If you are not a fan of hunting in general, please do not read on as this will likely not be something of interest to you (or worse, upset you). And that is certainly not our intent. But here at the Carlisle household, we aim to seek new experiences – even those that are outside of our comfort zones or current way of thinking. If you had told me that someday we’d be hunting lizards in downtown Miami, I’d thought you were crazy!

Camping in the Everglades, we crossed the path of a lovely couple – Chad and Lee. More about them later… but when you meet good people, you just know it in your gut. And the fact that we met anyone in the Everglades is a miracle because the bugs are so awful, we spent most of our time hiding inside our RV. As Chad and Lee were pulling out of their campsite, Chad briefly shared with us his hunting experience in downtown Miami. What?!?. Tell us more…  Rob quickly exchanged phone numbers. And so a friendship begins…

Well, it turns out that Iguana’s are an invasive species in Florida. They have no natural predators and they wreak significant havoc on the landscapes and building structures (burrowing). So in some cities, they have licensed hunting operations to help control the population – and they will take you hunting with them!

The set up is legit. Lane learns how to properly hold and sight in the air rifle. These are not your average air rifles – 22 and 30 caliber. Accurate at distances similar to traditional ammunition based rifles. Quiet and no kick-back. 

I loved hearing Lane’s description of the experience. He was of course really excited – because he loves anything related to shooting guns. He’s done his fair share of target practice at our property. But actually ending the life of something, is really, really, different. (I remember the first time I pulled the trigger on a deer – it was not easy and I was not sure how I would feel when I walked up to it and saw it dead.) I was touched by Lane’s description of the trepidation he felt at first. 

I’m not sure if there will every be any iguana hunting again in our future, but I am really glad these two boys got to experience it. Rob was impressed that it was both thrilling but also educational experience. 

Now get to packing!… We leave for Cuba in the morning!