Iguana Hunting?

[Terry Green]

Someone posted about iguanas on the exotic thread, but not many replies about iguanas.

I have been around them before in Mexico and St Thomas on 'non-hunt' trips about public areas. What I observed were very slow animals that you could nearly pick up and carry with you.

So, are they wary at all and more wild away from people?

[Jim Wright]

Terry, I've been around a few Iguanas in Florida and on Caribbean Island cruise stops and quite a few on Ambergris Caye, Belize in remote areas on fly fishing trips and I've yet to see one get too exited.

[glenbo]

I heard they drop out of trees like acorns when it gets cold 😂

[dbeaver]

I've been told locals will put a slip knot on a fishing line and just use the pole to noose em out of trees.  May e more iguana collecting than hunting but in regard to getting some 'wild' lunch or dinner it's pretty accessible.

[Terry Green]

Yes, from here and elsewhere that I have investigated it sounds like iguanas are off the table for me as they are no challenge whatsoever.

[Jim Wright]

I will almost certainly get flamed for this but on a similar note, being from Louisiana and around them often, I find the idea of shooting an alligator just about as exiting.

[Zing]

I was stationed in Panama while in the Army. I do not remember being able to catch one or pick one up.  I remember them being up in trees and big enough to eat birds.  People and predators ate them so they were not docile.   

[Maclean]

I don't know if they're legal to hunt, but I would think that monitor lizards would be a challenge. Maybe even considered "dangerous game". 

[Terry Green]

I was stationed in Panama while in the Army. I do not remember being able to catch one or pick one up.  I remember them being up in trees and big enough to eat birds.  People and predators ate them so they were not docile.

When I was in Saint Thomas they would not hardly get out of our way while walking from the room to the pool along the pre beach sand.

And being that they can run between 17 and 21 miles an hour, there is a possibility of a human catching one.

[Buck350]

I'd defiantly say they are exotic, but also agree with not much of a challenge. But, I've never hunted them, didn't know you could.

Interesting thread.  Exotic in itself. 

[BigJim]

Watched a show about a guy going to hunt them in Perto Rico with air rifles.  They are not indigenous to PR, but have populated from released pets and now out number humans on the island by two or three to one!

they would ride the four-wheeler up to a tree full of iguanas and shoot two or three before they scared the rest away.  The iguanas are devastating the island and crops so there is much opportunity to kill them and I could see myself shooting them with gun or bow if I was there already, but wouldn't travel to go hunt them.

Think of it as practice for more difficult game... and also doing a tiny part to help the enviroment.
BigJim

[Trenton G.]

I don't know if it would necessarily be a hunt, but it would be a lot of fun to do. I've seen several videos of people cooking them as well and apparently it's pretty good.

[Terry Green]

I don't know if they're legal to hunt, but I would think that monitor lizards would be a challenge. Maybe even considered "dangerous game". 

Yes, those things get over 300#s and run up to 28 MPH.

[Wudstix]

Guess it depends on if they are acclimatized to humans, or have a fear of them.
 

[Maclean]

I don't know if they're legal to hunt, but I would think that monitor lizards would be a challenge. Maybe even considered "dangerous game". 

Yes, those things get over 300#s and run up to 28 MPH.

Ever see videos of them chasing down and killing feral goats?  It's an eye opener for sure!

[Bobby Sikes]

Well there's an animal I thought I would never see in the title here. 

[supernaut]

Thanks for starting this thread Terry, it has been pretty interesting.


I've watched a bunch of Youtube videos on hunting these iguanas with all manner of weapons and in some instances it seems like the iguanas are much more wary than others. I wouldn't enjoy or even consider a hunt where I could hand catch my quarry, I'd call that more of a "round up" of a nuisance animal than a hunt.


I like to hunt our groundhogs up here in PA, they are a nuisance animal and the farmers appreciate it and the groundhogs are very wary. They aren't very exotic though 


 


 

[Wudstix]

Whistle pigs are indeed a challenge.  I grew up hunting in Union county, Hartley Township.  My Dad grew up in Vandergrift.  Spent allot of hours belly crawling up on groundhogs and trying to get an arrow of at one.  They make great stew.

  [size=78%] [/size]

[Lucas K]

The fellow from omnivore had a few videos of hunting iguana in Florida. He got both green and spiny iguanas and used the leather for tabs. I know in Mexico where the locals hunt them they are much harder to get close to than in the resort areas.

[stagetek]

I remember watching the same show Big Jim was talking about. The guy was floating down canals shooting them out of trees with an air rifle. The only "challenge" I saw was hitting them from a drifting boat.