I’m currently in south Florida killing iguanas. AMA

[Anonymous]

At first I was being snarky but have come around because they are invasive, destroy vegetation and trees, mess on patios and am not sure if they are dangerous to the countless dogs that chase them and they are nervy as all get-out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bravo! Especially if people eat the ones you kill.

Can you start on tearing down the invasive vines strangling the native trees along the C&O Canal when you get back? It is depressing that so much invasive kudzo, ivy, and wisteria are choking so many river oak, red bud and sycamore trees.

Right, because humans interfering with nature always has good consequences. I wonder how does invasive species got there in the first place?….oh wait….humans, that’s how.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you kill them? Club them over the head with a rock?

Shoot them just behind the eye with a high power airgun, or harpoon them with a dart and then beat them to death with a small club. The darts are for places where it’s not safe enough to shoot an airgun.

Is this part necessary? It's one think to shoot a living being and have it die instantly, quite another to "beat it to death."

[Anonymous]

Does this even make a dent in their population?

I mean I admire the effort but I'm not convinced this is effective in controlling their population?

Also, does everyone try to sell the carcasses? I find that part a little gross. Like killing them is one thing, but collecting them and storing them for however long and turning them over sounds gross. I'd rather just kill them and discard them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you kill them? Club them over the head with a rock?

Shoot them just behind the eye with a high power airgun, or harpoon them with a dart and then beat them to death with a small club. The darts are for places where it’s not safe enough to shoot an airgun.

Is this part necessary? It's one think to shoot a living being and have it die instantly, quite another to "beat it to death."

NP. If you eat meat, the animal that provided your hamburger endured worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does this even make a dent in their population?

I mean I admire the effort but I'm not convinced this is effective in controlling their population?

Also, does everyone try to sell the carcasses? I find that part a little gross. Like killing them is one thing, but collecting them and storing them for however long and turning them over sounds gross. I'd rather just kill them and discard them.

It can. There have been studies done on the effect of native populations of birds when aggressive populations are lessened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do they taste like?

tastes like chicken

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bravo! Especially if people eat the ones you kill.

Can you start on tearing down the invasive vines strangling the native trees along the C&O Canal when you get back? It is depressing that so much invasive kudzo, ivy, and wisteria are choking so many river oak, red bud and sycamore trees.

Right, because humans interfering with nature always has good consequences. I wonder how does invasive species got there in the first place?….oh wait….humans, that’s how.

Yes obviously … the local trees need help to survive reckless introduction of invasive vines - mostly by suburbanites wanting decorative cover of trellise/ fences …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's interesting that people aren't going nuts about this on this forum. I support you op. I also support people who trap and kill house sparrows. They are an aggressive species that kills off smaller nesting birds. People freak out about this. House sparrows will kill anything on the nest and take over all possible nests in an area. I tried for a month to stop a male from taking over a bluebird nest. Once they find a nest, nothing will stop them from killing whatever is in it.

Some did and posted idiotic political generalizations but they were deleted …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I figure I’m probably the only DCUM’r who’s ever come to Fort Lauderdale for the sole purpose of killing as many giant lizards as I can in a long weekend. That seems worthy of an AMA.

Some background:

Iguanas are an invasive species in Florida. The state encourages people to kill them wherever and whenever possible. They damage native vegetation, vegetable gardens, eat bird eggs and their burrows undermine sidewalks and canal walls causing erosion. Got here earlier today, just came back from our first hunt. Wife killed 9 and I killed 6 in 2 hours. Tomorrow we have a full day hunt, and then Sunday we go to Big Cypress to do a python hunt. Then more iguanas on Monday and Tuesday.


AMA!

No question just admiration. Too bad they can't kill the idiots who bring them into the counry and then set them free when they get too big.

[Anonymous]

This is one of my all time favorite stories:

https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2018/01/08/guy-in-florida-loads-car-with-frozen-iguanas-they-warm-up-come-back-to-life-cause-car-accident/

[Anonymous]

IDK why anyone would do this. SMH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bravo! Especially if people eat the ones you kill.

Can you start on tearing down the invasive vines strangling the native trees along the C&O Canal when you get back? It is depressing that so much invasive kudzo, ivy, and wisteria are choking so many river oak, red bud and sycamore trees.

Right, because humans interfering with nature always has good consequences. I wonder how does invasive species got there in the first place?….oh wait….humans, that’s how.

Yes obviously … the local trees need help to survive reckless introduction of invasive vines - mostly by suburbanites wanting decorative cover of trellise/ fences …

Nope. Many of these invasives came to this country in the 1800s. Wealthy people hunted the world for interesting specimens to try to grow here. Go check out some of the famous old homes of the wealthy and if they had gardens they had exotics. Don't insult suburbanites. They buy what the box stores and local nurseries sell. Most of the nurseries around here, including Merriefield, sell invasives and dont' bother to explain to their customers that they are. People love nandina, Japanese honeysuckle, butterfly bush, barberry, Bradford Pears -etc. All invasive and brought to this country in the early 1800s. Even Kudzu was intentionally planted in the early 1900s.

[Anonymous]

OP should offer his services to the poster with the missing python in her building LOL.

[Anonymous]

Wish we could do the same with feral and outdoor cats. Horrible for native ecosystems.