Are Armadillos Hard to Kill?

[Zingger]

Thank you one and all for the stories and first hand accounts. A Northerner like myself has only seen pictures, and a dead one on the trip I took to help a little old lady move from West Helena, AR to Carson, ND. Biggest town I had ever driven in was Bismarck up to that time. We hit Tulsa and Little Rock at rush hour. The dead armadillo was on the side of the highway. I had to do a double look and ask over the radio what it was! Thanks again all, you guys are all the best!

[CLAYPOOL]

See a couple dead one's on I - 57 where it crosses part of REND LAKE in the North Bound lane , North of Benton, Il.

[nicholst55]

A .308 shooting a 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip at 25 yards turns them inside out, I do know that.

[ShooterAZ]

I have never seen a live Armadillo, but I saw several "Armadillo Pancakes" on the side of the road when I went to San Antonio a couple of years ago. Around here we usually only see "Porcupine Pancakes" which can result in a flat tire if your driving on bologna skins.

[bikerbeans]

I killed one Diller in FL about 40 years ago. I used the front tire of my Kawasaski 850. I don't reccomend this method.

BB

[Winger Ed.]

I have never seen a live Armadillo, but I saw several "Armadillo Pancakes" on the side of the road

In West Texas, you'll see a lot of 'sail rabbits' on the road.
They're slow jack rabbits that have been run over several times, and dried out in the sun.
You can peel one up off the road and sail it like a frisbee.

When we talk about our spineless, flip-flopping politicians, we say:
In Texas, the only thing in the middle of the road around here is--- yellow stripes, and dead armadillos.


Something that used to be popular in the tourist/souvenior shops
was women's purses made out of an armadillo shell.
I thought they were rather discusting, but they sold well.

[Newboy]

My dad would run them to their hole, and then reach in and grab them by the tail. They would blow up, making it impossible to pull out, but he would give them a little slack and they would release to go further into the hole. At that point, my dad would pull them out real quick. Once out, suspended by their tail, he would hit them on the head to kill them.

I have eaten many of them, and think are more like a rabbit than anything.


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[Texas by God]

Killing one with a haycutter is disturbing but way better than hitting a skunk....the same applies for hitting one on the highway!

[Winger Ed.]

I had one spook, and run up under a 8' bush hog.
I thought I'd run over a bowling ball until I looked back behind it.

[wmitty]

Having read thru other’s posts; I realized my experiences with the ‘dillo have been somewhat different from what has been related, in that the purchase of a M 70 chambered for the .375 H & H was the direct result of an early encounter with an east Texas subspecies which reside in Fannin county almost exclusively. Should one of these admittedly rare and elusive boar ‘dillos be walked up on and surprised; the hunter had best be armed with at least a .416 Rigby with solids, and remember to aim for the tip of the nose if he is looking directly at you (easiest path to the brain). Shots to the shoulder with the .375 and the old Hornady steel jacketed solids resulted in bent bullets and angered boar ‘dillos which are quite dangerous, much in the same manner as the killer rabbit which King Arthur’s men were forced to dispatch with the Turkish grenade.

[fcvan]

. . . much in the same manner as the killer rabbit which King Arthur’s men were forced to dispatch with the Turkish grenade.[/QUOTE]

That would be the 'Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch' Just remember, the number of the counting shall be 3! Of course, as referenced in the book of Armaments.

[richhodg66]

I used to deer hunt on Fort Sill and they are everywhere. An armadillo can make more noise than 100 deer. Never felt a need to kill one, but considered it a few times as annoying as the noise was while on a tree stand.

They are real easy to get close to. You can usually walk right up to one and touch it with your boot toe.

I live north of I-70 in Kansas now and we did find one killed in the road here a couple of years ago, but generally I'd say we don't have them here yet. My Dad grew up in Denton, Texas in the '40s and said they didn't even have them that far north and east until that big drought in the 30s, that's when everybody said they started showing up. They're all the way to the east coast now.

I have heard their body temperature is very close to human's and that they can carry leprosy and other things transmittable to people, so be careful.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

I've only seen them alive in Florida, seen dead on road here in the North Carolina mountains. Friend who lived in Florida and worked at a plant nursery said they sweep the misery once a month with 22 rifles to keep them in check and minimize damage.
CF

[owejia]

Was working on my shooting range using my tractor with front end loader last summer and got off to move some debris out of the way and caught movement out of the corner of my eye, went over to investigate and it was a half grown one, trying to dig a hole in the edge of a soybean field. No gun so had to improvise with a cedar stick about two ft long. Took a few hits before it expired but got the job done. They can do a lot of damage with the holes they dig.

[trapper9260]

I heard you can use a foothold trap to get them and is easy to trap. I do not know on that because I never trap one.I think I was told a 1 1/2 coil spring would work.I am not sure on it . Just from what I was told some years ago. I did see some back in 95 when I went through the states of AR, TX on the side of the road alive beside dead on the side and in the road.

[Nueces]

'Dillos are known carriers of leprosy. If you catch one, hold it by the tail at arm's length until his bladder is empty. Stinky!

They used to be ubiquitous in central Texas, but I don't see many any more. Glad to hear they may have just moved to new range.

[Texas by God]

I made a lucky shot on this one with my Single Six at 30 yards last year. Head shots work but it still flopped around for a minute.

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[Ozarkflyflinger]

I have killed numerous with the .22
A couple with 12 ga. No 4's and one with the 9mm
The shotgun works great, but sounds like a cannon in the middle of the night.............
Good Luck !!!

[Boogieman]

I've had them run off after being hit with a 230gr. 45 hard ball, found them 2days late. Th fastest kill I had was a 54 cal RB over 100gr. of 3ffg

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Can someone please post a shot placement picture for an armadillo?