Hunting in the Caribbean?

[cash_tx]

Wasn't sure which Geo to post this on, so I chose the one most inline (latitudinally) with the Caribbean overall. I'm sitting here catching up on AH posts while on vacation in the Exumas (Bahamas) for my wife's 50th birthday, and it got me wondering: Is there any type of hunting that takes place on any of the islands of the Caribbean? Maybe there is, but I'm just not familiar with it. All I've ever hunted in this area are shade and pina coladas. ;-)

 

[grand veneur]

On the French islands Martinique and Guadeloupe small game, especially birds, are hunted.

I don't know how far foreigners can hunt there.

 

[SETH RINGER]

HAVE SUPERVISED METAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ON A LARGE HANDFUL OF VARIOUS CARIBEAN ISLANDS THRU THE YEARS. A FEW OF THE ISLANDS HAD WILD/FERAL PIGS THE LOCALS WOULD HUNT WITH A DOG AND A KNIFE.

 

[K E Johnson]

Legality varies with location. Don’t discount spear fishing if you get a chance.

Tried it in Belize and it was a hoot. The guide got the barracuda and other fish. I was able to get a couple of the lobsters. Went to an island and cooked up a big lunch. FANTASTIC meal!

I haven’t gotten to do as much as I would like. We had a trip to the Virgin Islands this spring. Not legal in British Virgin Islands. Had an outing booked for the US side that was cancelled on account of large waves. Have a lot of miles traveling with a spear gun that hasn’t been wet yet.

 

[Wheels]

A friend hunts dove in the Bahamas on his annual trip. You might want to check it out.

 

[cash_tx]

A friend hunts dove in the Bahamas on his annual trip. You might want to check it out.

Interesting. I saw a few tiny dove on one of the islands just yesterday. And a dove is part of the brand symbol for the resort where we are staying.

 

[rookhawk]

Wasn't sure which Geo to post this on, so I chose the one most inline (latitudinally) with the Caribbean overall. I'm sitting here catching up on AH posts while on vacation in the Exumas (Bahamas) for my wife's 50th birthday, and it got me wondering: Is there any type of hunting that takes place on any of the islands of the Caribbean? Maybe there is, but I'm just not familiar with it. All I've ever hunted in this area are shade and pina coladas. ;-)

View attachment 546769

View attachment 546770

View attachment 546771


View attachment 546772

Only two places I know of are 1.) In the Yucatan, in a very dangerous area inland, you can hunt Turkey. They have Chachalaca as well, but this isn't a tourist activity. 2.) Cuba has very restrictive waterfowl hunting. Obviously Americans have to back-door into the country and not sure if they would allow Americans to do the heavily regulated hunts.

That's about all I know of. The Caribbean is predominantly fishing. South America has very good hunting of course but that's a thousand miles away.

 

[Velo Dog]

I have fly fished Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador.
Plus, I’ve spear fished a couple of those countries as well, via mask, fins and snorkel + either spear gun or pole spear.
Anyway, most of my long and sometimes mediocre adult life, I have been making sober threats to hunt Central and South America as well.

I’ve seen many wild turkey, jungle fowl, “white lipped peccary” (javelina) and a very few white tailed deer plus, waterfowl.
Furthermore, I would not be opposed to hunting tapir, caiman or primates (Do you have a lyesohsonse for your minkey ?).

So many outdoor adventures and such a
such a short lifetime.

 

[VertigoBE]

On the French islands Martinique and Guadeloupe small game, especially birds, are hunted.

I don't know how far foreigners can hunt there.

I was in Martinique in April with the family. Found out only there that there was some hunting going on there. My wife (who lived there till 19) said she thought it prohibited, until we saw a sign on the road with “chasse en cours”.

I also have the French hunting license. As Martinique is French territory, I wonder if it might be much simpler than we think. Just need to find the right guy there to organise it.

Next time we go over I’d want to investigate a day or two of hunting birds or wild pigs there. We had to make do with a day of fishing and although not the season for that either, my brother in law caught a nice barracuda.

 

[rookhawk]

A bit of a slide to the thread, but you may notice that there isn't a lot of Caribbean hunting at this point.

Back in the olden days, PADI had a dive certification that was awesome! It was called "underwater hunter". Being lefty driven as a dive organization, they got rid of it in favor of the "look but don't touch" eco approach. That was shortsighted because spear phishing is great sport, whether for lobster or invasive lion fish they are BEGGING you to kill throughout the Caribbean.

If you like hunting, I suggest you call dive shops and ask if they have any lion fish hunting available. You may find that tickles your itch.

 

[everett]

Never done it, but I’ve seen video of iguana hunting with air guns in Puerto Rico.

 

[LucasK]

Mona island off Puerto Rico, for goats and pigs. I think Barbados used to have some introduced deer, Dominican Republic has some dove and pigeon hunting but I think it has to be through a hunting club and they are members only affairs. Cuba was mentioned above. There are probably others but I can't think of any now...

 

[Daktari]

More info on the dove hunting of the Bahamas:

 

[deewayne2003]

This thread made me curious and it looks like Cuba is an option.

Transworld Expeditions | Rates & Promotions

transworldexpeditions.com

 

[rookhawk]

This thread made me curious and it looks like Cuba is an option.

Transworld Expeditions | Rates & Promotions

transworldexpeditions.com

I tried to investigate hunting in Cuba further but came up blank. I know in the days of Hemingway that it was one of the world's best waterfowl flyways.

Incidentally, hunting aside, Havana was probably one of the most interesting and enjoyable places I've visited. Culture, museums, night life, cigars, architecture, ocean vistas...all top notch and unequaled in the Caribbean.

Oh, and its hands down the safest place I've ever visited in the New World, being a communist police-state dependent on foreign tourism. The police do not allow harassment of tourists whatsoever.

 

[Daktari]

The only legitimate options I've found are Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic.

 

[deewayne2003]

I tried to investigate hunting in Cuba further but came up blank. I know in the days of Hemingway that it was one of the world's best waterfowl flyways.

Incidentally, hunting aside, Havana was probably one of the most interesting and enjoyable places I've visited. Culture, museums, night life, cigars, architecture, ocean vistas...all top notch and unequaled in the Caribbean.

Oh, and its hands down the safest place I've ever visited in the New World, being a communist police-state dependent on foreign tourism. The police do not allow harassment of tourists whatsoever.

I've heard that from several Americans, I've also heard the scuba diving is amazing because Cuba hasn't been invaded by the commercial dive operations like the rest of the world.

Further research lead to the discovery of African game having been stocked on the island and once you realize Cuba's involvement in African diplomacy over the decades it makes sense.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180816-the-unexpected-animals-roaming-cuba

 

[Daktari]

@grand veneur any additional info on hunting Martinique or Guadalupe? I have not been able to find anything

 

[SETH RINGER]

2AM,ROLEX ON MY WRIST AND TOO DRUNK TO STAND UP I COUDN'T GET ROBBED IN CUBA.

 

[Boone66]

Interesting thread, I never wanted to go before, to much to hunt in the US. But, the GF has been bugging me for a warm vacation, everywhere is far from NW Montana