So I was out this evening and didn't see squat but an armadillo that came within 5 yards while ground hunting. After reading FWC's website I learned that they are not even native to FL. I also read they eat eggs http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=750139 Problem for turkey and quail.
I was really thinking about taking this one, but in the end I am not eating it. Any other reasons to shoot on site.
Oh and what an ugly looking critter.
I was taught from when I started to hunt around 5 or 6 with my dad, if your not going to eat it then leave it alone. I taught the same ethics to my son. Killing just because I can, I don't think so.
I understand not killing what you won't eat.... However if I kill a coyote, crow etc. I feel like I am saving a turkey, grouse or fawn. I hunt in upstate ny and the coyotes and crow are everywhere! I figure a lot of people hunt deer and turkey but VERY FEW HUNT coyotes & crows.
I agree up to a point. Coyotes are a huge problem and I will take the opportunity if given the chance. I don't believe the guys are eating the pythons down in the everglades after they are killed, but they are another huge invasive species that are decimating deer and other game.
Can't say that about the armadillo though. They are an invasive species and like to destroy lawns, gardens, and peoples foundations of homes, but out in the woods besides the egg issue are they a threat. I don't know that's why I am asking. I let the little guy go today.
I've heard they carry leprosy! that is enough for me not to bother with them!
Bisch
I also have a hard time shooting just to kill something any more. Not saying it is bad, but as I get older, I am not into it. OK, if I see a field of ground squirrels or a river of carp, I rescind my last statement.
ChuckC
A lot of people shoot them that are not hunters. I know several that live in LA that hate what they do to the shrubbery around their homes.
Where do you draw the line on what animal is worthy of living or dying? What's your criteria?
Would you kill a fly or a mosquito?
Just wondering out loud... :dunno:
Really didn't want this post to turn into a moral type deal. Sorry if bothered some. I just wanted to see if there were other negatives about this 4 legged critter. If not I will most likely leave them alone, especially with the leprosy, which is true. Problem is I think you have to ingest the meat or mess with its organs, not sure but that's what I have heard.
I don't really mind killing things I won't eat, raccoon, coyote, crow, etc. But out in the bush an armadillo kill is just a lost arrow at best (I'm not keep one that "could" have leprosy). The wood folks use to make baskets out of their shells and stuff, haha. Around my house, yes they dig up my beds and it annoys me. If I ever plant something expensive and it happens to kill it I wouldn't be above shooting it. Its up to you. Think HH shot bald eagles..
As a general rule I don't kill something I won't eat... But I will shoot a coyote on sight! :archer2:
I shoot them just like I do coyotes or wild pigs. Just a nuisances animal.
Not trying to rationalize killing, the older I get the more it bothers me, that said nothing goes to waste in nature. If I take a squirrel, woodchuck, crow or coyote etc. and leave it, I go back in two days it's gone. Seems like grouse, pheasants, rabbits and woodcock are not seen like when I was a kid. Really think "egg eaters" and environment are the problem. This is a good discussion to have...
Random killing of armadillos or coyotes is doing nothing to control their populations. All you are doing is expelling your own blood lust. Armadillos are not anywhere near the nest predators that coons, opossums, skunks, etc are. Do you kill them on sight?
I have trapped 37 armadillos in my yard the past two years. Shot everyone in the trap. Everything else I caught got a pass.
They destroy my yard, can potentially cripple a horse or cow with their holes, and they make fun targets when I need to "expell my own bloodlust" as someone stated. They're a nuisance and I feel great satisfaction when I remove one from the earth. Same as I do when I swat a fly or shoot a carp.
Sounds like you didn't feel compelled to kill him so you didn't. Hawks kill a bunch of turkeys and other game and nobody is worried about them.
If they're legal to shoot, do what you can live with. Shoot on sight? I reserve that for lethal threats.
Hawks and all raptors are a federally protected species, armadillos are not so not exactly a fair comparison. I know alot of wildlife managers and farmers/ranchers who worry/dislike raptors for the damage they can do to what ever it is they are trying to manage/raise. Just not much they can do about them without severe penalty.
Armadillos dig up yards, gardens, etc. looking for worms, their main diet. As I remember it, they don't have teeth. Actually, they aren't bad eating. My grandmother wanted an armadillo shell purse, so we caught one, killed it, skinned it out and ate it. They don't see well, but have good noses. They make excellent survival food.
We have removed many natural predators and need to take their place. All creatures need to be kept in a healthy balance.
I've joked that 'possums are so ugly nothing wants to eat them... so God designed that they should walk out in front of cars at night.
"let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over all cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Eating is not the only legitimate reason for killing.
JMO
Im certainly not advocating the protection of armadillos but if the thread starter had a question as to "If" he shoulda killed the critter, he probably didn't want to in the 1st place therefore, he's probably in a better place now that he didn't. Id surely kill everyone that gave me a chance if armadillos were damaging something of value to me or my community at large.
I don't kill raptors and am keenly aware that they are a protected race but I do think the comparison is adequate. Im under the impression that their protection is purely sentimental at this stage in time.
Some things it is acceptable to kill and leave lay, fies, rats, armadillos, groundhogs, raccoons, crows, carp, these species left unchecked become a huge problem. Silver carp in KY are terrible, filling our waterways with a prolific breeder that can live in any condition and are destroying game fish species. If you ever had an acre of sweetcorn ravaged by raccoons, or a barn that the groundhogs are seriously under mining, you would want to kill everyone in sight.
Oh, armadillos...., I hate them. Were I hunt they moved in about 10 years ago, if I didn't eradicate as many as I can they would be the dominant species.
On one of my food plots it looks like hogs have been in it but the fist sized holes say armadillo. Deer won't come around a rooting armadillo so if you have one or more rooting around your stand your deer hunt is done.
I satisfy my "blood lust" at least dozen times a year by targeting these pests exclusively with my 22. I got 24 last year on 350 acres and haven't see one while on a stand this year. I have run across a few while walking out after dark that are on my hit list for after deer season.
People who have had little or no contact with these pests don't know how an invasive species like an armadillo can disrupt the balance of your land. It is like having a burgeoning population of Norway rats in your kitchen.
A friend of mine, while just a small boy, lived in Texas with his Grandfather. He had seen those armadillo baskets, so he decided to make one for his Grandmother. He shot one with his 22, and hung it in the barn. A week or so later, his Grandfather had occasion to visit the barn, and made a horrible discovery. My buddy had to take the reeking carcass out and dispose of it, which he says was punishment plenty.
Murray
They can transmit leprosy to humans, that would be reason enough to keep them away from my family.
Well,I dont have this kind of animals in my country so I find it nice and funny :wavey:
This is one of those subjects that can be eternally debated with no solid resolution. I see both (multiple) angles and am myself ambivalent on the idea. I vacillate on whether to shoot or not shoot something I will not eat. I try to weigh the situation and decide if the harm I cause will be worth the benefit to the native and desired system. In the end, I suppose it comes down to how well you can sleep with the decision you make.
For what it's worth, I find myself shooting coyotes and such less and less, if ever, and shooting armadillos somewhat more often. I've lately left possums alone. Crows are in play as I really like their feathers for fletching and have found some recipes I want to try. Do what seems conscionable to you.
From one Floridian to another -- take 'em out. We've got more than enough invasive stuff down here killing off or replacing local wildlife as it is.
The CDC says the risk of contracting Leprosy is minimal. If you're worried, pull your arrow wearing rubber gloves.
Through a concerted effort, all armadillos in Wyoming have been eliminated.
I`ve seen hawks kill snakes more than anything else. I see owls on squirrels alot.
Armidillas are no good. But coons do more to your turkey eggs than anything I believe as well as Turtle eggs. Since the fur trade is poor the coons around here have thrived. I have trail cam pics full of coons. Since the season has come in I will kill everyone I see. I have a friend that will take everyone I kill and I hope its a lot. They come up on my porch,tear up the barn and have learned to take the lid off the garbage can that holds my fish feed. they gotta go.
They cause a lot of people problems, especially those of us that have pasture animals.
Killing only what you eat is a noble idea, but nobody sticks to it 100%. You can eat bugs, mice, worms, etc. and I'd bet each and every one of us has and will kill these without a second thought...but eat them? Do you like your roach roasted or grilled? Mouse soup anyone? How about a tomato worm (caterpillar) smoothie?
As someone already stated, there are reasons for killing other than eating, and they are just as justifiable. If I find a poisonous snake in my carport, I'll kill it. If I catch a fox or coyote snooping around my chicken coop, I'll kill it. When the crows start raiding my pecan trees, I'll kill them. No plans to eat any of them, and it has nothing to do with "blood lust". I get that out of my system bowfishing--lol.
I kill armadillos on sight period! They destroy our food plots by rumaging through them and when there are a lot of them together it looks like you have hogs on your land. Plus they love to dig under foundations of houses to keep warm and bump around under our camp house while we try to sleep.
Thankfully, we don't have them here...YET. When and if we do they will be dispatched like all other pests...especially non-native pests. I don't eat everything I kill and I'm ok with that. Some critters aren't fit to eat, or even touch in the case of the armadillo.
In the words of William Munny, "I've killed everything that walked or crawled, at one time or another. I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you done to Ned."
Not quite sure why armadillos are being called invasive species, just maybe not in all areas. I believe they are native to the Americas. I have intentionally killed 2 armadillos in my 63 years, I have picked up dozens by just standing still and letting them come to me-kind of like "counting coup"-I pick them up, then turn them loose, but, I have no problem with people shooting them.
I kill every opossum around my property. Opossum droppings (in hay, water, pasture) cause EPM, a neurologic disease, in horses that is always fatal. Raccoons that are active at odd hours of the day are also subject to eradication-rabies (we have horses, dogs, cats).
When I was a little boy in Texas in the early '50's, I had an uncle who kept trying to crate up an armadillo and send it to other relatives in Iowa. Evidently they didn't have any armadillos in Iowa at that time. I'm not sure they wanted any, either, but he wanted to send them one. They probably didn't have any coral snakes either, and fortunately it didn't occur to him to send them one of them. Anyway, all they ever got was an empty crate with a hole in the side. He tried several times, reinforcing the crate in various ways, but the result was always the same.
Armadillo are NOT native to North America. They originated in Central America, but over the past 100+ years their range in North America has been expanding northward due to a lack of sufficient predators. They are now found as far north as Nebraska and southern Indiana.
My brother took a dead armadillo back to Montana and laid it along the road there as a road kill. It made the papers! I have one made into a basket that sits on our dining room table. It always attracts attention and conversation. As far as eating eggs, I doubt it. They don't have any teeth. Strictly worms, grubs, larvae, etc. Matter of fact, a boiled out armadillo skull is really cool looking with scalloping on the skull bones.
:thumbsup:
I killed one in S.C. last year at the land owners request. But it got even, laid there dead as a doorknob until I got close. Then it did a back flip spraying me with blood and then it was dead " again".
QuoteOriginally posted by shag08:
Thankfully, we don't have them here...YET. When and if we do they will be dispatched like all other pests
I am surprised you don't have any in TN. I have seen road killed dillas in Missouri and southern Illinois.
I have a friend in Louisana that eats them all the time....calls them possum on the half shell! :jumper:
Bill,
There's a big difference between possum and dillas!!! Many years ago I helped a guy catch some possum in Florida. Found some dead woods cows, beat on their sides with a stick and caught the possum as they ran out! Just as soon eat a buzzard as a possum!!!
Bill, we do have them in TN. I've seen them in western middle TN and southern middle TN. They just don't seem to have made it to my particular neck of the backwoods yet. I'd hate to shoot one with a perfectly good arrow when they do get here...I think I'll use the sidearm for the nasty buggers.
I never heard of an armadillo eating eggs--never even thought about it--so I had to look it up.
http://www.ask.com/pets-animals/armadillos-eat-ded751ee0e6ba1b3#
Apparently they also can carry a lot more disease than I ever knew--besides leprosy they can also carry/transmit rabies, parasitic worms, and salmonella.
Armadillos are in Kentucky, cant imagine they would not be in middle TN. They are real prevelant in Land Between the Lakes, all the way to the north end. As far as Invasive, Are they condidered invasive if its a natural migration ?
It's not really a *natural* invasion if they're being 'driven' out of their home range by over population causing a dearth of food. Which was caused, no doubt, by humans overhunting the 'dillo prey species.
I have killed three deer this year(flintlock, not bow kills) and collected a fresh road kill so I have all the deer I need and then some.
I started a new sport this evening; Deer scouting/armadillo thumping. I sit in places I wouldn't normally hunt deer to see if any happen by and watch their movement. Not planning to kill anymore deer I carry my 22, which came in handy on my way back to the truck. Eric 1, Armadillos 0
:laughing: Sounds like fun. Don't want to take one with the bow?
I shot one with a bow once, my arrow stunk so bad that I left it in the woods.
Just when I was starting to think that these may be slow and dumb enough for me to shoot.... you guys go and break the bad news that it can cost a good arrow in the process! I don't want to leave any arrows in the woods.
shag08, I saw just within the last few weeks that people were complaining of how many armadillos they are seeing at Land Between the Lakes. I'm in West Tn, and we're getting more and more of them also.
I have been actively chasing armadillos for about 5 years and have some pretty unusual findings.
If you are hunting ones that haven't been hunted they are slow and dumb until you kill a couple. I hunted them on 125 acres of leased land that became so overrun with them that as many as 5 might be milling around the base of your tree any time you climbed.
I would start onto the property walking down old logging roads and listening. I could walk right up to the first couple of them, Bang. I could get withn 25 yards of the next few the same day but they would be moving away from me and I may or may not get one. After my initial assault they would make a mad dash into their hole when I closed to within 50 yards of them.
An armadillo a mile away from my first kills would take flight before I could close in for a kill.
I suspect they have some ultrasonic danger/warning noise they put out when shot to alert others in the area to get out of dodge if anything approaches.
They have a memory for danger as well and remember from year to year what poses a threat. I hunted one of the "smart" ones yesterday, set my tree seat and waited where I have see this one multiple times before, he didn't show, he remembers me.
They are like simi domesticated deer in a city park until they recognize you as a predator, then they become like wild deer.
WE call them possum on the half shell in Louisiana. They cause havoc in my yard annually and I generally trap and relocate 20 or so every year. My wife simply shoots them with her .38 pistol off the deck at night. My brother-in-law lives in the country and has owned Great Danes as long as I've known him and they love to catch and crush armadillos with their jaws.
I have a great stand in a wild pecan tree within bow range of a large, prolific persimmon tree. In the afternoon the first critter to come in will be an armadillo. They literally run in to hunt up and eat the fruit.
They are reported to eat quail and other ground nesting birds' eggs but I don't know if that is fact.
They are unprotected in Louisiana.
I live in Cookeville, TN, guys. I hunt every chance I get...when I'm not hunting I'm a logger by trade. So I am in the woods on a daily basis pursuing a dollar... or a deer, turkey, etc. They aren't here at the moment.
I've seen them in the form of road kill not far from Nashville...and pretty close to Dunlap. I hope they don't have good climbing gear and, as a result, never make it up to the Highland Rim and Cumberland Plateau.
Shag08, please don't think I doubted you. I have a good friend who lives in Fairfield Glade, and he hasn't seen any there, either. Maybe y'all have enough altitude to keep them away.
Murray
Eric I have had similar findings as you but I have also noticed that now if they smell people they really freak out so I like stalking up on them as practice for hunting other animals. As far as reason to kill them I too then its admirable for those to say I won't eat it so I won't shoot it. where I was targeting them in south central Kansas we were getting calls of pig rooting activity and come to find out it was actually armadillos. So to attempt to manage the problem they were creating was hunting them. In one summer I took about 65 but in past summers before that it was closer to 40. I have taken them with everything from .22lr to .223rem and everything from .410 to 10ga. But talking with a recurve is probably the funnest I can say I've done with a .22lr handgun being close to it.
If I experience a problem animal, I try to eradicate it.
Raccoons, skunks, oppossums, eating my chickens are an example.
I have encountered the occasional armadillo and left it alone.
I have killed coons stealing corn from our feeders.
Guys that shoot squirrels just for fun....I don't go along with that line of thinking. If you eat them, it's entirely different.
Some guys say they do, but really don't.
I know some professional big game hunters that kill just to make a TV show and do not take the meat.
That is appalling.
JMHO
How do you trap them Cliff? They did a number on my front yard this year, I could never catch them in the act to put a bullet in them, even looked for them in the middle of the night after the typical old guy bathroom trip.
I have a really bright street light over my front yard and could see one if it was out there.
I used to put corn on the cob out for the local squirrel-fun to watch them on a corn cob spinning wheel. To show their appreciation, they ate through the wiring harness on 2 vehicles-over $600 each for repairs, and ate holes in my field & brush mower's gas tank. They no longer get fed and some get invited for dinner, squirrel stew.
Yes, I took 4 squirrels with us when I took the family on a camping trip with my buddies family as well. Season salt, cast iron skillet, and some vegetable oil. My wife said anything I bring home she would try one. She was very hesitant about trying squirrel, but still kept her word and really liked it.
Squirrel is great to eat but there is an issue with them. The amount of meat you get and cleaning them. This last one I took was my first kill with my recurve bow and was a lot of fun. So now when I am out shooting in my back yard I also shoot at small pieces of foam for practice.
I lived in south TX for six years. Dillas were everywhere.
I was the only guy in the hunt club who used a recurve bow. This was 1977. I shot one with a Kodiak .409 fiberglass arrow once and it hopped up into the air and landed on it's back where it died. Half the shaft was sticking out of each side of the critter.
I use to catch them for a local taxidermist. He stuffed them and sold'em to various clients.
When you put the sneak on a dilla, you have to grab it by it's tail and instantly keep changing hands. The dilla will twist it's whole body causing you to loose your grip. If you keep changing hands, he will tire. When he does, stab'em in the throat and take to the taxidermist.
Chasing dillas is one of the treats of south TX! :)
Oh, there was a joke of the day back then. It goes something like this.
"How many aggies does it take to eat an armadillo?" The answer is two...one to watch for cars! hehehe!
I've killed a couple of armadillos with my bow and my son-in-law has killed 3 while we were together. We both used rubber blunts to kill them. If you shoot them in the head with a blunt it is a sure kill. It will almost tear their head off. They bleed with a head shot more than you would think but your arrow doesn't stay in them. If you hit their body your arrow will bounce off (except for one that we had to run down to kill because the arrow managed to stick in it even with a large rubber blunt). Their head is rather small so we end up missing as many as we hit, but that is part of it. So next time you shoot one use a blunt and see what I mean.
I use the X-large two door Havahart live trap. Armadillos don't see well and follow barriers such as walls, fences, etc. Place the trap along a barrier and use boards or concrete blocks or any material as wings to funnel them into the trap.
Every armadillo that comes into my yard eventually follows the walls to my large shop. One corner has an oak adjacent to it providing a pinch point. A little work with wings makes sure they all funnel through it and that is where I set the trap. It also catches non-target species such as the neighbors' cats, coon and possums. So far I've avoided skunks.
I use large tent pegs to pin the trap against the wall to keep the armadillo from moving the trap around. They will fight the trap and work their nose into corners and under the doors, bending them. They are extremely powerful and eventually one will escape by forcing a door open. Once you have to bend the doors and such back into position, you might as well invest in another trap as you will begin losing them regular. I find that this trap is good for 20-30 catches before replacement is necessary. At $80 bucks a pop or so, it can get expensive.
You need to remove them three miles or more or they will work themselves back, according to a number of studies on the subject. Squirrels too.