They are destructive to property as well as ground nesting birds. They rip open nests to get the eggs of quail and turkey. Probably going to be the demise of both species as their range grows.
They are destructive to property as well as ground nesting birds. They rip open nests to get the eggs of quail and turkey. Probably going to be the demise of both species as their range grows.
Dan Wesson 744V .44mag, S&W Mod 19-4 .357 , S&W Mod 17 K22, Stevens Favorite .22mag 30GM, ADC .45/410, CZ SP01 9mm
Armadillos had a little help moving East out of Texas and crossing the Mississippi River.
My Mom's family home was a ranch in the Texas Hill Country near Fredericksburg.
During WWII, my Mom was about 12. Her older sister was married to a local guy who served in the Pacific in the Navy.
Towards the end of WWII, her sister & BIL were stationed at the Navy part of what's now Eglin AFB in Western Florida.
After a couple years in the war zone, I think they brought him back to the US to be an instructor.
Big surprise! Their base Commander was also from the Hill Country.
At the time, 1944/45, getting leave was almost impossible. But they did.
BIL got 10-12 days leave to come back home,,,,,,, and bring back an armadillo.
Mom talked of chasing them around for days trying to catch some. (They had plenty on their ranch)
Her & her brothers ended up with three of them, and built a cage to carry them back to Florida.
It sounded like a Tazmanian devil was in the car trunk. Stopping in Louisiana for gas, BIL opened the trunk
to check on them..... The pregnant one was on top of the cage, and jumped out!
Back in Florida, the base Commander was happy to have a little piece of Texas there on the base.
He just let them go in his yard. It didn't take long before the mated pair escaped out into the wilderness of Florida.
My Dad's brother lived in Monroe, LA.
It's pretty much along the road you'd take going from the Hill Country to Florida.
He encountered one in the late 50s for the first time, and it was in his yard.
His sense of amazement quickly changed...
He was a Deacon in the Church, but didn't have one kind word to say about them...
We never told him how it probably got there.
Last edited by Winger Ed.; 10-03-2023 at 11:34 PM.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
If you see 'em around there, they might be decendents from the ones my Mom helped catch in 1944.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
I don't know how far adolesent ones go to find their own territory after they leave their mama.
However--- In almost 80 years, I think they could have expanded out 20 miles without too much trouble.
When I see them, they are always plodding along just following their nose.
In almost 80 years, I can see them actually expanding out a few hundred miles.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
Hopefully too cold for them here in Montana?
U.S.A. " RIDE FOR THE BRAND OR LEAVE!"
Just got a double! Walking out back at dusk and hear leaves rustling. I stop and around the trees come one being chased by the other. I think one was trying to be romantic. I got the chase-ee in the scope and put 3 in it and and had a jam in the 1022. Cleared it and the other was running straight at me and put one in his head, all within 10 yards! Fastest I've ever seen them move!
Known traffic menace
Dan Wesson 744V .44mag, S&W Mod 19-4 .357 , S&W Mod 17 K22, Stevens Favorite .22mag 30GM, ADC .45/410, CZ SP01 9mm
155 grain MP359 Hammer hollow points over 16.5 grain H110 in 357 Magnum.
Is this armadillo medicine?
Sent from my moto g power (2022) using Tapatalk
I remember 30 years ago when I first started seeing an occasional one west and south of the Tennessee River. A few years later I saw one on this side. Now they are as common as 'possums.
I've heard they followed the fire ants.
In my experience, .22LR is a great way to kill them.
I can attest that the things were present in large numbers here in E/central Fla. in the late 50's. Had a walker foxhound mix back then that delighted in making them look like roadkill..........would not eat 'em, just rip to pieces!
Armadillos are an iconic Texas critter and I have no reason to kill them. They do dig some little holes in my yard in their nightly search for some bugs to eat, but just step on the hole and it will be gone and the grass looking good in 24 to 48 hours. The Armadillos need those bugs far more than I do and I am willing to share with them.
Disclaimer: The above is not holy writ. It is just my opinion based on my experience and knowledge. Your mileage may vary.
Use to hunt them all the time when I was a kid (60+ years ago). Learned a lot about snap shooting and leading the target with my .22 in those days. Still live in the country and see them on occasion but I have a “live and let live “ agreement with them these days. In fact, I don’t have the passion for killing things that I use to. Still like target shooting though.
In open country, they usually dig their burrows at the base of a tree.
However; you can see a lot of them sort of out in the open too.
Ranchers have no love for them since a cow or some other live stock can step in the hole and break a leg.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |