Hello all,
I was wondering, have any of y'all ever tangled with danged Armodillos? I live here in Alabama and when I was a teenager had never seen one. Went into the army in '72 at the age of 17 and saw plenty in Louisiana at Ft. Polk, La.. Now due to their migrating and I suppose high breeding rate, those little buggers are everywhere, I mean everywhere. You see them constantly on the side of the road dead. Some people's yards, gardens, and fields are chewed up etc..
The Alabama Dept. of Natural Resources and Game and Fish Division have put out articles on how detrimental to the native fauna and species they are, along with wild hogs and Coyotes, more introduced, fastly over-populating species. And from a hunters point of view, hearing that they are contributing to the decline of the Quail, Turkey, and Rabbits here because dillos feed on ground nesting species' young, eggs, etc., it makes yu want to "diminish" their species and in so doing diminish their damage to our stuff! But then again, I have heard conflicting arguments saying that they don't do that, just feed on larvae, ants, ant eggs, yellow jakett nests, etc.. But I have seen the damage they can do to a yard, field, or garden. And besides all that, it is a known fact that they females carry the Leprousy bacteria that humans can get!
They are a nuiscance and a pain in the neck. Besides damage to yards and gardens, etc., when you are hunting, you hear them scratching and coming along. The place I hunted was crawling with them. You get all tensed up thinking it is a rabbit, deer, or what have you. You listen, and around the time you know they are fixing to come into view you begin getting your bow in position, tightening up on the string, getting ready for that pull. All of a sudden a danged Armadillo comes into view. I finally got tired of it last year, or year before last, the last time I hunted, and started shooting them. In the small 175 acre tract of land I was hunting I killed five in a week or so.
And as for their armor, they might ball up and deter the teeth of a predator, but it does not stop an arrow. At least not my bow which is a 60 lb @ 28" draw (I draw like 31"). Most were only a few yards away, one ten feet (they are not that scary until they think you are after them then they will trot off). But two were long shots. I was probably just lucky. Both were like 20-25 yards.
Anyway, of the two long shots, one was running straight away from me and I shot him with one of those points with the four springy arms sticking out (forgot the name). I was hoping to bag a rabbit. The arrow hit the "Dillo" right in the small of the back so to speak as he ran away and he went a few more feet and into his burrow. I followed him another 20 yards to his burrow and when I got there I could barely see the knock deep in that hole. I reached in and tried to pull him out, but he was dead, no struggling or anything, but the arrow finaly pulled out and the ring with the springs and arms had come off the head of my arrow, leaving the head where they mount.
The other one was a challenge: I was sitting on a huge log amongst some hardwoods watching a nice deer trail which crossed the point I was on, with a slew of the Alabama river behind me, the bank just a few yards behind me (oh it was a beautiful, peaceful place!). Where an arm of the slew went past me on either side (I was on like a point) the far bank was lined with growth and bushes right up to close to me. I heard this scratching in the leaves, slowly coming towards me. It sounded just like a deer or rabbit browsing around. I tensed up, got my longbow ready, tensed up on the string, thinking, you big rascal you, I am taking venison home today!.
Well, my heart was in my throat thumping in my ears, I could barely catch my breath I was so excited, just knowing it was that big buck whose tracks I had seen. I began to draw my bow as the sounds told me it was fixing to emerge into view. Then there it was, a huge armadillo. I let off on my bow, pissed off. It took off running when it saw me stepping towards it. It ran off then at around 20-25yds it took a left and I shot my first arrow at that time and that arrow, with a delta broadhead on it, stuck in the ground right behind him as he ran.
After that broadhead I pulled a small game arrow from my quiver (got'em in two compartments). I shot two or three more, again missing him by inches to his rear as he ran. It kinda looked funny with those missed arrows all in a row, like he was leaving a trail of them. Finally I took my time and held and aimed a bit and the fourth arrow popped him broadside right behind his shoulder, a lucky shot probably, but nonetheless a perfect hit.
He ran off with that arrow too! So I decided not to use those four pronged springy things any more. They might make it harder to lose an arrow, but impeed penatration, at least on a 'Dillo. The two rabbits I have shot I used field or target points. Oh, and when those arrows hit an armadillo, it makes an audible crack sound, or "thack". I kinda felt bad about it in a way though because usually don't kill unless I aim to eat it.
Anyway, I know that was not a game or animal I would want to eat (I know some Mexicans who eat them), but dang that was fun and exciting as far as shooting something on the run goes, the challenge and excitement of it. And it does help the local animals because each one I shot was eaten by something within a day because I saw their remains when I went back.
Later,
Freebooter
Alabama
Topic: Anyone ever tangle with Armadillos? (Read 923 times)
