting platform to get off a good shot.”
Even with an air rifle, always check the background before pulling the trigger, especially in such a populated area. If the iguana doesn’t present a safe shot try another angle or go look for another.
“I use a scoped Hatsan Flash Pup .22 caliber air rifle, something that somewhat resembles and AR-15,” Isackson said. “I also shoot a Gauntlet 2 Air Rifle that delivers .22 caliber pellets with 1,200 foot-pounds of energy, almost as powerful as a .22 rimfire.”
Notify local law enforcement
Some people eat iguana meat, especially the legs and tails. People grill or fry it. Others want to make wallets or other items from the hide.
“To me, iguana meat tastes like something between a chicken wing and frog legs,” Larsen said. “I like to put the meat into a crockpot with a bunch of taco seasoning. I’ll slow cook it until I can pull the bones right out of the meat and serve it on tacos.”
Some counties and communities pass different laws, so always check with local authorities before hunting anywhere. Also, inform local law enforcement before someone calls 911 reporting a “terrorist” on the loose.
“It’s better to notify the police before going out to hunt so they know what you’re doing,” Isackson said. “Some air rifles look like AR-15s, and that could get people alarmed, especially since we’re hunting almost in people’s backyards.”
The maze of canals and natural waterways crisscrossing South Florida also provide excellent opportunities to catch many fish species found nowhere else in the United States. The catch might include peacock bass, oscars, clown knifefish, snakeheads and other exotics.
While in the area, tour the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame and Museum (igfa.org/fishing-hall-of-fame-1) in Dania Beach. The hall recognizes noted anglers from around the world. The museum exhibits historical fishing artifacts as well as full-size replicas of world record fish.
For booking trips with Isackson, call 954-445-4516 or 888-629-2277. For Larsen, call 561-339-5076 or visit Bassflatsandbeyond.com.
