At the beginning of July, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission encouraged land and homeowners to exterminate green iguanas on their property “whenever possible.” The nonnative and invasive species can spread salmonella and cause damage to infrastructures such as sea walls and sidewalks. However, due to recent incidents in the following weeks, the FWC had to redact their statement. One of these incidents involved an armed iguana hunter who missed his target and ended up shooting a working pool boy instead.

Such incidents led the FWC to clarify their advisory on iguana removal. “Unfortunately, the message has been conveyed that we are asking the public to just go out there and shoot them up,” said Commissioner Rodney Barreto in a press release. “This is not what we are about; this is not the ‘wild west.’ If you are not capable of safely removing iguanas from your property, please seek assistance from professionals who do this for a living.” ^[1]

The Commissioner went on to explain that iguanas “can be humanely killed on private property year-round with landowner permission.” ^[2] Barreto further explained that if a landowner is incapable of removing a reptile exceeding 5 feet in length and weighing up to 17 pounds, a professional iguana hunter should be contacted.

Green iguanas are not protected in Florida except by animal-cruelty laws. The nonnative species originally from Central America and tropical parts of South America was first reported back in the 1960s in areas such as Hialeah, Coral Gables, and Key Biscayne before spreading to Broward, Martin, Palm Beach, and Monroe Counties. ^[3] The iguanas can also be found along the Gulf Coast in Lee and Collier Counties; however, they are very rare in northern Florida as the climate is a little cooler.

Hunting Iguanas with Airguns

Iguanas can be a nuisance if you’re a property owner since they cause damage to the infrastructure. They dig burrows that erode and collapse sidewalks, foundations, seawalls, berms, and canal banks. ^[3] In addition, they tend to leave droppings inside and around swimming pools, porches, and docks. When looking for the best air guns to hunt iguanas, we highly recommend the fx impact. With an fps of starting at 870 and a magazine capacity of up to 28, you’re sure to snipe those scaly pests off your property. If you’d like to know more about our huge selection of airguns or need a scopecam to help you snipe iguanas better, contact a member of our professional staff for further assistance.

Sources:

[1] GovDelivery – FWC provides additional information on iguana removal

[2] HuffPost – Florida Walks Back Advice to Kill Iguanas ‘Whenever Possible’

[3] Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission – Invasive Green Iguana