How do you find and shoot armadillo's

S

Sharps-Nut

New member
Maybe this is the wrong question to ask. We are just starting to get "blessed" with these ugly suckers and they are tearing the heck out of my hay pasture, burrows in terraces, rooting out grass. I know nothing about them but was hoping maybe some of you might. Can a person catch sight of them right at dark, trap, poison? Hollow points and 3800 fps is my fisrt choice but I have yet to see the varmits in the flesh but everyone who sees the damage assures me its there work. Any thoughts.
 
When I lived in Florida I saw a lot of them...dead on the road. 'Possum on the halfshell!

The only time I ever saw them alive was after dark. So, my guess is that if you want to shoot them, you'll be doing it at night.

All I know.

Bill
 
My dad has them outside of San Antonio. Most of his shooting is between midnight and 4 am. He lives in a neighborhood, so he and one of the other retired husbands use 22 shorts to keep the wives happy (almost no noise).
 
When I used to visit my grand dad in Florida. I used his savage 24 with a 22lr on top and 410 on the bottom. The 410 is good medicine for them. The 22 can sometimes come up a little light. I suppose a 50 cal would also work if you are lookin to make a mess.

Dillos come out at night so catch a nap early.

Dutchman
 
May just have to learn to love them. Not sure what the leagal stand point in my state on hunting after dark would be. I am sure with artificial light would be a no no. The warm days in winter and catching them for a mid day walk might work next year. They sure make a mess of hayfield.
 
I lived in Louisiana for 40 years and it seems armadillos were outnumbered there only by mosquitoes. The amount of damage a single diller can do is impressive, so show no mercy. Once a family is established, you can kiss your lawn goodbye.

I've shot dillers at all hours of the day and night. However, if you are specifically targeting them, from dusk to daylight is your best option. I've shot them with everything from a .22 CB to a .357 with Glasers. For maximum effectiveness, a shotgun with #4 shot works well. Most shots will be 15 yards or less. Armadillos have very poor eyesight, and don't seem to scent very well, either. Their sharpest sense is hearing, which isn't real good, either.

A shotgun and a good flashlight combined with a really humid/drizzling night can make for some very productive extermination forays. Armadillos are, as a rule, dimwitted and not hard to sneak up on.

On the bright side, with a little effort, an armadillo population is not very hard to effectively control.

Mike
 
Oh, as to the "finding" part, that's not difficult either. Basically, it's a simple matter of walking your property with a shotgun and flashlight. Pay particular attention to the edges of brushlines, and any low, damp spots your property holds. Armadillos feed mostly on burrowing insects, grubs, and worms. If you have any downed, rotting timber/wood on your property, or decaying stumps, you'll probably find them to be real honeyholes. Armadillos tend to forage where the rooting is easiest, except for their burrows. Then they dig the hardest ground they can find.

Mike
 
Thanks Mike. Just got caught up and was out on the hayfield last weekend and they moved the burrows due to standing water from our very wet spring so even more damage. After that and your post I ready for declaration of war, leagal or not. I guess 1100 remington #4 and mag light will be the order of day, or evening in this case. Blood suckers can sure move dirt out in hurry to make a new burrow. Thanks again, SN
 
right after sunset they come out, ive shot several middle of the day but you have to go back into the dark parts of the woods. most likely a 20 gauge would do the trick but if you happen to see one int he daylight then the .204 would make for some fun target practice!
 
When I lived in Alabama, we had one of those bug lights that zapped the bugs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif and of coarse there would be a heaping pile of bugs laying on the ground under the zapper,.. the dillos seemed to love the pile of bugs to eat, they would always stop in to munch a few. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

You may want to invest in a bug light as an attractor /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Good luck with those nastys, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif boy do they stink when you shoot them

Vaportrail /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I have found most of the ones I have shot around old river beds with lots of trees.They are really loud so just listen for them moving around in the leaves and then look for them.My cousins live where their are quite a few armadillos and they go out at night with flashlights and when they hear them they turn the flashlight on and chase them down with baseball bats and golf clubs.Im lazy so I would just use a 17HMR or a 410.So if its legal for you to spotlight them where you live thats probably your best bet.But I cant hunt at night here so I just listen for them and then look for where the sounds coming from.They cant see very well so dont worry about spookin them.And if they do start running just chase em down.
 
Well I roam and hunt in MS and AL. The dang things move all day and night. Seem to always come in right at daylight or dusk when you are bowhunting, it never fails. They cannot see at all if you get downwind you can walk up and kick them, however if you are upwind they can smell extremely well and will spook. Don't worry you can't kill them all no matter how hard you try. They are very tough, I have seen them shot multiple times with a 22lr and make it back to their hole. I have seen one shot with a 44 mag and run 50 yards back to it's hole.
 
I see them mostly at night around here. A friend's wife has a well kept yard and hates them. They live in town and can't shoot them so she keeps a baseball bat by the door and uses it to dispatch them when they come in her yard.
 
I shot 4 today with a buddy who shot 5. We walk around on warm days and listen for them in the leaves. We use centerfire rifles (204, 22-250, 243,25-06) Q
 
I've shot dozens in my yard with a .22 mag and the Remington 33gr. V-max. They are nocturnal, so you'll need a decent light. I found the Surefire G2 works great, as you can hold it in your hand as you're shooting, or buy the Tac Star pressure switch and you can use rubber bands to mount it right on your barrel (if you use a low recoil gun). Right after a rain they tend to be more active and I kill them from 5a.m. to dawn. I've tried trapping them with a Havahart trap, with and without baits and never caught anything. They are very mobile and can travel quite a distance in one night. They jump when startled, that's why so many are dead on the road. They will jump when a car gets near and they get clocked with the bumper. They REALLY stink, but if you have buzzards where you live, just leave them in the field and they will be nothing but shell in two days. Of course the buzzards, like coyotes, always eat the choicest part first, the butthole! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Jeff
 
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