Thursday, October 07, 2021

Best Caliber for Armadillo

 Armadillos are endemic to Texas, Louisiana, and many other southern states.  The little buggers dig tunnels, and root in flower beds.  Not a huge nuisance, but aggravating at worst.  However, they are capable of carrying leprosy, and we don't want them in our yards or pastures.

When I lived in southern Natchitoches Parish, we had quite a population, and would dig huge tunnels in my pasture and yard.  Through experience, I learned to shoot them with a .22LR hollow point.  The little bullet would penetrate the shell, get up in the vitals, and cause massive injury.  The armadillo would run to his hole, crawl in, and expired.

After learning to use the .22, I never had to drag off a dead armadillo.  They were self-burying, and that was the proper answer.  The less we have to handle armadillos, the better.

4 comments:

Eaton Rapids Joe said...

I support your rights to arm a dillo and collect bear arms.

BobF said...

In St. Landry parish when I was young my cousins and I tried .22LR with a lot of ricochets. Never tried hollow points -- I wish we had. Would have saved us a lot of trouble and aggravation. (NOW you tell me!) Uncle Earl promised 50 cents for every one we brought in. Had fun shooting but made no money except for a lucky head shot once in a while.

Old 1811 said...

I get that you wouldn't want to handle a carcass that might carry leprosy, but I still think it's inhumane to deliberately shoot an animal with the intent of making it suffer long enough to run into its hole and die. Why not just kill it outright, pick it up with a shovel, and bury it properly?

Drew458 said...

I'd pick a .32-20 with HP ammo. Or the modern version, the .327 Federal, but loaded down. Instant death for anything raccoon or fox size at shorter ranges. Agree with Old 1811 - kill it cleanly.