This was the first season I can remember when I never saw or heard an armadillo while deer hunting. And as most of you know, they can be noisy critters and make it more difficult to hear an approaching deer. I can't even remember seeing one dead on the road.

This has been an unusually cold winter for sure. Do they hibernate or stay burrowed more during cold weather?

They burrow in my yard. I know that there's about 6-7 less than there was a few months ago

I did see one in the pasture the other evening, he got a pass. As soon as he heads to the dark side, he's toast.

Well there is your answer Earthkid killed them all

Come to think of it, I didn’t see any either that I can recall. Did see a dead one’s shell or two.

Any Fire ant mounds around?

[video:youtube]ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyVYM_OjZJk[/video]

During a drought you have to look in bottom lands with soft dirt. Or in someone’s yard.
There is no shortage of them out here. They are mostly nocturnal animals too.

No more than usual. I have noticed a marked increase in dillers over the past few years. Just about every bow hunting sit I have been seeing them. Don’t recall seeing any this year though. May just be coincidence IDK.

Now that you mention it I haven't seen an armadillo in quite a while on our place. Skunks on the other hand seem to be having a population explosion in our neck of the woods.

I did find this...

"Armadillos do not hibernate however a moderate climate is essential to their survival as they cannot endure long periods of freezing weather. The creature’s armor like shell covers most of its body and provides a certain amount of protection; however it offers little insulation against cold weather. Armadillos will not expand into extreme northern climates due to the cold temperatures.

These creatures do not store much body fat, do not hibernate, and instead continue to forage year round. As winter arrives, their food supplies become scarce and frozen ground conditions prevent them from being able to dig in order to search for food. Since they cannot tolerate freezing temperatures, in order to escape the cold the armadillos often retreat underground. However, it should be noted that they are still unable to hibernate while doing this because they will either freeze or starve to death in these types of conditions."

I think I counted 7-8 the other day

Seen the usual amount in the Concho Valley...

On our place in Mills co, they disappeared for almost 15 years. As for them being nocturnal, bull chit, we used to see them all hours of the day. It used to be easy to see 15 driving around our 1200 acres. Then, 0. In the last two years they’ve made a comeback, we now see 1-5 each time driving around, I suspect disease was the culprit.

I had one rooting around in the yard this afternoon. And no I did not kill it.

Exactly opposite where I hunt. This year we are covered up with them.

I'm thinking a localized disease outbreak might be why we're seeing them far less frequently.

Plenty on my place, shoot on sight! Was even able to run over 2 with the 4 wheeler a couple months ago!

We have seen plenty dillos in Franklin county (northeast tx). Dang near came across at least 1 either to, during the sit, or walking back from the blind this past year. They get a pass on the hunting property. If they are rooting up the yard or the flower bed, they get a 22lr to the head.

we used to kill them on sight growing up, the ranchers hated them. On my first deer lease out of college, the old rancher told us we could kill anything legal except coons and armadillos. ... so I had to ask why those? he said he and his brother still headlighted coons and that he used to kill every armadillos he saw until one day someone told him that they were good to eat, so the next one he killed, he took it home to skin & cook it. once he got it skinned he was curious about what it had been eating, to find the stomach full of mosquitoes and mosquito larva, said he hadn't killed one since. So they get a pass from me unless the LO tells me to kill on sight.

They exploded on our property in Coryell county this year.. I’d see 2-3 each hunt and have seen several driving around our ranch..

They make good pig bait I guess.

Saw the usual amount

About the same around here, no more or less from I can tell.

I saw four yesterday while driving around

Not too many on the lease in Evant this year but have quite a few in Navarro co.