All About Pocket Knives

1967redrider wrote: ↑Tue Dec 15, 2020 12:53 am Doc, I know nothing about Armadillos. They don't look snuggly, do they smell bad? I think they have claws for digging. Do they bite too?

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 5:24 am I don't have any pictures for this post but this afternoon I had the most wonderful time watching the deer at our place. I got to the shooting house around 4:15 and it was getting colder by the minute. Y'all laugh but it is below freezing tonight in the Florida Panhandle. When it gets below 40 we all think we are going to die.
Deer started showing up at 4:30, first a doe and two fawns at the feeder, I recognized them. I didn't even bother to look with my binoculars. A bit later I looked back and there were two big deer and one fawn, then they moved and headed for the food plot (Rye) and other deer started moving in and out in my sight. At one time I could definitely see ten different deer, it was getting darker and harder to see. I made out one spike as they were feeding and playing around. All of a sudden, all the deer started looking one direction back in the pines next to the feeder. I could see another deer moving toward the green plot. He trotted into the plot with his head down and chased about every deer around the plot. Finally he got close enough in the fading light to glimpse some head gear but it was passed legal shooting time. None of the does are showing any signs of being interested in the upcoming rut but I suppose the cold snap charged the buck's battery and he was cruising. Maybe tomorrow afternoon we'll meet a little earlier where I can see if he has the required points on his head. We don't usually see this activity until January and then on to the end of the season.
Tomorrow morning when I should be sitting in the stand, I'll most likely be sittin' in my recliner drinking that 1st cup of coffee.
Treefarmer

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 3:33 pm

1967redrider wrote: ↑Tue Dec 15, 2020 12:53 am Doc, I know nothing about Armadillos. They don't look snuggly, do they smell bad? I think they have claws for digging. Do they bite too?

Armadillos don’t typically fear humans or dogs, and their eyesight is extremely weak so they don’t typically run. They’re typically nocturnal. When they do run they’re fast. I’ve never heard of an armadillo biting anyone but their claws are fearsome strong and to be avoided. To live-trap one you need a trap with a heavy duty cage else they will tear it up trying to escape. They don’t normally smell bad. And they’re definitely not snuggly - I don’t think there’s a soft spot on one, unless it’s the hairy belly! (BTW I’ve read they can be carriers of leprosy).

Armadillos eat grubs and earthworms so they dig holes in turf and gardens. They’re especially fond of areas that have been irrigated (more worms, easier digging). They also dig burrows several feet deep in which they stay when not out foraging. A few years ago one dug a burrow under our front porch. The best deterrent is “lead poisoning”.

Ken

Waukonda wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:02 pm Here is a perfect example of "playing possum". I took these pics about 30 seconds apart, the first one I zoomed in from about 15' away. I walked in next to it, to force it into its' defense behavior, and it layed over and played dead for the 2nd pic.

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 3:33 pm

1967redrider wrote: ↑Tue Dec 15, 2020 12:53 am Doc, I know nothing about Armadillos. They don't look snuggly, do they smell bad? I think they have claws for digging. Do they bite too?

Armadillos don’t typically fear humans or dogs, and their eyesight is extremely weak so they don’t typically run. They’re typically nocturnal. When they do run they’re fast. I’ve never heard of an armadillo biting anyone but their claws are fearsome strong and to be avoided. To live-trap one you need a trap with a heavy duty cage else they will tear it up trying to escape. They don’t normally smell bad. And they’re definitely not snuggly - I don’t think there’s a soft spot on one, unless it’s the hairy belly! (BTW I’ve read they can be carriers of leprosy).

Armadillos eat grubs and earthworms so they dig holes in turf and gardens. They’re especially fond of areas that have been irrigated (more worms, easier digging). They also dig burrows several feet deep in which they stay when not out foraging. A few years ago one dug a burrow under our front porch. The best deterrent is “lead poisoning”.

Ken

Doc B wrote: ↑Tue Dec 15, 2020 12:49 am Most days, on our walk, we encounter 1-2 armadillos. They aren't overly afraid of people or dogs. If you had a fish net, you could catch one...not that you would want to catch one for any reason.
Armadillo.jpg

Unk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 20, 2020 5:39 pm

Doc B wrote: ↑Tue Dec 15, 2020 12:49 am Most days, on our walk, we encounter 1-2 armadillos. They aren't overly afraid of people or dogs. If you had a fish net, you could catch one...not that you would want to catch one for any reason.
Armadillo.jpg

Doc, we were at the deer lease last year, standing around the camp fire one night when an armadillo came walking right in amongst us. My buddy reached down an picked him up by the tail and walked over and tossed him back into the bushes, and we watched him waddle off into the darkness (the armadillo, not my friend)

We see them regularly, but never had one walk right into camp. We were talking, laughing, and making quite a bit of noise, along with a decent sized fire. I guess he wanted to see what the hub-bub was, or maybe he wanted a cold one. We also had hogs and deer run through camp a couple of times.