The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Hazcat on July 25, 2009, 08:33:34 AM
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MANASOTA KEY
George Cera is a burly bon vivant with a shaved head, a devilish goatee and an appetite for provocative ideas, including one that has been cooking on his back burner for a while now. He is sure Florida will be a better place if citizens start eating iguanas.
"There's one,'' he says, stopping the station wagon in a waterfront forest in Sarasota County. Hunched intensely behind the steering wheel, he aims his trusty Gamo air rifle out the open window and squeezes the trigger.
Pish!
Thirty feet away, the spiny-tailed black iguana, about 2 feet long, drops in a heap — shot through its leathery head. Florida's great iguana hunter sprints to his prize and swings it by the tail into an ice chest.
No need to stop at Subway for lunch.
"Save Florida, eat an iguana'' is his credo. It also happens to be the name of his new cookbook, on sale at, well, a few places so far.
Iguanas, like Nile monitor lizards and Burmese pythons, aren't supposed to live in Florida. They are here thanks to lax federal and state laws regarding the pet trade, and thanks to pet owners who lose their critters or let them go. Now all manner of alien reptiles with no natural enemies are reproducing in the state's southern half as if on a mission to take over Florida. In a matter of decades they are changing the ecology of a place that has taken thousands of years to evolve.
Pythons, which grow longer than 20 feet, are eating alligators in the fragile Everglades — and experts fear that humans one day may end up on the menu. A state-sanctioned hunt commenced recently to reduce a population estimated to be at least 25,000 pythons. For the record, gourmets who have eaten python say the meat is chewy yet sweet.
In southwest Florida, nobody is eating the 6-foot Nile monitor lizards that creep through suburban back yards with impunity. On the other hand, there is no law against killing and barbecuing the homely invaders.
Immature iguanas may look like they belong on a Florida postcard — go ahead and cue up Jimmy Buffett — but they pose a significant threat to the environment.
"They are widespread,'' says Kenneth Krysko, who studies iguanas at the University of Florida. "And there are tens of thousands of them.'' Young iguanas eat eggs of protected sea turtles, gopher tortoises and burrowing owls. As 7-foot adults, they dine on endangered flora that includes the delicate butterfly sage. For dessert they devour expensive suburban landscape plants.
Iguanas burrow under houses and undermine sidewalks. They invade attics and nestle in the insulation. They are now establishing clawholds on the Pinellas County waterfront.
Don't look now, but something large is eating your hibiscus.
Don't look now, but somebody large is thinking about eating your iguana.
"Listen,'' George Cera says, "in Central America, in South America, in Mexico, iguanas are considered a delicacy. We ought to be eating them.''
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George Cera grew up in Ohio, where he used a gun to supply his own vittles. He never met a reptile he was tempted to eat because they were pets he bought by mail when he was 12. The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake and gaboon viper were his roommates.
"When I was in middle school the police would come to my classroom and ask for me. I'd say, 'What did I do?' They'd say, 'Nothing. We need you to catch a snake.' ''
He worked in a pet store as a teen. That scar on his head? A capuchin monkey. The scar on his face? A 9-foot python.
"Not good pets. Neither are iguanas,'' says Cera, who once owned one named Rusty. "They require a lot of care and adult males are especially aggressive during mating season. They have big teeth and bite.''
As an adult, Cera worked as a carpenter and as one of those guys who catches opossums and raccoons in people's attics. Five years ago, during Florida's building boom, he moved south for the climate and a construction job. Immediately he saw business opportunities that had nothing to do with hammer and saw.
Florida! Bizarre Land! A Carl Hiaasen novel come to life!
Leapin' lizards!
• • •
He is 41. He smokes Marlboros. His cell phone features the mighty cry of an enraged chimpanzee. The phone shrieked a few years ago. On the line was somebody from the Big Gasparilla Island government in Charlotte County. Somebody wanted to know if he'd help with their, ahem, iguana problem.
It seemed a couple of pets had gotten loose in the 1980s. Now there were thousands on the 7-mile-long island known for marinas, tarpon fishing, rich folks and, increasingly, reptiles. They were eating tortoise eggs. They were eating the eggs of protected burrowing owls. Small ones occasionally slithered through pipes and into toilets.
The iguana bounty was $20 each. Cera set catch-'em-alive traps. Iguanas may be primitive, cold-blooded lizards, but they were smart enough to avoid traps. Cera found it simpler, and less cruel, to shoot them with his pellet gun.
Not everybody was happy. Not everybody said, "Thank you for saving Florida from the lizard plague.'' Someone vandalized his vehicle. Anonymous callers woke him in the middle of the night with death threats. "I hope your children die,'' someone wrote the single father of two in an e-mail.
In a way, he had sympathy for the plight of the iguana.
"There is no such thing as a bad animal,'' Cera says. "Iguanas are just iguanas. They didn't ask to come to Florida. They were brought here. They were let loose by idiots. Now they are destroying Florida. We can't let that happen.''
In two years, he bagged 12,000 iguanas on Big Gasparilla Island. He didn't get them all, and one day he may have to start all over again. After all, iguanas continue to be imported into the country and sold as pets.
"I ended up giving the dead iguanas to crab fishermen to use as bait. But it bothered me a little. It would have been nice to have found another use for them.''
Stewed iguana. Iguana pizza. Iguana tacos.
• • •
Sarasota and Manatee counties might have more iguanas than Democrats right now. They are taking over the waterfront, scampering along bulkheads and basking in the sea grapes. Cera still catches the occasional opossum or rattlesnake in a caller's carport for a fee. But he is also up to his elbows in iguana work down there on the reptile-infested waterfront.
He wears a yellow T-shirt with "Lizard Control" on the back. He has scars on his arms and scabs on his legs from handling live iguanas. The missing fingertip? Nile monitor.
He prefers to shoot at a distance.
In Central America, iguanas are sometimes known as the chickens of the trees. Last year, Cera began collecting recipes for his cookbook. There was no shortage.
"Iguanas are delicious,'' says biologist Meg Loman, who earned her doctorate studying trees in the tropics where iguanas are plentiful. "Everybody ate them.'' When she became director of environmental initiatives at New College of Florida in Sarasota she began promoting "an iguana in every pot'' for Floridians.
"I'm all for what George is doing,'' she says.
• • •
In Florida, some communities prohibit the discharge of firearms or animal cruelty, but there is no state law against killing an iguana in a clean and efficient manner. Where legal, George Cera goes for a quick shot to the head or spine with his pellet rifle.
Summer. Morning. The air feels as moist as a bloodhound's breath. The fearless iguana hunter is on the prowl. "In no shape or form do I enjoy killing iguanas,'' he explains from behind the steering wheel. "In fact, I'm sick of the mass killing. One day I want to lay down this gun and just do public education. But for now I can't do that. There are too many. We might as well take advantage and eat them.''
He steers off the road near a boat ramp. It's Carl Hiaasen country: The pepper trees are from Brazil, the pines are from Australia and the quaker parrots are from Paraguay.
Cera's sharp eyes detect something in the shade of a Brazilian pepper. Slowly he points the rifle out the car window.
Pish!
Bull's-eye. An iguana from Mexico, third of the day, goes into his ice chest. Enough for lunch.
Cera has written an iguana book, right? He now admits he has never actually eaten one. Today will be the day.
At home he spills his iguanas into the kitchen sink. Like a farmer preparing a freshly killed chicken, he slits them open with a sharp knife.
Okay. Guts out. Now he dips each carcass in boiling water just long enough to loosen the skin. Comes off like a pair of pants.
Next he throws the naked iguanas into another big pot. Turns the heat up to boil. In the meantime, his best friend, Christy Conde, who is visiting from Ohio, begins slicing carrots, celery, onions and potatoes in an expert manner. She is famous for her chicken soup.
She throws the veggies in the pot with the iguana and turns the heat down to simmer.
About an hour later, the kitchen smells like grandma's kitchen.
George Cera starts ladling.
Bon appetit!
Stare at the bowl. Work up courage. Pick up the spoon. Put spoon in mouth.
The broth, everyone admits, is delicious. The meat? Chewy yet mild.
Don't tell grandma. What tastes like chicken isn't always chicken.
Jeff Klinkenberg can be reached at klink@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8727. His latest book is "Pilgrim in the Land of Alligators."
>>RECIPE
Iguana Stew
Here's one of Cera's iguana recipes:
Remove head, organs and tail.
Dip in hot water and scrape off scales or skin. Practice safe food handling. Iguana, like chicken, can carry salmonella.
3 to 4 pounds of iguana
1 teaspoon salt
3 peeled and sliced potatoes
1 large sliced onion
1 cup lima beans
1 cup canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ketchup or Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of butter
Place iguana in Dutch oven with enough boiling water to cover. Add salt and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add potatoes, onion, lima beans, tomatoes and sugar. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until beans and potatoes are tender.
Add corn, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and add ketchup or Worcestershire sauce if desired.
Add butter and stir well.
Serves 8.
Source: Save Florida, Eat an Iguana
TO LEARN MORE
Good eatin'
For information about the cookbook Save Florida, Eat an Iguana, go to iguanacookbook.com or e-mail George Cera at theiguanahunter@yahoo.com.
http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article1021412.ece
Video and comments at link
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Tasty!
Critters is critters, right?
:)
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We were discussing eating road kill yesterday. How bad can freshly shot Iguana be compared to "two lane Tartare" ?
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no it doesn't taste like chicken. I've had it and love the flavor. tender meat too.
had some in Panama a few years ago cooked in rice and really like the little buggers.
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I'd have to see the tender. I had snake in the army and alligator out of it, both were, uh, chewy. There are about a million around here, so I guess starvation could at least be avoided. There are lots of poor Hatians around and I don't think even they eat them. There was a story about two idiots who ate an endangered one in the Bahamas, put it on facebook, and were, duh, arrested.
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Deepwater...are you sure it was Iguana and not dog or something?
Richard
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Deepwater...are you sure it was Iguana and not dog or something?
Richard
Hey, Dog isn't half bad. Had it Italy years ago.
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Hey, Dog isn't half bad. Had it Italy years ago.
Probably depends on the breed..... and what it's been fed. ;D
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Probably depends on the breed..... and what it's been fed. ;D
Labrador man ! ;D
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Probably depends on the breed..... and what it's been fed. ;D
A Chinese fella I worked with some years back said he didn't care for brown dogs with white spots! Not kidding here!
He was a great guy, wish I could get 5 or 10 like him in our shop. About 60 years old and worked these punk kids into the dirt!
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Deepwater...are you sure it was Iguana and not dog or something?
Richard
yeah, sure, not sure if I've eaten dog though, been to China, Vietnam, S. Korea, Japan, and China Town... but I've heard it's tough.
I'm sure I've had iguana and cat though. (cat is just like rabbit, though I didn't know that's what I was eating at the time or I would have left it alone).
yum, yum, ;)
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I had dog tacos from a street vendor in Monterey Mexico.
I never would have known it, but my hosts stopped their 5 y/o American niece from eating the tacos for fear that she might get sick. I thought that they were messing with the gringo, but my good friend and father to the 5 y/o assured me that they were 100% serious. He stopped eating them too.
I had already eaten 2 so I went ahead and finished the third. Spicy ground meat in a corn tortilla with fresh cabbage, onion and cillantro. What's not to like. I did not get even slightly sick.
Yo quiero tacos de perro. ;D
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I had dog tacos from a street vendor in Monterey Mexico.
I never would have known it, but my hosts stopped their 5 y/o American niece from eating the tacos for fear that she might get sick. I thought that they were messing with the gringo, but my good friend and father to the 5 y/o assured me that they were 100% serious. He stopped eating them too.
I had already eaten 2 so I went ahead and finished the third. Spicy ground meat in a corn tortilla with fresh cabbage, onion and cillantro. What's not to like. I did not get even slightly sick.
Yo quiero tacos de perro. ;D
I've been around a time or five, and honestly don't know what all I've e't when I'm overseas and drunk (this includes Peru).
but I must say that the only food I won't eat, is Broccoli!
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I've been around a time or five, and honestly don't know what all I've e't when I'm overseas and drunk (this includes Peru).
but I must say that the only food I won't eat, is Broccoli!
I'm with you on that one Deepwater. To quote Seinfeld's Newman, "Vile weed."
I grew up in Ireland and I've been fortunate to travel extensively outside the States. I've never met a dish that I won't sample. I'll try anything at least once.
Quick and funny story. I was a scuba instructor on the side, while working at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. I took a group, made up only of nurses and surgeons, on a dive trip to Cozumel, Mexico. Our dive shop booked trips and always had at least one instructor lead the trip. When out of the country, I eat and drink anything that I want. In Mexico, I eat ceviche, fresh veggies, drink the water etcetera. The docs & nurses on this trip were loaded up with antibiotics, anti-diarrheals, stomach meds, you name it. They were very careful about what they ate and drank, being super cautious to drink only bottled water. Several of the divers in my group told me that my attitude about the food and water were foolish.
I was up very early one morning (about 05:30) and went outside the hotel to meet with the dive boat operator, who was taking us out for the day. I watched as some of the hotel staff were filling the 5 gallon "bottled water" cooler jugs from outside water hoses. This was about the 3rd or 4th day of the trip. I just chuckled and kept it to myself. For several days, my dive group had been very carefully drinking only the "bottled water" and refilling their water bottles for the daily dives. ;D
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Kill all pythons in Florida, period!!! They are not native and need to be euthanized so as to not intefere further with the native habitat.
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I'm with you on that one Deepwater. To quote Seinfeld's Newman, "Vile weed."
I grew up in Ireland and I've been fortunate to travel extensively outside the States. I've never met a dish that I won't sample. I'll try anything at least once.
Quick and funny story. I was a scuba instructor on the side, while working at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. I took a group, made up only of nurses and surgeons, on a dive trip to Cozumel, Mexico. Our dive shop booked trips and always had at least one instructor lead the trip. When out of the country, I eat and drink anything that I want. In Mexico, I eat ceviche, fresh veggies, drink the water etcetera. The docs & nurses on this trip were loaded up with antibiotics, anti-diarrheals, stomach meds, you name it. They were very careful about what they ate and drank, being super cautious to drink only bottled water. Several of the divers in my group told me that my attitude about the food and water were foolish.
I was up very early (about 05:30) and went outside the hotel to meet with the dive boat operator, who was taking us out for the day. I watched as some of the hotel staff were filling the 5 gallon "bottled water" cooler jugs from outside water hoses. This was about the 3rd or 4th day of the trip. I just chuckled and kept it to myself. For several days, my dive group had been very carefully drinking only the "bottled water" and refilling their water bottles for the daily dives. ;D
yeah, most tourists over do it. the more bacteria in yer gut the better you'll be. anymore, the sickest I get is when I have some kind of infection and take antibiotics. it kills all the (or most) of the good (digestive) bacteria and you get diarrhea real quick. also, water, I am careful about, Peru had a recent (past ten years) outbreak of cholera that was traced back to the water. I boil.
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Kill all pythons in Florida, period!!! They are not native and need to be euthanized so as to not intefere further with the native habitat.
has anyone here tasted Python? I'm willing if anyone gets a kill.
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"They are not native and need to be euthanized so as to not intefere further with the native habitat."
Ping, Lighten up Dude, you could say the same thing about all the people except the Seminoles. ;D
I hear what you are saying though, anything that eats gators WHOLE, does not make a good neighbor.
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"They are not native and need to be euthanized so as to not intefere further with the native habitat."
Ping, Lighten up Dude, you could say the same thing about all the people except the Seminoles. ;D
I hear what you are saying though, anything that eats gators WHOLE, does not make a good neighbor.
Actually, you can say it about the Seminoles too. Humans are NOT native to the Americas - they all came here in migrations from elsewhere. I like the Canadians' reference over the US' name - First Peoples instead of Native Americans - ain't no such thing as "Native Americans".
Agreed on the python all the way around - whack 'em if they ain't native.
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has anyone here tasted Python? I'm willing if anyone gets a kill.
I'd try it.......rattlesnake tastes pretty good. ;)
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WOW ! 19 posts and we're still talking about eating reptiles ?
I think we have set a record for staying near the topic ;D
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WOW ! 19 posts and we're still talking about eating reptiles ?
I think we have set a record for staying near the topic ;D
Well.....in that case......and, with all due respect and apologies to Eric for beating him to it.............. *CLIP*............. ;D ;D ;D
And now back to the reptiles............... ;)
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WOW ! 19 posts and we're still talking about eating reptiles ?
I think we have set a record for staying near the topic ;D
I think the reason would be that we are discussing killing something we can eat and maybe even get paid for it! :D
and not just killing and eating, but how to and what it tastes like. mmmmmmmmm. yum. ;)
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Yes we do tend to stay focused on killing FOOD ;D
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Well.....in that case......and, with all due respect and apologies to Eric for beating him to it.............. *CLIP*............. ;D ;D ;D
And now back to the reptiles............... ;)
(http://www.smileyx.com/smilies/sign0173.gif)
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(http://www.smileyx.com/smilies/sign0173.gif)
One of these days I'm gonna *CLIP* some wings around here. >:(
;D
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I've been holding my fire on this one boys just because I 've been too amused. But as unemployment drags on, and my retired father who has a place deep in the glades, travels more often, I'm thinking of a business(only half in jest). Captain Quakers Everglades Safari! Snook and Tarpon in the morning, a run into Naples or just a siesta in the afternoon (lunch provided) then Python hunting in the sawgrass in the late afternoon till after dark, machete, canoe and trained python dog provided. Day two, fishing in the afternoon, Iguana hunting by golf cart in the morning (Golf included). We take in a 9am tee time, with clubs and air rifles, play through a lovely course, pausing to snipe, and then return in time for lunch and fishing. $700 a day. What say you?
FQ13
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For all you Florida boys.... how difficult would these be to hunt...... how close can you get to them before they bolt?
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I've been holding my fire on this one boys just because I 've been too amused. But as unemployment drags on, and my retired father who has a place deep in the glades, travels more often, I'm thinking of a business(only half in jest). Captain Quakers Everglades Safari! Snook and Tarpon in the morning, a run into Naples or just a siesta in the afternoon (lunch provided) then Python hunting in the sawgrass in the late afternoon till after dark, machete, canoe and trained python dog provided. Day two, fishing in the afternoon, Iguana hunting by golf cart in the morning (Golf included). We take in a 9am tee time, with clubs and air rifles, play through a lovely course, pausing to snipe, and then return in time for lunch and fishing. $700 a day. What say you?
FQ13
I say 700 a day is WAAAAAAY too expensive.
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For all you Florida boys.... how difficult would these be to hunt...... how close can you get to them before they bolt?
Three variables.
1) Whether they are surrounded by idiots who don't mess with them or right thinking folks who want them dead.
2) The weather. They are very sluggish in the cold, to the point they become almost comatose if it drops below 40. Unfortunately the same is true of us natives so it evens out. ;D
3) The amount of oblivious humans around. Never let it be said that an iguana can't haul ass if motivated. This is why all clients on day two (Iguana palooza) of Captain Quakers Everglades Bloodbath will be equipped with a BB SMG (suppressed) to keep the little bastards from making an escape. ;D
FQ13 Crikey mate, we got big 'uns here!
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I say 700 a day is WAAAAAAY too expensive.
You're a cheap SOB haz. Just a flats guide will run you $375 per half day. I'm offering that PLUS 16 foot reptiles in three feet of water in a mosquitoe and alligator infested sawgrass swamp with nothing but a machete (because Crist is a pussy who won't let us use guns in the Glades) between you and certain death. PLUS you get to paddle, portage and drag your canoe a mile or two into the swamp to get there. I should charge twice as much for "Captain Quaker's Everglades Blood Bath". Hell I bet the Nuge would pay three times that amount and he wouldn't even expect me to make lunch. HTFU Haz. ;D ;D ;D
FQ13
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If you don't golf can you just ride around the course knocking off lizards ?
I agree $700 a day is to much.
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You're a cheap SOB haz. Just a flats guide will run you $375 per half day. I'm offering that PLUS 16 foot reptiles in three feet of water in a mosquitoe and alligator infested sawgrass swamp with nothing but a machete (because Crist is a pussy who won't let us use guns in the Glades) between you and certain death. PLUS you get to paddle, portage and drag your canoe a mile or two into the swamp to get there. I should charge twice as much for "Captain Quaker's Everglades Blood Bath". Hell I bet the Nuge would pay three times that amount and he wouldn't even expect me to make lunch. HTFU Haz. ;D ;D ;D
FQ13
Have you noticed we are all out of money. BHO took everything I had left.
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I can get a 200 lb pig, cleaned and quartered for 150.
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I can get a 200 lb pig, cleaned and quartered for 150.
Yeah, but can you make boots out of it?
FQ13 8)
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Yeah, but can you make boots out of it?
FQ13 8)
Nope, here in America we make footballs
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Nope, here in America we make footballs
For when we don't have enough liberals to kick. ;D
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(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p78/hazcater/Fun%20Stuff/Threaddrift.jpg)
(not bad, we're on page 4!)
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I've been holding my fire on this one boys just because I 've been too amused. But as unemployment drags on, and my retired father who has a place deep in the glades, travels more often, I'm thinking of a business(only half in jest). Captain Quakers Everglades Safari! Snook and Tarpon in the morning, a run into Naples or just a siesta in the afternoon (lunch provided) then Python hunting in the sawgrass in the late afternoon till after dark, machete, canoe and trained python dog provided. Day two, fishing in the afternoon, Iguana hunting by golf cart in the morning (Golf included). We take in a 9am tee time, with clubs and air rifles, play through a lovely course, pausing to snipe, and then return in time for lunch and fishing. $700 a day. What say you?
FQ13
I'm currently too poor to pay attention, but when things pick up soon, I'm ready to sign up Cap'N Quaker. ;D
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Liquor in the front. Poker in the rear. Got a little captain in ya? Would ya like some?
*Drifting.... drifting..... drifting....
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Trapping would be much more effective at population control, and more neighbor friendly then those evil pellet guns
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Trapping would be much more effective at population control, and more neighbor friendly then those evil pellet guns
What are you going to do with live ones after you catch them ?
Kill them and eat them ?
Release them 2 towns over ?
Or at the home of some one you don't like ?
You could just dump the first couple hundred in Haz's pool then hide and watch the fire works, But DON"T get caught ;D
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What are you going to do with live ones after you catch them ?
Kill them and eat them ?
Release them 2 towns over ?
Or at the home of some one you don't like ?
You could just dump the first couple hundred in Haz's pool then hide and watch the fire works, But DON"T get caught ;D
X ring! Of course, Fed Ex will let you mail animals............. ;D ;D ;D
FQ13 Who's wondering if you can hear me now? Rope? Phah, I've got giant lizards! ;D
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X ring! Of course, Fed Ex will let you mail animals............. ;D ;D ;D
FQ13 Who's wondering if you can hear me now? Rope? Phah, I've got giant lizards! ;D
You may be on to something. The elitists laughed off the Tea bags. See who laughs about a couple million lizards being mailed to them ;D Pelosi would probably eat them live.
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You may be on to something. The elitists laughed off the Tea bags. See who laughs about a couple million lizards being mailed to them ;D Pelosi would probably eat them live.
Isn't that canabilism?
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Isn't that canabilism?
Worse yet she'd breed with them. Does anyone else see a summer blockbuster here? Snakes on a plane? That's for wimps, I'm thinking Children of Pelosi!!!! ;D
FQ13 $650 for board members for the Everglades Blood Bath
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Worse yet she'd breed with them. Does anyone else see a summer blockbuster here? Snakes on a plane? That's for wimps, I'm thinking Children of Pelosi!!!! ;D
Now that's a horror movie. I used to think that "The Exorcist" was the scariest movie that was or ever could be made...............WRONG. You just scared the H%$L out of me. ;D
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You be the judge.........
don't you people ever sleep?
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I think the Iguana is more Human looking.