Originally Posted by
gwpercle
They are deceptively easy to kill . The "shell" is only stiff leather hard and not very thick at all . 22LR or any thing you hunt squirrel / rabbits with .
I squirrel hunt with a 20 ga. and #5 shot but usually take a armadillo with the 22 LR revolver I carry on my belt , CB cap or shorts work fine ... a head shot is best .
Most armadillo's do not carry Hansen's , the few that do are usually in the deep South , Louisiana and Texas ... the bacteria doesn't thrive in cold weather areas . Reaserch has shown only about 6% in the deep south have it ...that's a low number and there is a easy way to avoid transmisson ... Cook to 155 F. - 160 F. med-well !
Do Not Undercook ...Cooking the meat well , as you would cook pork (remember trichinosis) kills the Hanses's bacteria just as it would the trichinosis bacteria .
They are edible and the meat quite good . My Mom said that during the 1930's depression Her daddy would take armadillo , squirrel and the occasional rabbit to feed them ... She called them "Hoover Hog's " ... Quote " We would have starved slap to death if not for the Hoover Hogs and such daddy shot with his 38 S&W DA belt pistol , times was hard and meat wasn't easy to get . "
After hearing Mom's stories and seeing the curved knives her daddy made to clean under the curved armadillo shells ... my brother and I decided to take a couple and try them . Taste like pork . We made a great Chili and Sauce Picante , cooked the meat well and neither of us got Hansen's .
Don't be afraid to try eating , simply cooking the meat as you would cook pork - well done - kills any bacteria ... and not every armadillo is carring it .
My Dad always insisted we try and utilize whatever we killed for food ... He didn't take to killing animals for no reason ... He said God made every animal for a reason and if we didn't need it for food then we shouldn't kill it .
Gary