Iguanas Gone Wild: Iguana’s are non indigenous to the Florida Keys and therefore have no standing or protection and killing them is no more than sound pest control. The Florida Keys stock of Iguanas has grown rapidly over the last decade. There are several varieties a feral Iguana, but the green iguana is most common and the tastiest.

The Florida Keys has sufficient stocks of Iguanas to allow avid sportsmen the opportunity to bag a few for the family cook out. The Iguanas are called “Pollo Del Arbor” by local Hispanic groups, or chicken of the trees in English.  "Iguana stew along with a bottle of red wine makes a great meal.”

With the newness of Iguana recreational harvesting, the Florida Wildlife Commission has yet to set bag limits, license fees, regulations or methods of legally taking the reptilian delicacy. The Iguana Killers Club (IKC) suggests a $5 “iguana tag” good for a month of air gun hunting that would not only help keep these dirty reptiles in check and  it would probably get more young boys/girls into enjoying the thrill of the great sport of hunting. Looking down the rifle barrel, with your cheek against the gun stock, centering the intended victim in the crosshairs of the scope and gently squeezing the trigger can give the hunter a natural high. 

Concerns by various reptile rights groups “Iguana huggers” want you to call an animal rescue league so that these invasive reptiles can be “euthanized humanely.” Freezing as a method of euthanasia is generally accepted as humane, just as is a direct head shot from your IKC41 rifle. In the field, a large cooler of heavily brined ice is sufficient. Drop your wounded Iguana in and be sure to have a solid locking mechanism for the cooler lid. Once the cooler goes quite and still you know that you have humanly frozen the invasive reptile to death.

Iguana meat is considered a delicacy in the Caribbean Islands and with meat prices as high $28.00 per pound and with the economy in the tank and still going down, Iguana is a good source of freshly killed meat for a family meal. With Iguanas being feral game in South Florida, sale of Iguana meat is lawful. Kill-and-grill does not constitute a crime. Once you have had a taste of fresh fried Iguana it is doubtful that you will wish to sell or give away any surplus meat. Iguana meat freezes well and keeps for up to six months. The tail tastes about like tender gator tail, and the legs and back strap are as tender as frog legs. Iguana eggs are great cooked as an omelet with fresh goat cheese and a mild salsa sauce.

Kander Bluff, President of Lunatics Anonymous, in conjunction with the Daytona 500 has invited NASCAR driver, Jimmy Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s car to attend the Valentine’s Day Iguana Tournament and cook off. This should be an excellent educational and family fun filled all day event. The event will close with a spectacular fireworks display.

Video of two hunters enjoying a great day of Iguana take downs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nOoG6ODJAQ

 

 

This is great news about the large dangerous constrictor Burmese pythons that are slithering around the Keys.  According to the FWC there is a low risk of a human being attacked by a Burmese python. They mostly feed on mammals, birds and reptiles… most of the time. The FWC recommends that if you do locate one of these deadly alien snakes that you contact them to have it “relocated?” Does this low risk also apply to the aggressive African rock python that’s hanging around your back yard watching your cat, dog or kid? Pythons are constrictors, killing their prey by suffocation rather than with venom. They do this by first biting the victim to establish a grip, then wrapping several coils around its body and squeezing tighter and tighter as the victim exhales until the victim can no longer breathe. The snake then swallows the meal whole, usually headfirst.

I’m not exactly sure how they measure low risk as compared to high risk. Is that 2 out of 10? Most of the documented human attacks by pythons involve the snake's owner or immediate family. If you’re not a python owner I guess this is more good news. They don’t say anything about the undocumented attacks. How would they know how many undocumented attacks there were? Low risk, high risk, documented or undocumented, this all seems like a lot of double talk from over paid, under worked government employees. If your child or pet is found inside the belly of a 16 foot, 155 pound python will the FWC then raise the risk level from low to medium or high? It is only a matter of time for something tragic like this to happen in the Keys.

 I recently read that it is recommended that you should keep your garage door closed to stop these deadly constricting snakes from entering. I would have to add that you should probably keep your bedroom sliding glass doors closed. If I encounter on one of these giant deadly snakes I’ll probably shit my pants and then I’ll either shoot it dead on the spot or decapitate it with a machete. Then I’ll call the FWC to have it “relocated” or maybe just turn it into a nice pair of snake skin boots. The IKC, Iguana Killers Club is not affiliated in any way with the FWC. Lunatics Anonymous has recently added the first officially documented photo of a Key deer being strangled to death by a 12 foot Burmese python in the Lower Keys and 14 other photos to its web page of pythons recently observed, captured or killed in the Keys.

 

 

Black Saturday: The Iguana Killers Club will be holding their 1^st annual Iguana roundup tournament on the day before Valentine’s Day, 2/13/10. Hopefully this will become the annual signature event for the IKC. The IKC wants to make this a yearly family fun event and hopes to attract hunters of all ages and visitors from all over the country. The IKC is currently in the process of applying to the TDC, Tourist Development Council for $35,000.00 in funding for this great event. There will be a $13.00 registration fee per entrant, junior hunters will be free. There will be no refunds once the hunt begins. The total amount of the money collected will be donated to a local animal rescue league to help offset the high costs of euthanasia at the shelter. The IKC is still working on the schedule of events which will include an Iguana cook-off contest, Miss Teen Iguana beauty pageant, Gun and Knife Show, Iguana sighting bus tour, Guided Iguana hunt with engagement, Iguana skinning, deboning and cooking demonstrations, deep fried Iguana tastings, closing awards and ceremonies with a spectacular fireworks display. Numerous hunting equipment suppliers have already signed up to display and sell their quality products at reduced prices to card carrying members of the IKC. Dr. Ludwig Will Scrape will be on site to sign copies of his newly published road kill cook book. Any home owner or renter that wants to have the IKC stop by and eradicate the evasive Iguanas from their property only needs to tie an inflated black balloon to their mail box on the day of the event. The IKC rules of Iguana engagement, humane termination and carcass disposal will be strictly enforced. The 1^st place prize will be based on the combined weight and the total number of Iguanas killed per hunter. The decision of the weigh master will be final. As Valentine’s Day is not that far off, now would be a good time to purchase an IKC-91MM high powered air rifle for that special someone in your life. Check the Lunatics Anonymous web page for location, driving directions and events schedule. You can also fill out your free life time membership application on their web site. Mark this on your schedule so that you don’t miss this great family fun event.

 

 

At the recently held election of officers for the Iguana Killers Club, Kander Bluff of Lunatics Anonymous was elected to the honorary chair position of Imperial Lizard. At the board meeting it was decided that there would be no need to have a treasurer, unlike other boards, as the IKC has no funds that its members could steal. Kander was selected from a list of highly respected individuals because of her innovated thinking towards the current Iguana epidemic plaguing the Florida Keys.  Bluff brings with her over 12 years of Iguana hunting experience to the IKC with thousands of kills as verified from her résumé.  Her new recipe book comes from working with the RKC, Road Kill Connoisseur, Dr. Ludwig Will Scrape, who now permanently resides in the Lower Keys. Bluff was instrumental in lobbying the local politicos to get the Federal grant approved for purchasing the IKC41 scoped air rifle.  These top of the line, high powered rifles will be handed out free to all current members at the next IKC meeting. Bluff was also highly motivated in the recruitment drive as the IKC was has increased its membership to 196 true sportsmen. Bluff started the junior division of the IKC which has turned out to be a great success as now we have 17 young men and women engaged in the respected sport of hunting. Bluff is currently working with the Local Ass of Fisherwomen to fund and study the feasibility of using frozen Iguana carcasses as bait for their lobster and crab traps.  Bluff has already started negotiations with a locally owned business to package and market various edible portions of Iguana meat at locally owned stores. Bluff is also working with a recognized South Florida University on a study to raise, slaughter and sell the meat to various entities in theCaribbean Islands . The IkC is proud to have Kander Bluff on the board of Directors and I’m sure that Monroe County will benefit from her endeavors.

The Iguana Killers Club (IKC) membership drive held over the holiday weekend was a great success. We were able to sign up 23 new adult members and 14 juniors. We know number 193 avid sportsman ready to participate in the thrill of hunting and exterminating the invasive Iguanas. We demonstrated the new IKC41 high powered air rifle, with laser scope, paid for with the recently approved Federal Grant. We are expecting the full shipment of rifles in a few weeks and they will be handed out to all qualified members. As these rifles were paid for by the grant they will be yours to keep and enjoy for years to come. We just recently signed a contract with a home owners association to help rid their neighborhood of over 300 Iguanas. Rather than just dumping all of the Iguana carcasses in the canals, we have located a retired taxidermist that will preserve and mount the Iguanas so they can be used as a trophy or to be sold in our soon to be gift store located in the Winn Dixie plaza. The gift shop will be carrying a full line of products, from air rifles, pistols, sling shots, blow guns with darts, ammo, cross bows, barbed arrows, spiked clubs, hunting and skinning knives, Iguana jerky, hot sauce, bird and turtle eggs, snake skin belts and boots, rabbit fur slippers, Iguana claw back scratchers and various other animal products. All of the animal products, except the Iguanas, will be purchased on line and not killed locally so as not to disturb the delicate balance of the local eco systems and native habitats. The Iguana cook books were a great hit at the cook off and we will be ordering more when they are sold out. Hopefully the founder of the IKC will be able to make quest appearances to do book signings. Thanks to all the IKC sponsors for the great free food/beer and entertainment. We are still in need of sponsorship for the trophies in the junior male and female divisions. We are currently working on a design for the IKC bumper sticker to be proudly displayed on your vehicle. If you have a problem with Iguanas on your property and would like to have them permently removed, free of charge, please contact the IKC. At the next meeting of the IKC we will be electing our new IKC officers and we are currently looking for nominations for the positions of Grand Lizard and Imperial Lizard.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8222295 This short video shows a true sportsman that has over 1600 confirmed Iguana kills. Hopefully the IKC will be able to have him as an honorary quest speaker at one of our meetings.

 

Iguanas are not native to Florida . They are here thanks to lax federal and state laws regarding the pet trade, and to irresponsible pet owners who lose their critters or simply let them go. Now certain alien reptiles and snakes with no natural enemies are reproducing in the Florida Keys . In a few years they have changed the ecology of a place that has taken thousands of years to evolve. Now we have pythons and pit viper rattle snakes to go along with the Iguanas and experts fear that humans one day may end up on their menu. It is only a matter of time. A state-sanctioned hunt was licensed recently to reduce the python population estimated to be at least 25,000 pythons. Monroe County might have more invasive Iguanas than drunks, attorneys, dope heads, realtors and lying politicians combined. Killing off the invasive Iguanas is good for the natural habitat of the Keys. There is not much that can be done with the other five categories due to their civil rights and an extremely lax court system. Iguanas are wide spread throughout the county and there are tens of thousands of them. Young iguanas are known to eat eggs of protected sea turtles and numerous others of Gods living creations. As adults, they dine on all native and non native floras. For dessert they can devour your expensive landscape plants and orchid trees within a few hours. Iguanas can burrow under houses and undermine sidewalks and seawalls. The Iguana Killers Club doesn’t recommend just running out, buying a gun and shooting Iguanas as you might only wound the creature so you need to practice first so that you become a very deadly shot. Gun safety and being humane are 2 important rules of engagement with the IKC. They are not protected. It is not a crime. It's a ready meat source. You might want to read some of the previous posts from the RKC, Road Kill connoisseur, Dr. Will Scrape. 

If you are running out of unemployment benefits, homeless, just plain lazy or recently fired for some criminal act that you say you didn’t really commit and still awaiting trial, there is no need to go meatless with all these Iguanas, Burmese pythons and Eastern diamond back rattlesnakes roaming around your neighbor hood. There could be an Iguana in every pot. If you can eat any of the following: gator, chicken, pythons, pigs, deer, rabbit, buffalo, horse, steer or dog, you certainly can eat iguana. There could be a new market for the slaughtered Iguanas; they could be sold to the commercial fisherman as bait.  There is also Iguana culture to think about, where Iguanas could be breed and processed as food for the locals and snow birds. Don't look now, but a deadly rattle snake just bit a python and the python is eating your family dog which had just devoured a baby Iguana which had just been bitten by a recluse spider. Isn’t living in paradise great.

 

 

The Iguana Killers Club, IKC, should not be confused with the International Kennel Club. The Iguana Killers Club was established in 2009, after receiving a Federal grant to rid the invasive Iguanas from the Florida Keys. There has been some concern about how the IKC disposes of the numerous iguana carcasses each day. At its last meeting the IKC drafted rules of deposal to be written into their bylaws after being approved by majority vote from the active members.

1 – No Iguana carcasses will be disposed of the in the local waters or canals unless it has been gut cut to insure that the carcass will sink immediately.

2- No Iguana carcasses will be placed in unattended neighborhood trash cans for disposal without prior permission of the owner of said waste containers.

3 – No Iguana carcasses will be tossed into the woods as there are sanitary and environmental concerns and issues unless it is wrapped in plastic. Recycled plastic is recommended.

4 – No Iguana carcasses will be left to rot at the point of termination.

5 – No Iguana carcasses will be thrown to the roaming unleashed dogs.

6 – No Iguana carcasses will be comingled with the key deer carcasses or dumped on the refuge burial site.

7 – No Iguana carcasses will be left on the side of the road for the Department of Transportation or the Big Pine Key road prison crews to dispose of.

8 – No Iguana carcasses will be burned unless the carcass has been verified as dead by another member of the IKC.

8 - No Iguana carcasses will be sold as edible meat unless the funds collected are donated to a local humane charity.

Hopefully the new by-laws of the IKC will clarify the procedures of disposal to be followed when disposing of any Iguana carcasses by any IKC card carrying member. The IKC always strives to continue to uphold the high standards of the Nationalist American Sportsmen Association.  

 

 

The Iguana Killers Club would like to wish everybody, hunters and non-hunters alike a very happy and successful new year. The goal for 2010 will be increasing our membership to 500 avid hunters; we currently have approximately 200 IKC registered hunters. Our long term goal will be to completely eradicate the invasive Iguana from Monroe County. As Iguanas are invasive, not protected and that air rifles are not classed as firearms the IKC is working diligently with the Department of Economic Prevention on a blanket permit to hunt on all Federal and State lands, including the Great White Herrin Preserve and the National Key Deer Refuge.  We are currently working on our web site where you will be able to post your favorite Iguana experiences, photos and register to be a free lifetime member. We are planning on having an Iguana roundup tournament on the Valintine's Day weekend which will include a Miss Iguana beauty pageant, exhibits, guest speakers, classes on how to clean and cook your tree chickens, a knife and gun show and other various family friendly events.  Alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all IKC events as the IKC promotes responsible engagement. The IKC would like to thank all their sponsors for their great support during 2009 and we hope to be able to continue our tradition of exterminating the invasive Iguana from the beautiful Florida Keys. Happy hunting and happy news years to all.