By Chad Love

It's no secret that South Florida is ground zero for invasive species hunting and fishing opportunities. Anglers have snakeheads and whatever else is swimming around and big-game hunters have giant pythons and boa constrictors, but what about upland and waterfowl hunters? Where's their exotic hunting opportunity? Ask and ye shall receive. Meet the purple swamphen...

From the story in the Miami Herald:

State wildlife managers are considering including a nonnative bird called the purple swamphen in South Florida's waterfowl hunting season. Although not dangerous to humans, it poses a major threat to Florida's wetlands ecosystem. State officials say the large bird can easily harass a small one, and out-competes with native birds for food and shelter. A hunting posse killed over 3,000 swamphens in 2006, but no one knows how many are left. The bird has spread over the last 14 years from the man-made marshes of Broward County to Lake Okeechobee and beyond. Native to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific islands, the chicken-sized swamphens got here by people setting them free in the Everglades.

Comments (6)

from chasclifton wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

But what do they taste like?

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from RANGERMANZ20 wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

The Swamphen is called Mudhens by people on Lake Okeechobee, they are everywere there. I have hit several by accident while running to the fishing spots. I never knew that they was not native to the area. It would be a shooting season not a hunting season because there is so many down in Florida. I know that people would get tickets from Game Wardens for shooting them during regular duck season, i wounder are they going to give those folks their money back now.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from idduckhntr wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

Thing reminds me of a goofy lookin coot, and if they taste like coot you dont want nothing to with it.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shane wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

Don't matter how they taste. Kill all invasive species.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shane wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

It's not a matter or dinner fare or fair chase or whatever, it's a matter of what's best for an ecosystem.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fliphuntr14 wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

yeah judging by the terrible theories of the media these birds could taste like oil soon. Shane is right most invasive species are terrible for the environments they invade. like cats in game bird areas shoot em

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

from chasclifton wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

But what do they taste like?

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shane wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

Don't matter how they taste. Kill all invasive species.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shane wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

It's not a matter or dinner fare or fair chase or whatever, it's a matter of what's best for an ecosystem.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fliphuntr14 wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

yeah judging by the terrible theories of the media these birds could taste like oil soon. Shane is right most invasive species are terrible for the environments they invade. like cats in game bird areas shoot em

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from RANGERMANZ20 wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

The Swamphen is called Mudhens by people on Lake Okeechobee, they are everywere there. I have hit several by accident while running to the fishing spots. I never knew that they was not native to the area. It would be a shooting season not a hunting season because there is so many down in Florida. I know that people would get tickets from Game Wardens for shooting them during regular duck season, i wounder are they going to give those folks their money back now.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from idduckhntr wrote 1 year 38 weeks ago

Thing reminds me of a goofy lookin coot, and if they taste like coot you dont want nothing to with it.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.