I went on a squirrel hunt/exploration expedition this morning on a local management area with my .40 cal flintlock in an area I havent been to before. I saw one squirrel as I was walking in but the sun was coming up and I was looking right into it so I never got a shot at him. I covered a lot of ground but didn't find anything really interesting. On my way back along a ridge I was exploring I looked up ahead and saw a large bobcat sneaking perpendicular to my route. He was over 60yds away and i was caught in an opening with no tree for a rest. I tried an offhand shot but missed it. I reloaded and continued on. I finally got back to my vehicle and was looking for a good target to shoot my rifle into so I could clean it when I got home. Im about 50 yards from my car and directly in between me and it there is an armadillo rooting in the leaves. GAME ON! I go into super stealth mode and move to the right so that I'm not shooting at my car. He is facing directly away from me so i waited until he was quarted away from me. I aimed just in front of his back leg, mid body and touched her off. The diller flopped a couple times and it was over. My second critter with my .40 flinter. Ended up a pretty good morning.
Morning exploration
- Thread starter T Gregory
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Armadillos are edible. During the Depression, people called them “Hoover Hogs,” after President Herbert Hoover.
Here in Florida, we call them “possum on the half-shell.”
Notchy Bob
Here in Florida, we call them “possum on the half-shell.”
Notchy Bob
Lone Star beer in Texas used them in their commercials and they were a mascot to the beer company.
That was until it was publicized that armadillos carried leprosy.
Pulled up to the house one day and my brother and his fraternity brothers were consuming mass amounts of Lone Star and BBQing dillos. Mentioned that they carried leprosy and all of a sudden there was a trip to town to get some meat.
That was until it was publicized that armadillos carried leprosy.
Pulled up to the house one day and my brother and his fraternity brothers were consuming mass amounts of Lone Star and BBQing dillos. Mentioned that they carried leprosy and all of a sudden there was a trip to town to get some meat.
Several of us guys went to Texas hunting and one brought back a Dillo. He put it out on the edge of the highway when we got home and it really stirred up the talk. Nobody around here ever saw one before.
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Did you eat him.
A person with a good sense of humor.
We have them around our property.
The dogs like to chase them in the evening when they're active.
IDK, maybe they might be good eating but I have no desire to find out.
The dogs like to chase them in the evening when they're active.
IDK, maybe they might be good eating but I have no desire to find out.
Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the armadillo it was possible
Some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacteria that cause leprosy (Hansen's disease) and it may be possible for the disease to be passed to a human, but the risk is very low. For comparison, look up zoonotic diseases of deer. They can carry all kinds of nasty stuff, but plenty of people still hunt them. Ticks are well-known vectors for a host of diseases, yet we still go into the woods, and just pull them off when we find them.
I've handled a bunch of armadillos. So far, so good. I've eaten them on at least two occasions. They're not bad, but not exceptionally good, either. I think by the time you have cleaned one and put the meat on the grill, you've already been exposed. I believe Hansen's disease is typically spread by pronged contact with an infected person, or possibly by inhalation of microscopic droplets from an infected person's cough. Your risk of catching Hansen's disease increases if you are in prolonged contact with (e.g. living with) an infected person, or you live in an area with a very high incidence of the disease. The risk of catching it from an armadillo is very low. Which is good, because they are very common where I live, and they are not very smart. You can sometimes ease right up to one of them if he is preoccupied, rooting in the leaves, and simply pick him up by the tail. I've done it. I was out hiking one day, and had settled down to eat a bite and drink some coffee (I had a thermos). I heard something in the brush, coming my way. I just sat tight, and an armadillo emerged from a yaupon thicket. I just sat there, sipping coffee and watching as he worked his way closer. He finally rammed his nose against the sole of my boot. This surprised him, probably because of the unfamiliar scent. He stopped and sat up like a groundhog, sniffing the air, then just took off like a scalded dog.
They are a Native American animal, but it is my understanding they only appeared in Florida some time in the early 20th century, which means they have been here longer than I have. They are pests, really, because of their burrows and their rooting activities, but for all that they are inoffensive and incapable of hurting a person, and they are actually very interesting animals. One of Mother Nature's children, as my dad would have said. There are plenty of them, and I am not sorry to see one killed, but I don't go out of my way to kill them.
One interesting linguistic fact that I learned from a forum member is that a lot of German immigrants moved to Texas in the 19th century, and when they first encountered armadillos, they didn't have a name for them. So they made one up. They called the armadillo panzerschwein, meaning "armored pig."
Best regards,
Notchy Bob
I've handled a bunch of armadillos. So far, so good. I've eaten them on at least two occasions. They're not bad, but not exceptionally good, either. I think by the time you have cleaned one and put the meat on the grill, you've already been exposed. I believe Hansen's disease is typically spread by pronged contact with an infected person, or possibly by inhalation of microscopic droplets from an infected person's cough. Your risk of catching Hansen's disease increases if you are in prolonged contact with (e.g. living with) an infected person, or you live in an area with a very high incidence of the disease. The risk of catching it from an armadillo is very low. Which is good, because they are very common where I live, and they are not very smart. You can sometimes ease right up to one of them if he is preoccupied, rooting in the leaves, and simply pick him up by the tail. I've done it. I was out hiking one day, and had settled down to eat a bite and drink some coffee (I had a thermos). I heard something in the brush, coming my way. I just sat tight, and an armadillo emerged from a yaupon thicket. I just sat there, sipping coffee and watching as he worked his way closer. He finally rammed his nose against the sole of my boot. This surprised him, probably because of the unfamiliar scent. He stopped and sat up like a groundhog, sniffing the air, then just took off like a scalded dog.
They are a Native American animal, but it is my understanding they only appeared in Florida some time in the early 20th century, which means they have been here longer than I have. They are pests, really, because of their burrows and their rooting activities, but for all that they are inoffensive and incapable of hurting a person, and they are actually very interesting animals. One of Mother Nature's children, as my dad would have said. There are plenty of them, and I am not sorry to see one killed, but I don't go out of my way to kill them.
One interesting linguistic fact that I learned from a forum member is that a lot of German immigrants moved to Texas in the 19th century, and when they first encountered armadillos, they didn't have a name for them. So they made one up. They called the armadillo panzerschwein, meaning "armored pig."
Best regards,
Notchy Bob
Make no mistake, I am NOT eating him. They are not native to my part of the country and are considered a pest. The dig holes all over and ruin hayfields. Not to mention the damage they do to vehicles when people hit them. I take out every one I can, and on this particular management area I see a bunch of them. Buzzards gotta eat too.
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Notchy Bob, my sentiments exactly and I agree with everything you say. Concerning the rooting activity you mentioned, I will add that they will TEAR UP a nice lawn.
Man, you are spot on with that! When they start rooting around, it is remarkable how much they can tear up, and how fast!
Notchy Bob
Armadillos moved in to our area about 15 years ago, they are as thick as fleas now. On my former hunting leases, I would have a dedicated armadillo hunt once or twice a year to thin them out, on 340 acres I would usually kill 25-30 a year with my 22. I didn't try to eat any of them.
I have never seen a fire ant mound that had been dug up by an armadillo, I think this is a myth. I probably kill up to 50 mounds a year with Amdro on the 2 acres around my place, I wish armadillos would take care of this for me but they don't seem to have any interest.
I have never seen a fire ant mound that had been dug up by an armadillo, I think this is a myth. I probably kill up to 50 mounds a year with Amdro on the 2 acres around my place, I wish armadillos would take care of this for me but they don't seem to have any interest.
@T Gregory ,
I'm sorry I neglected to mention this previously... got distracted by the armadillo discussion... but that is a really pretty rifle in the photo. Did you build it? What can you tell us about it?
The bobcat sighting was interesting, too. I've always spent as much time rambling in the woods as I could, and I see bobcat droppings pretty often (usually right in the middle of the trail...), but I've only seen wild live bobcats three time in my life. The first was similar to your recent experience. I was squirrel hunting with my dad 60+ years ago and we saw one trotting along through a little opening in the woods. The second was maybe 10 years ago, when I saw one on a riverbank, taking a drink. I was in my solo canoe at the time. The third was not too long ago, when I was out for a morning hike with my wife and our dogs. A bobcat crossed the trail a little way ahead of us. Oddly, the dogs didn't see it, but they sure did get interested when they crossed its scent trail!
Sorry about rambling on. Anything you would like to share concerning that rifle would be welcome.
Notchy Bob
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Dang, that rail is in exactly the wrong place!
TDM
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I remember as a boy at my father’s deer camp that another boy and I shot a couple of armadillos with our .22s and brought them back to camp. The old cook fixed them for us, I think fried. I ate it, but don’t remember what it tasted like.
