Iguana (Chicken of the trees) - Anyone ever try this?

[LousyResident]

Just hanging out by Denny's. This isn't even a big one compared to many along the canals in the area

 

[bushman13]

People would be amazed with what goes on in those canals down there. You can throw on a mask and snorkel, jump in, and the majority of fish you will see are non-native aquarium fish. Quite the experience.

 

[JDH]

Sounds like you can probably gig them, but who really knows these days. Coming from a multi generation Florida family, we always had gigs in garage for frogs and mullet. A ton of fun.


https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/reptiles/iguanas-and-relatives/green-iguana/

https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/python/removing/ <--- 22 public lands with no restrictions on Pythons or Iguanas

I bet they would be a handful on the end of a gig if they started whipping their tail around.

 

[thusby]

Reptiles;
Good (Frogs and turtles)
Bad (Alligators and snakes)

Not sure which category the iguana will fall in.

 

[SC Living Outdoors]

The last few years I’ve driven down to FL to fish for Peacocks from my kayak. The fishing is great and those lizards are everywhere! 12”-5’ long. It’s pretty crazy. Their legs and tails look really meaty. I’m sure they’re tasty.

 

[LousyResident]

CBS News: Florida declares open season on green iguanas.

 

[jnd1959]

We used to see them in the Amazon all the time. Never saw anybody eat them though. They got pretty big, but there are other, much bigger things in the jungle.

 

[Jwill]

A buddy of mine has hunted them in Puerto Rico with an air gun, said it was a ton of fun. Not sure they ate them though.

 

[LousyResident]

There is definitely a run on BB guns at the local Bass Pro. Lady working there said they've been selling a ton of them since the article advising to kill them came out. Pretty sure most aren't eating them lol.

 

[Outdooraddict]

I watched Andrew Zimmern (Host- Bizarre Food) on a "Florida Keys" episode hunt iguanas and eat them. He seems pretty cool, and it is a fun show to watch. Here is a little clip I found- this dude eats EVERYTHING... but at the 10:30 mark he's eating iguana and iguana eggs. In the actual episode, it does show him and his hosts hunting/shooting them.

 

[dalbo]

This looks fun

Fly Fishing for Giant Iguanas

 

[VAspeedgoat]

We stayed in a state park in the keys and we were advised by a couple of campers to watch our kids. The one was over 4' and pretty much didn't give a rats butt about people. He was steeling food off picknick tables. He didn't care for a chunk of wood to his head though. I'll give him this much, I thought I had killed him but he just swam away in a creek and was back at the neighbors in an hour.

 

[JTHOMP]

We stayed in a state park in the keys and we were advised by a couple of campers to watch our kids. The one was over 4' and pretty much didn't give a rats butt about people. He was steeling food off picknick tables. He didn't care for a chunk of wood to his head though. I'll give him this much, I thought I had killed him but he just swam away in a creek and was back at the neighbors in an hour.

Iguana Land Rule #7: When in doubt double tap.

 

[TexanSam]

My GF's family farm the sliver of land in between homestead and the Everglades and have a hayday shooting iguanas when they get bored. Apparently there's a commercial market for them, selling for roughly 50 bucks a pound.

 

[noharleyyet]

This is almost too intriguing to not go to Florida and try to find some of these big lizards to hunt and eat. Call me strange, my wife will agree, but lately I have been interested in converting to food those species most often deemed unworthy. Mrs. Fin still has me at arm's length over eating 'skrats this spring. She might pack my bags and leave my belongings on the street if we start eating iguanas, so maybe I will send Marcus and Michael down for the lizard gig. Yeah, Marcus will eat anything.

Article here about hunting/trapping and eating this invasive species - https://www.sun-sentinel.com/featur...eb7MwZT8aaqvq46CWaO7K8ACux57PdhhjFqGSniQ1WmVk

Curious, any Hunt Talker ever eat, or try to hunt/trap, iguana?

Welcome to Hunttalk...

 

[R.K.]

My GF's family farm the sliver of land in between homestead and the Everglades and have a hayday shooting iguanas when they get bored. Apparently there's a commercial market for them, selling for roughly 50 bucks a pound.

Sorry- how much a pound? And how do you get into selling them commercially? I see a good way to pay for a winter vacation.

 

[trb]

I spent two years living in rural Panama while a member the Peace Corps, where iguana is considered a delicacy. So much so that it is protected as an endangered species due to over-hunting. That being said, as a big part of my job was integrating into the community, and there were plenty in the very rural area where I lived, I ate iguana and their eggs many times.

The local method of preparation was to roast over an open fire to char the skin to the point that it would flake/rub off. Then quarter/gut the animal, put the chunks into a pot of boiling water. Once it has boiled, pick the bones clean and sautee the meat with lard, garlic, onions, cilantro, achiote (local spice from a seed that gives everything a reddish tint), and whatever else suits your fancy. It was most commonly served over rice and ends up looking like jerk chicken. I always thought it was excellent and frankly some of the better local fare I ate over the course of my 2+ years there. The eggs were smoked over an open fire for about 24 hours. The egg is mostly yolk, and extremely rich.

 

[RG_Adult_Onset_Hunter]

I spent two years living in rural Panama while a member the Peace Corps, where iguana is considered a delicacy. So much so that it is protected as an endangered species due to over-hunting. That being said, as a big part of my job was integrating into the community, and there were plenty in the very rural area where I lived, I ate iguana and their eggs many times.

The local method of preparation was to roast over an open fire to char the skin to the point that it would flake/rub off. Then quarter/gut the animal, put the chunks into a pot of boiling water. Once it has boiled, pick the bones clean and sautee the meat with lard, garlic, onions, cilantro, achiote (local spice from a seed that gives everything a reddish tint), and whatever else suits your fancy. It was most commonly served over rice and ends up looking like jerk chicken. I always thought it was excellent and frankly some of the better local fare I ate over the course of my 2+ years there. The eggs were smoked over an open fire for about 24 hours. The egg is mostly yolk, and extremely rich.

This sounds fantastic. I have always wanted to try this, but I have never been in an area where I can.