Iguanas have been in Florida for 60 years, but their recent proliferation has made them a nuisance for native flora and fauna, as well as many communities. (Photo by John Felsher)
August 19, 2024
By John N. Felsher
Slowly, we proceeded up the narrow channel, scanning tangles of overhanging branches festooned with copious foliage in search of prehistoric-looking lizards. No, we weren’t touring Jurassic Park or the jungles of Africa or South America. We were hunting iguanas in a waterfront neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Lush vegetation on the banks of the waterway grew into practically impenetrable thickets. Vines wrapped around trees and bushes reached across the black water, periodically impeding our passage. The reptiles we were after certainly didn’t lack for cover. Our best chance would be to find some of the cold-blooded creatures sunning on a rock or a protruding branch.
“I see one,” whispered Brett Isackson, my guide for this adventure. “A big one in those overhanging branches.”
Good marksmanship is a must when hunting iguanas, since only striking their small brains will put them down for sure. (Photo courtesy of Ioutdoor.com) To help me spot the well-camouflaged animal, Isackson flashed a laser pointer. Following the dancing light dot, I located the iguana then pointed and fired the rifle, hitting the reptile squarely. Incredibly, it took several more shots to finally send the tough critter tumbling to the ground.
Advertisement
INVASIVES INCURSION Iguanas were first reported in Florida in the 1960s, but their numbers have exploded over the last couple of decades, especially in the southern part of the state.
“Today, populations flourish in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, Lee and Palm Beach counties. And some might range as far north as Alachua, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River and St. Lucie counties,” says McKayla Spencer, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson.
The reptile’s native range extends from Central America to the tropical parts of South America and some eastern Caribbean islands. How it made Florida its home depends on which theory you believe.
Advertisement
Some say it all started when people released unwanted pet iguanas. Others think the eventual proliferation began with some that escaped from structures destroyed by hurricanes or jumped ship when cargo vessels docked in Florida ports. Whatever the reason, these reptiles had no trouble adapting to the warm, verdant habitat with few natural predators.
“Green iguanas live up to 10 years in the wild, and females lay 14 to 76 eggs at a time. South Florida’s extensive network of man-made canals provides the ideal dispersal corridors for iguanas to colonize new areas,” Spencer says.
A license is not required to hunt iguanas in Florida. There is no closed season and no bag and size limits to worry about. (Photo by John Felsher) GUNS AND AMMO To hunt iguanas, most people cruise waterways looking for them. Isackson and I hunted canals west of Fort Lauderdale, near the edge of the Everglades. In an urban or suburban environment, people cannot shoot high-powered firearms, so many hunters use potent air rifles in .22, .25 or .30 caliber.
“I shoot exclusively FX Impact and Dreamline air rifles,” says John Larsen with Bass, Flats & Beyond guide service (bassflatsandbeyond.com ), who mainly hunts the lizards in Palm Beach and Broward counties. “I’ve found that .25 and .30 caliber perform best. If the iguana doesn’t get hit right in the brain, it will run into a burrow or jump in the canal. Larger-diameter pellets are a bit more forgiving on shot placement.”
With Isackson, I shot a scoped Hatsan Flash Pup .22-caliber air rifle, which somewhat resembles an AR-15. He also shoots a Gauntlet 2 air rifle that delivers .22-caliber pellets with 1,200 foot-pounds of energy, almost as powerful as a .22 rimfire.
Iguanas will change colors based on their environment, body temperature and mood. Males often exhibit an orange or red coloration, particularly during breeding season. (Photo courtesy of Ioutdoor.com) DEMANDING TARGETS Iguanas blend in with the foliage and flatten themselves on branches, which makes them extremely difficult to see and even harder to hit. As more people hunt these lizards, they learn to avoid humans. Spotting iguanas only to have them quickly disappear in the trees or slither into the water long before the hunter can fire is an increasingly common occurrence.
“They are getting very smart,” says D.J. Timms, a Clewiston-based guide. “When I first started shooting iguanas, I could drive up in my company truck and pick the ones I wanted to shoot. After doing that a few times, they disappeared if they saw any white truck.”
Since iguanas can survive body shots from air rifles, shooters must hit their tiny brains (about the size of a quarter) from a boat that can rock with the slightest movement or breeze. The target also might be moving, proving the task far more challenging than I’d imagined.
“I utilize tripods and shooting bags to get the gun more stable,” says Larsen. “I teach people how to set up a stable shooting position on the boat. And when we see an iguana, we stop and let everything and everyone settle down for 10 seconds so we have a more stable shooting platform.”
Even with an air rifle, always check the background before pulling the trigger, especially in a populated area. If the iguana doesn’t present a safe shot, try another angle. And if that doesn’t work, leave it alone and look for another.
The first warm, sunny day following a cold front or rainy period frequently provides more easy targets, as iguanas will lie in the open, basking in the sun. (Photo courtesy of Ioutdoor.com BEST AREAS AND TIMES South Florida is full of productive places to target iguanas. Timms regularly hunts the Fort Lauderdale area and Lake Okeechobee, where he says most iguanas live along the Rim Canal that circles the lake’s perimeter.
“The best time to hunt iguanas in South Florida is the summer, but my personal favorite time is the first warm day after a cold front passes,” Timms says. “In the summer, if we had some rainy weather, the first day with sunshine will be phenomenal. Lots of iguanas come out to warm themselves in the sun.”
During the hottest times, they go underground to cool off. If the weather turns chilly, they look for places to bask in the sun’s warmth. The cold-blooded reptiles become sluggish and some even fall out of trees when temperatures drop severely, which affects their metabolism and inhibits their movements and reactions.
HUNTERS WELCOME When you learn more about iguanas, it’s easy to understand how they can quickly become pests in many communities.
“The males can reach more than 5 feet in length and weigh up to 17 pounds,” Spencer says. “Adults will eat bird eggs and dead animals, and juveniles feed on insects and snails, but iguanas [mostly] feast on a wide variety of vegetation, including fruits, blossoms, leaves and shoots, which can make them a nuisance to homeowners.”
In addition, iguanas can carry bacterial diseases and ticks, and they also dig burrows that can cause extensive property damage. For these reasons, many homeowners welcome hunters.
“When going down the various canals throughout the day, we get a lot of thumbs up,” Isackson says. “Many people actually want us to come on their properties to eradicate these invasive reptiles from their backyards.”
TASTES LIKE CHICKEN? Only in South Florida can sportsmen experience this kind of hunting within the contiguous United States. And it offers more than just the thrill of the hunt. Some people will take home the iguana meat, especially the legs and tails, to grill or fry. “Others want the hide to make wallets or other items from it,” says Larsen.
“To me, the taste of iguana meat falls somewhere between a chicken wing and a frog leg,” he adds. “I like to put the meat into a crockpot with a bunch of taco seasoning. Then I’ll slow-cook it until I can easily pull all the bones right out of the meat and serve it on tacos.”
BIG LIZARD HUNTS Planning for your South-Florida iguana roundup .Iguanas in Florida are an unwanted invasive species, and the state prohibits their ownership, transportation and release. Sportsmen, however, can hunt them all year long without any limits or even needing a hunting license.
Hunting iguanas is prohibited in the Everglades National Park and certain preserves, but it is allowed on some public properties, including much of the maze of canals and natural waterways crisscrossing South Florida, as well as on the associated shoreline easements. Some counties and communities have their own laws and regulations, so always check with the local authorities beforehand. And even when hunting legally, it’s smart to inform law enforcement.
“Some air rifles look like AR-15s, and that could alarm some people, especially since we’re hunting almost in their backyards,” says Brett Isackson.
Most guides provide air rifles for their clients’ use, but it’s a good idea to practice hitting small targets with similar guns from distances out to 30 yards to gain proficiency before your hunt.
South Florida weather can be capricious, so plan to stay in the area for a few days, just in case. When not hunting, you could fish the same canals for peacock bass, snakeheads and other exotics (another Brett Isackson specialty), or take an airboat ride through the Everglades.
To book an iguana hunt, visit ioutdoor.com/hunting/iguanas . For more information about iguanas in Florida, go to myfwc.com.
This article was featured on the August 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
