Author Topic: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......  (Read 13717 times)

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Offline stickbender

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #15 on: July 08, 2009, 12:43:48 am »

     Tinker, it's too late for worrying about Cobras being loose here in Fla.  In west Miami, they showed one of the animal catchers, catching a Cobra about six or seven feet long, in a tomato field.  The Cobras, aren't the only bad boys getting out into the wild.  As for Iquanas, they are everywhere.  I was sitting at a traffic light, in Stuart, Sunday, and noticed something in the hedge at a gas station to my right, and there was a little red, and blue iguana, or something like that bobbing his head, and then running around in the hedge.  Iguanas of all types are all over Palm Beach County.  My Brother has a bunch of Cuban Jungle Anoles in his yard, and neighbor hood.  They look like a cross between a Velociraptor, and a snake. I have Curly tails from the Bahamas up here in Port St. Lucie. I did not think they would do well this far north, but apparently they do.  I saw a boa, on the side of the turnpike once on the way to work in Jupiter, about ten years ago.  At first I thought it was a big Diamond Back, but when I pulled off the road, and backed up, I saw it was a boa, about six ft. long.  Kinda mangled,Thankfully.  But if I saw that one, how many more are there out there?  One of the stations I used to work at was in a horse community, and we would get snake calls, and one was for a python in a stall.  Like Eddie said idiots get a snake, and it is cool for awhile, and then it is too big to handle, so rather than kill poor ol Puffy, or sell him back to the pet store, or someone else, they release it.  Anyway, I am in agreement with Eddie.  If they are going to allow these exotics in the state of Fla. where they can thrive, the buyers, and pet store owners, should have to pay a bond, and when the snake, or other exotic dies, they should have to take the remains to the game commission, and get paper work, and proof that it died, and did not escape.  It should have a micro chip implanted, to verify it.  If it escapes, then the bond would be forfeited.  But I don't personally think they should be allowed into the state.   On the show where they showed the Cobra in a commercial tomato field, they also showed a place where a guy had all kinds of dangerous exotic snakes, and some of the cages were in disrepair, and some empty...... the owner, was told fix the cages, and try to find the missing snake, or snakes.  I think that they should all be banned, or like I said before, micro chipped, and if someone is hurt, or pets, or live stock is harmed, a fine should be paid the former owner, or a lawsuit levied against them. 

                                                                                     Wayne

Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2009, 07:26:00 am »
I saw a show on TV a couple years ago that was following an animal control guy around. Some kids had found a funny-looking snake in the garage and were out there poking it with sticks and messing with it. It turned out to be a Gaboon viper about leg-sized in diameter, the snake with the longest fangs of any snake species in the world. It had escaped from a local hot snake collector.
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Offline Bone pile

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2009, 08:03:40 am »
The worst thing about all the exotics is that they are driving out/eating the natives.When i moved down the lime green lizirds were everywere now it's cuban browns.there are so many iguanas on Boca grande that they are bringing in exterminators,the monitor liziards in cape coral are wiping out the birds/eggs and small prey in that area.coming back from the bay I seen a iguana every bit of 6'+ sunning on the road(missed it,they're quick)I agree with Mullet on outlawing exotics period.There used to be indigo snakes all over the place ,can't remember the last time I seen one.On a positive note I got called into the plant at 3:00AM Fri nite and there was a 5'alligator sittin' on the doorstep,bet Dana don't have that problem at his plant ;)
Bone pile
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Offline mullet

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #18 on: July 08, 2009, 08:18:37 am »
 Bonepile, "on the positive side"', hmmm, I know what that means ;) :P
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Offline Kegan

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #19 on: July 08, 2009, 10:25:38 am »
I dont believe wild critters should be Kept as Pets,PERIOD.

What about chipmunks? I heard they're easy to tame. And nothing says "there's an intruder at the door" like a series of tiny, squeaky barks ;)

Offline Traxx

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #20 on: July 08, 2009, 01:02:00 pm »
Nope!
Not even Chipmunks.LOL
I have actually known People who have kept everything from Chipmunks to Bears and it never turns out good in the end.Especially for the critters.

Offline stickbender

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #21 on: July 08, 2009, 03:15:22 pm »

     As Homer Simpson would say, " Mmmmmmm, positive side. "..... ;D

                                                       Wayne

Offline recurve shooter

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #22 on: July 08, 2009, 05:30:03 pm »
i had a few chipmunks and flying squirls when i was like 6. they are cute and all but not really good pets, and if you get one that wont eat, there's nothing you can do. so i believe that if it aint a dog, horse, cow, sheep, goat, or other usefull animall, leave it in the wild.
lets just shoot it

Offline stickbender

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #23 on: July 08, 2009, 09:08:37 pm »

     Well, you have to remember that all those domesticated pets we have, were once feral.  Where did the dog come from?  Mr. Wolf.  I just don't think that you should have dangerous exotic pets without proper licensing, and inspections, and disposal fees.
as for the Ga boon viper, it makes a beautiful bow backing...... ;D  I recently just released a Mocking Bird that I raised from a fledgling, after my cat caught it.  They are very smart birds, and make great pets, but he belonged out side, I recently put him outside.  He did not want to go, but he is doing well now.  I had him catching moths, in the air, and dismembering beetles, and grubs, and meal worms.  He could hover like a humming bird, and dart and twist like a Gosh hawk.  He is occasionally in my neighbors carrot tree, eating the berries off of it.  But as far as having a poisonous snake, I just don't see it.  There are plenty of other snakes that are not harmful to people, pets, or the habitat's natural animals, and reptiles.  If I see an exotic snake, and it is poisonous, or harmful, it is a snake skin.   ;)  If you are not a research facility, like the Miami Serpentarium, I don't think you should have the poisonous snakes, or any constrictor over four or five feet in length.  I don't care who's pet it is, if it kills, or harms a person, or a pet, it's skin will be drying on a board. ;)  And the owner should be held responsible.  I don't know why they are allowed in this country in the first place.  It was at one time, and as far as I know still illegal to grow cotton here in Fla. because this is one state that the boll weevil can survive the winter.  But that is an economic ban, not a health or hazard ban.  These exotic snakes, and lizards thrive here.  Well, I will do my part in eliminating them.  I have a friend of mine who used to go down to Nicaragua before the sandinistas took over, and he said the people down there hunted the iquana's for food.  He said they tasted pretty good.  Yep like chicken.  Soooo there is another food source.  The problem with iguanas, is that when they get about three or four feet, they become carnivorous.  Like Bone pile said we used to have the long nosed green Anoles here, now you very seldom see them.  The Cuban brown Anoles are everywhere.  Time to break out the blow gun...... ;D

                                                                         Wayne



Offline Chad Bower

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #24 on: July 10, 2009, 01:03:26 am »
The end of this month begins the thinning of the constrictors for me and my partner...will keep ya all posted. Ive seen quivers and such made from one hole snake so...should be fun !
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Offline stickbender

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #25 on: July 10, 2009, 02:55:30 am »

     Good luck chad.  Let us see some pictures.  I hope you get a twenty footer.  :o You could make a quiver, bow case, and a pair of nifty moccasins! ;D

                                                                                       Wayne

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #26 on: July 10, 2009, 10:05:07 am »
Befriending a wild animal is fine in my books but making a pet out of one doesn't seem right
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Offline Bushman452

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #27 on: July 11, 2009, 12:21:13 am »
I have been in the swamps and wilderness alot here in fl.
There are critters out there that I cant explane. Some of them are scary and I dont scare easy.
I just hope some clowns dont bring cobras and reptiles like that here as we are in sub Trickable climate.

Any way    Year round we can shoot cows, armadillos, and all kinds of critters.    Have fun.        Tinker.
Feral cows are you serious?
Rabbit eating, deer killing barbaric savage of the Commonwealth.

Offline stickbender

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #28 on: July 11, 2009, 01:42:28 am »

     Bushman452, yep feral cows.  Not your nice moo cow, at your local dairy, or petting zoo.  Rangy, and sometimes pretty nasty.  Fla. at one time had more cows than Texas, and more Eagles than Alaska.  The Cattle was due to the Seminoles.  Other ranchers would lease parts of the Everglades, and let their cattle loose for a couple of years, and then have a round up.  They got wild pretty quickly.  Not all were rounded up, and occasionally you would run into a wild one.  I never shot one, and don't know if you can, but they are out there......Lots of places used to let the cattle roam, where people hunted.  We used to be able to hunt in a place called Devil's Garden, but someone started to shoot the guys cows, and the area was closed to hunting.  Too bad, it was a great place to camp and hunt.  All kinds of critters there, from Panthers, to black bears, hogs, turkeys, deer, quail, ducks, doves, snipe, squirrels, Fox, and Grey, Foxes, Raccoons, snakes of all kinds, before the exotics, and things that you never actually got to see, but got glimpses of, or heard.  But it was a beautiful place.  Oh, well there is always some inconsiderate $##hole that has to mess it up for every one.  Fla. has some nifty critters down here.  When we had the big fires here in Fla. there were some FF's from Oklahoma, and Colorado, and they said they did not know how we could fight brush fires down here, where everything will either bite you, sting you, or stick you, or cut you, even the grass will cut you, and when they encountered an area of muck fire, they said even the damn dirt burns down here.   :o The ones from Montana, said that the difference with animals here, and in Montana, is that you can usually see them, but here there is something in the bushes everywhere you go, and the fires are either up hill, or heading up hill in Montana, but here, you can have three or four all around you, and you don't know where the head of the fire is, without a helicopter telling you.  I'm going to miss some aspects of my Birthplace, when I move to Montana, but I am going to get over it real quick once I am Montanian.   ;D

                                                                                      Wayne

Offline recurve shooter

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Re: Feral reptiles in Florida; possible hunting opprotunity.......
« Reply #29 on: July 11, 2009, 11:11:10 pm »
stickbender, i hear yo on that. i live in deep southern louisiana, kinda similar. im not scared of much, and im terrified of swamps. dunno why, just dont like it cuz its alot like what you just described. everything will hurt you. luckily we aint got no exotics here....lets hope it stays that way.
lets just shoot it