WESTERN BENTON COUNTY -- This weekend marks the opening of armadillo season in Arkansas, and area hunters are expected to be out in force watching for the creatures which are known for their armor-plated bodies and somewhat illusive behavior. And the cooler night-time temperatures should make the hunting season a good one, with the animals beginning to stay in their burrows during the cold nights and coming out in the warm daylight hours in search of food.
Local sporting goods stores are reporting an increase in the sale of armor-piercing rounds, indicating that many will be trying to bag an armadillo during the opening weekend of the armadillo season.
"Those who plan to use a bow and arrow need special arrow tips designed to pierce the animal's bands of armor," said Gary Fletcher, owner of The Straight Arrow bow shop on Main Street in Gentry. "The points are different than traditional broad heads," Fletcher explained. "They have a long tapered point designed to penetrate even the toughest of hides," he said.
Those using shotguns will want to use heavier shot, said Fletcher, who recommended buckshot rather than bird shot and steel shot rather than lead. He also suggested 3- or 3 ½-inch shells rather than the traditional 2¾.
Hunting methods are about as varied as the types of ammunition and arrow tips used to bag one of the illusive animals, according to Jack Wilder, an area hunting guide who sets up armadillo hunts on leased farmland each fall which attract hunters from far-away places like Minnesota and Wisconsin -- places which are still without their own armadillo populations.
"Some people like to sit in tree stands and watch for the armored little guys to emerge from their burrows in search of grubs and other insects," Wilder said. "And the method seems to work well since the animals don't see extremely well and don't generally look up into the trees. Baiting the area with grubs and worms helps, too," he added.
"Others like to use dogs to track the animals to their burrows," Wilder said. "Then, with a few blasts of liquid nitrogen, the animals scurry from their burrows to keep from being frozen. That's when the hunters can bag them," he said. "But the hunters should remember to shoot high because armadillos tend to jump straight up into the air when they are frightened or startled, and bagging them in the air is more sporting then when they are sitting there, frozen, on the ground."
"Of course, there are always those who use illegal methods," said Officer D. Coy of the Game and Fish Commission. "They road hunt for the animals by speeding down area roads and highways and attempting to straddle the animals under their pickup trucks. Then, when the frightened animals jump up into the air, they are hit with the bumper, the oil pan or the rear differential, enabling the road hunters to just back up, pick them up and toss the animals into the back of the truck."
Hunters should be aware that game wardens are planning to use mechanical decoys on the roads and highways to catch those hunting the game animals illegally, according to Coy. And penalties for road hunting can be high. In some cases, entire pickup trucks have been seized.
For those successful in their hunts, local taxidermists have advertised specials to stuff and mount armadillos. A favorite pose is to mount the animal on its back with a beer can to its mouth.
And don't waste the meat. We've been told that armadillo chili is a real treat once the tough hide is removed and the meat is thoroughly cooked. Just add lots of herbs and spices to give the animals, which taste a little like chicken, a flavor all their own. And cooking them long is important too, not only for added flavor but to avoid the possibility of contracting leprosy from eating an infected animal. Some of them do carry leprosy-causing bacteria which has been known to infect humans.
The season runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Jan. 31. The bag limit is two per day. Licenses and tags may be purchased online at the Fish and Game Commission and at most sporting goods stores.
S.A. Tired covers fictitious news from an unrealistic perspective for the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. News and views in Spinning the News are claimed by no one else but the author.
Editorial on 10/05/2016