Armadillo sightings

[E4 No More]

I hit one on the Interstate at night while driving down to Mississippi. Scared the crap out of me!

[DaveS]

Set in my tree stand the other evening and had two playing grab a** with each other. Pretty cool to see. First time I've seen them in the wild like that.

 

DaveS

[Timestepper]

Set in my tree stand the other evening and had two playing grab a** with each other. Pretty cool to see. First time I've seen them in the wild like that.

 

DaveS

Man, have you ever missed out! Was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and EVERYBODY hated going to the field during armadillo mating season - between the clacks and squeals and grunts coming from every dry creek bed and coulee and the fng troops laughing, we could never get any sleep... 

[TripleDigitRide]

This is what a green tip 5.56 will do.

 

[whiskey]

I see them very often on the south side of the Cumberland River, especially along Hwy 149 between Clarksville and Erin. I don't remember seeing any north of the Cumberland. I know they can swim, I've seen them swimming swamps in Florida. 

[Erik88]

It's funny, I lived in Sarasota FL for one year when I was 9 and saw armadillos all the time. At least 4-5 times a week.

 

I've been in central FL for 2 years and I've only seen 1 dead on the road.

[mikegideon]

It's funny, I lived in Sarasota FL for one year when I was 9 and saw armadillos all the time. At least 4-5 times a week.

 

I've been in central FL for 2 years and I've only seen 1 dead on the road.

 

They can't afford to live in Florida anymore. They all moved here :)

[Oh Shoot]

So I guess "There's good eatin' on one o' them" is right out?

 

Called 'em Hoover Hogs during the depression. Folks ate 'em that could get 'em.

 

- OS

[EMTRN]

They are all over West TN. I live outside Memphis and see them all the time.

[ShaunM]

I seen on animal planet that you get leprosy if you eat improperly cooked meat from them and not by handling them. I've handled several of them both live and dead. Hope my flesh doesn't rot off lol.

[mikegideon]

I read up a little. These things are from South America. They're spreading because they have no natural predators, except cars :). Got nothing to do with climate.

[JAB]

If ever there was a varmint for which the .17HMR was designed, it's the armadillo.

 

Those ballistic tips versus their hard shell and soft guts...bleh. 

 

If they come around where I live, I'm going to find out what a .22WMR will do to them.  Probably 'test out' 40 grain JSPs.  I've also got a box of 50 grain Federal Gameshocks in WMR that might yield some interesting results.

Edited October 18, 2013 by JAB

[JAB]

That is crazy.....I actually think they are cute but I know they can wreak havoc on  farms..

 

Everything is moving further north,,They said the same thing is happening with the fireants

 

I actually have to agree with you about them being kinda 'cute' - but that won't stop me trying to eradicate them if I see them around my neck of the woods.

[Oh Shoot]

I actually have to agree with you about them being kinda 'cute' - but that won't stop me trying to eradicate them if I see them around my neck of the woods.

 

Apparently they make a possum look smart overall. They're also dangerous roadkill, as they will jump as high as four feet straight up in the air when frightened, so tend to damage your grille or windshield.

 

- OS

[E4 No More]

Apparently they make a possum look smart overall. They're also dangerous roadkill, as they will jump as high as four feet straight up in the air when frightened, so tend to damage your grille or windshield.

 

- OS

I know the one that I hit didn't jump, but he sure banged the heck out of the tire. :)

[MacGyver]

A lot of them will jump when you shoot them, too.  It's like a bizarre whack-a-mole or something.

[Oh Shoot]

A lot of them will jump when you shoot them, too.  It's like a bizarre whack-a-mole or something.

 

That is a hilarious mental image, I must say. :)

[MacGyver]

That is a hilarious mental image, I must say. :)

It creeped me out as a kid.

[Ron Padilla]

saw one belly up along Madison 5 miles south of Wal-Mart the other day so there out here rooten around it was a good size one to.

[tnguy]

A lot of them will jump when you shoot them, too.  It's like a bizarre whack-a-mole or something.

 

Take a buddy and you could get double the sport.

[whiskey]

I shot one 3 times with a .45 and XTP's and it still ran off. I shot another and I know I hit it 5 of the 9 shots in the .22 revolver and never stopped it. I shot a few with .22wmr that ran off too. However, not a single one ran off after being shot with a 300gr .44mag.

We had some hunting property near Chiefland, FL and they were everywhere. They would dig holes all over the campsite and you'd dang near break an ankle going to take a leak. We decided to put them on the hit list and spent several years popping every one we saw. Tough little buggers. I had one chase me once, jumped up at me several times. I ran like a girl and jumped in the boat before shooting it. My buddy still busts on me about that day.


Yup.

[Ron Padilla]

I shot one 3 times with a .45 and XTP's and it still ran off. I shot another and I know I hit it 5 of the 9 shots in the .22 revolver and never stopped it. I shot a few with .22wmr that ran off too. However, not a single one ran off after being shot with a 300gr .44mag.

We had some hunting property near Chiefland, FL and they were everywhere. They would dig holes all over the campsite and you'd dang near break an ankle going to take a leak. We decided to put them on the hit list and spent several years popping every one we saw. Tough little buggers. I had one chase me once, jumped up at me several times. I ran like a girl and jumped in the boat before shooting it. My buddy still busts on me about that day.


Yup.

settin here laughing out loud just thinking about that picture.

[wewoapsiak]

These cute little buggers? Only a small percentage of them carry leprosy, and I think the CDC says something like 95% of people are immune. That being said, they'll be fun to use for target practice, TWRA labels them as a nuisance I think and they have no bag limit. Sent from the blue lagoon. Edited October 19, 2013 by wewoapsiak

[LCPfraTN]

I grew up in south Mississippi and I have killed more armadillos than I can remember. They will jump when hit, and if you don't hit them in the vitals, they will run to their burrow. Having said that, I killed most of them with a .22LR rifle. They are also pretty stupid and young ones are fairly easy to catch by hand if you are patient and grab them by the tail...southern country boy sport. :D  

 

When I moved to this area 30 years ago, I didn't see many armadillos...now I see them dead on the road all the time. I had one tearing up the yard earlier this summer, but haven't seen evidence lately. I don't live in the country anymore, so I won't be able to use the same method of dispatch that I used when I was younger, but I'll think of something because they are a pest and a PITA.

[ShaunM]

This is the very first turbo opossum I killed on our property. Since then I have killed several more. I killed this one as he was running down a trail as I was coming out of the woods from deer hunting several years ago. I shot it with a 243.

 

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