You shot at an armadillos on someone else's land, don't know if you hit it, didn't follow it to make sure, planned on leaving it to rot and you want to know if bullets bounce off his hide?
Why did you shoot it to begin with?
You shot at an armadillos on someone else's land, don't know if you hit it, didn't follow it to make sure, planned on leaving it to rot and you want to know if bullets bounce off his hide?
Why did you shoot it to begin with?
Al_Wa Yup, that about sums it up except for the part where the landowner stopped the 4 wheeler to let me off the back to take the shot.
Being in the brush near the edge of a large pasture when I shot at it, it never occured to us we needed to track it down and perform triage to determine if by acting promptly we could save it.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
Well Ok, wasn't as much concerned about saving the critter as making sure it was dead. The question remains, why did you shoot it? Not any armaldillos in my neck of the woods, just wondering what makes em' open season.
Al_Wa
I'll take that one. Just step in one of their holes in the middle of the night and almost break an ankle and you would take up hunting too.
In Georgia, they do eat Fire Ants, grubs, etc. so they are helpful. But not in the yard at the back door. I leave them be in the woods, but look out around the house.
Don't know where you are at, but based on the maps about armadillos it will be just a matter of time until they completely cover the U.S. Maybe not in the real cold areas but just about everywhere else. We didn't have them in Middle Georgia until about 20 to 25 years ago.
gadgetman, Thanks. Had to be a reason other than target practice, my way of thinking. I'm in the Northwest and don't have to deal with them. I was stationed in Texas a long time ago and figured out you can't run an Armadillo down on foot. They turn quicker than a pig.
Al-Wa, Hmmm why did I shoot it?
1. It wasn't just because it was there or just because I could. I don't shoot lots of things that others would and do. I don't shoot at the coyotes on my place, so far. I don't shoot at the turtles in the ponds. I don't go out of my way to find and shoot poisonous snakes on the place B U T I will shoot a poisonous snake in my vicinity. I tolerate roaming/stray dogs one at a time, not a pack, and would only shoot a single dog that chased stock or acted unfreindly to me (bad choice of behaviors on my property).
2. The land owner (driving the 4 wheeler) didn't have his gun with him (I had my carry).
Now a good question is, why would a land owner want armadillos shot? Depends. That landowner has 480 acres which he works hard to improve and tries to employ good management practices in his cattle operation. He is one of the more modern enlightened cattlemen in the immediate area. If you claim to be a cattleman then you are really in the grass business. Your job really is to maximize grass production under heavy traffic and grazing pressure.
Armadillos are abundant, way too abundant, all out of proportion to historical levels. They are quite destructive in that they burrow, A LOT. Last year a good friend broke a front axle on his tractor when he put a wheel through a burrow. That is not an everyday happening but acidents and difficulties due to their burrows is NOT a rare event. Cattle can be hurt steppinig into a hole or breaking through unexpectedly.
Even if the cattle were not hurt, armadillos really can mess up the field that you might be trying over time to get into near putting green smoothness. There are estimates on how many armadillos equals the loss of grazing equal to a head of beef but I don't recall. There are figures like that for rabbits as well.
I am more that open to anyone's thoughts regarding the GOOD that armadillos do for cattlemen. I would temper my actions if persuaded of their value.
I don't advocate erradication of the species from the face of the earth. I do endorse controlling the populaltion where they cause economic impact. This is a part of management in the real world.
Some folks want us to stop castrating bull calves, poling calves(dehorning), branding (I personally favor freeze branding) and various other "cruelty to animals" practices like using barbed wire, electric fences, cattle prods and so forth. If you haven't seen it in a feature length Disney cartoon then you shouldn't do it to a poor dumb animal.
I NEVER listen to any animals rights talk unless the speaker is a strict vegetarian who is not overweight nor has more than one child, isn't wearing leather, and wears a flu mask (even little animals we breathe in should have rights).
Animal rights? Armadillos have the right to remain silent, DEAD silent. They have cute babies, twins. My aunt had some babies in a gallon jar of alcohol under her sink for over 30 years.
Aren't you glad you didn't ask for the time of day? You might have gotten a 5 part lecture series on the subject of the history of horology.
Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
<font color="blue">I was stationed in Texas a long time ago and figured out you can't run an Armadillo down on foot. They turn quicker than a pig. </font color>
They certainly do.
When I was a little kid, if dad saw one and I was with him he'd act all excited and tell me to run and "catch it!" Being the dutiful son, I always tried my hardest, running as fast as I could and using all my "moves" to run 'em down - never ever got close.
Wasn't 'till I was a little older that I realized dad knew I'd never catch one and my running around was really just something he found entertaining. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
I deal with armadillos the same way I deal with possums. At night, with a spotlight, and a stout hickory club. Always dispose of the carcass as they carry parasites and disease that pets can suffer from. Only critter I hunt more vigilantly on my place would be the poisonous snake. Done most effectively at night also, but with a looong handled hoe substituting for the club. I thought I would have to address a growing beaver population but one of my cats acquired a taste for baby beaver for breakfast this past spring. Managing the ecosystem, one of the most challenging farm responsibilities.
Al-Wa, Pat
Sorry I dropped off the discussion but just after I posted my comments I got a fire call (Volunteer Fireman). Didn't get back to the house to almost 1 in the morning. As my day starts at 430 AM, didn't give me any more time than shutting down the computer.
Al-Wa, my Brother-in-Law (right next door and Retired) sometimes sits up late at night "Army Hunting". Even with all the ones we have sent to the other side, there are still plenty of them left. We get some help from the 4 lane highway but they still keep coming back.........
Pat, Sounds like you've got some good firepower. Most folks in this area are "armed" in one way or another, so the crime rate is somewhat low. When you FEAR the possibility of meeting the business end of a firearm while illegally in someones home, it makes you think twice. In Georgia though, make sure they are "INSIDE" before you fire or you see a weapon in their hand.
Carry permits are fairly easy to obtain in Georgia. Most are issued by the Probate Judge. By Georgia Law, they are NOT allowed to ask why you want a permit. As long as you check out with the local law enforcement a permit MUST be issued. However, there are so many restrictions on carrying in "PUBLIC PLACES" that you just about have to be a lawyer to figure out when it is allowed.
Just keep all your Armadillos there and I'll do the same. Wait a Minute!!!! Wonder if they like Desert Sand................. Bet they could uncover those mass graves and WMDs in no time............
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