Armadillo -- ***UPDATED WITH PA'S SOLUTION***

[big bend gyrene]

Ok, though sure see lots of dead armadillos living out in Lloyd, FL, only have seen 1 or 2 inside my 5 acre home site over the past dozen years. Just bought more acreage a couple of miles away and though I've only spotted one or two thus far, lots and I mean LOTS of holes dug out at the new place. They're mainly along a fenceline (directly under the bottom wire) but a few in fields too. All are big enough a football would fit in them. Pretty sure all are armadillo holes. So here are the questions:

1) Any other local critters that make holes of similar size? Know gopher turtle holes are about same size but those I've seen are shaped a bit flatter / have dirt mounds around the edges, and you'll often see the gopher turtles out and about. These are just deep round holes, again about the size of a football.

2) How aggressively should I try to get rid of armadillos? Don't love having the holes at the fence line but also worry if deserted whether or not diamondbacks will inhabit them (don't hate rattlers, but these holes are too close to our new home for comfort). Also worry about dogs / kids / ME breaking an ankle or even leg in the ones in the fields. Any other motivating factors for killing them / or to the other point any value in not killing them?

[Gulf Coast]

Any other motivating factors for killing them / or to the other point any value in not killing them?

I love the smell of gun powder in the mornings !!

[Chiefnockahoma]

Shootem!!!!!!!!! It's fun to watch them bounce!!

[Salty Gator]

Any other motivating factors for killing them / or to the other point any value in not killing them?

I love the smell of gun powder in the mornings !!

Smells like....sniff....victory

[RCS]

They're easy to trap once you've figured out their travel routes, and it looks like you've found at least 1. Set yourself a live trap with 2 6' boards funneling into the entrance of the trap. Armadillos have poor eyesight and travel along the same paths/corridors routinely...they'll walk right in.

Aside from tearing the crap out of your yard, a few reasons to kill them include: they're an invasive species, they wreak havoc on quail and turkey nests, they can carry leprosy, they're ugly, they wreak havoc on quail and turkey nests...did I mention they wreak havoc on quail and turkey nests?

[Harmsway]

^ What RCS said. They're an invasive species (and they're ugly). I've got an armadillo hunting dog you can borrow if you want him. He's really a junkyard dog, but he sure does like catching armadillos. I hope he don't catch no leprosy.

[turtlecat]

Choot em BBG, choot em!

[lonesouth]

skip the live trap, dillos will destroy a live trap in short order. Go with a snare or just shoot em. You can also dig a deep hole along the path, put a trashcan in the bottom, and fill with water...

You DID get a backhoe with that fancy tractor didn't you?

[RCS]

If you have cats or small pets, I wouldn't risk setting snares. They're effective, but they also don't discriminate.

I don't know if it's still the case, but it used to be illegal to release an armadillo, That leaves a few options...shoot them in the trap, drop them in the swimming pool/trashcan filled with water, or have someone ready with a baseball bat and open the trap door. If you do opt to shoot them, whether in out of a trap, be warned...armadillos are spring-loaded blood bombs. It doesn't matter what you shoot it with or where you hit it, it's going to jump forwards, backwards, flip, somersault, spin, and sling blood like nothing you've ever seen.

[big bend gyrene]

It doesn't matter what you shoot it with or where you hit it, it's going to jump forwards, backwards, flip, somersault, spin, and sling blood like nothing you've ever seen.

RCS, sounds like it's a good thing I target cobia when on the water... pretty much the same way I would describe pulling in green ones!

Since nobody's really chimed in with a redeeming reason to keep them around, I did some serious digging back through the BBF archives looking for answers. Quite entertaining, and definitely learned I'm not the first asking the question. This thread was pretty good. As little fishing as I'm doing lately think I'm going to try the 30lb flouro leader suggestion. http://www.bigbendfishing.net/phpBB3/vi ... =5&t=19672

Above shared, nothing, and I mean NOTHING appealed to this Marine's sense of adventure like the story PA shared back in 2007. Buried deep in the middle of a long thread, so I'll just paste it below. Guess I better get the discs hooked up to the tractor.

As told by PA:

"THE STORY ABOUT THE ARMADILLOS IS A TRUE ONE. ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO THE ARMADILLOS WERE TEARING OUR LAWN UP EVERY NIGHT. I DECIDED TO SEE IF I COULD FIND THEIR HOLE. I FINALLY FOUND WHERE THEY WERE RAISING THEIR YOUNG. IT WAS IN A HOLE UNDER A BLOWN OVER HICKORY TREE. IT WAS ABOUT 8' WIDE AND MAYBE 6' DEEP. I SAT OFF FROM THE HOLE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND NONE CAME OUT. I WENT BACK TO THE SHOP AND GOT ABOUT 2 GAL OF DIESEL FUEL IN A HAND HELD SPRAYER, CARRIED A PINT OF GAS AND WENT TO THE HOLE. I SPRAYED THE DIESEL DOWN INTO THE HOLD AND I COOULD HEAR THOSE BUGGERS RUSTLING AROUND DOWN IN THE HOLD, I POURED THE GAS DOWN THE HOLE AND THREW A MATCH IN TO START THE FIRE, SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT. THOSE ARMADILLOS STARTED COMING OUT OF THAT PLACE AND ALL OF THEM WERE ON FIRE, I SHOT 18 AS THEY CAME OUT. THE REST OF THEM WENT FLYING OFF OUT INTO THE WOODS AND BEFORE I KNEW IT ALL OF THE WOODS WERE ON FIRE. I RAN BACK TO THE SHOP AND GOT THE TRACTOR , WHICH HAD THE DISC ALREADY HITCHED UP, IT TOOK ME ABOUT 4 HOURS OF DISCING BEFORE I GOT THE FIRE CONTAINED. AFTER THE FIRE DIED DOWN I STARTED LOOKING FOR THE ARMADILLOS THAT CAME OUT AND STARTED THE FIRES. AT THE FINAL COUNT I HAD ROUNDED UP A TOTAL OF 56 ARMADILLOS DEAD. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL COME BACK INTO THE LAWN SINCE THEN BUT WAS ABLE TO NAIL THEM WITH THE RIFLE. THE LAST 2 YEAR HAVE NOT BEEN BOTHERED WITH ANY.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA "

[TallyFish]

BBG!!!!!!! never put that story by Pa up again! I damn near whizzed my britches laughing and had tears flowing down my cheeks.

[RCS]

That's the best armadillo story I've ever heard/read. I would have burned up and died in that fire...seeing that play out in person would have me rolling on the ground gasping for air.

[bman]

That made my day.. Pa, YOU ARE THE MAN!

[Flint River Pirate]

Ha!!!! That's awesome Pa!

[SS-342]

Pa. That is the BEST EVER! I could just see them setting the woods on fire. Hope PETA don't get this story! That hole had to be larger than you thought to hold that many. I'm glad they didn't run under your house or BOAT!