Can You Kill Armadillos in Texas? License, Methods, and Limits

Yes, you can kill armadillos in Texas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department classifies them as non-game animals, so there are no closed seasons, no bag limits, and no possession limits. With a valid Texas hunting license, you can take an armadillo on private property at any time using any lawful method, and you don’t have to prove property damage first.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species

Why the Non-Game Classification Matters

Texas sorts wildlife into categories, and armadillos sit in the non-game bucket alongside species like porcupines and prairie dogs. TPWD’s rule is that non-game species “may be hunted at any time by any lawful means or methods on private property,” with no seasonal restrictions or bag limits.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species

That classification clears most of the paperwork you’d expect. You don’t need a depredation permit, you don’t need to document damage, and you don’t need to call TPWD for permission before acting. Depredation permits exist for protected species causing serious damage to agricultural operations, not for non-game animals like armadillos.2Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Depredation Permit

You Still Need a Hunting License

There’s no exemption for armadillos the way there is for coyotes attacking livestock or feral hogs on private land. A standard resident hunting license runs $25. Non-residents can pick up the Special Small Game/Exotic Hunting license for $48, which covers non-game animals.3Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Licenses

Hunting without a license is a misdemeanor that can bring fines and loss of hunting privileges. Buy the license before you go after the animal.

Where You Can Legally Do It

Private Property

Private land is where the rules are most permissive. With a license, you can take armadillos day or night, using any lawful method. If the land isn’t yours, you need the owner’s consent. Hunting on someone else’s property without permission is criminal trespass under Texas law, regardless of the target.

Public Land and Roads

Public hunting lands may layer their own restrictions on top of the general non-game rules. TPWD also prohibits taking non-game species from public lands or waters for commercial purposes (sale, barter, or exchange), and hunting any wild animal on a public road or its right-of-way is illegal.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species Spotting an armadillo crossing a county road is not permission to stop and shoot it.

Inside City Limits

Texas Penal Code Section 42.12 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to recklessly discharge a firearm inside any municipality with a population of 100,000 or more. That’s up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000. Smaller municipalities can and often do pass their own firearm-discharge ordinances.4State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Section 42.12 – Discharge of Firearm in Certain Municipalities If you’re inside city limits, trapping is almost always the safer legal route. Check your local ordinances even in a small town.

Methods That Are Allowed and Ones That Aren’t

Shooting

In rural areas where firearm discharge is lawful, shooting is direct and effective. Armadillos are most active at dusk, overnight, and in early morning. TPWD allows night hunting of non-game animals on private property, and as a courtesy suggests notifying your local game warden first.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species A small-caliber rifle or shotgun does the job. Armadillos tend to follow the same foraging paths, so watching a known route at twilight tends to pay off.

Trapping

Cage traps are the standard tool. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends traps at least 10 by 12 by 36 inches, placed near active burrow entrances or along fence lines and landscape borders where armadillos travel.5Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Managing Armadillo Boards or temporary fencing work as wings to funnel the animal toward the opening. Bait is largely useless because armadillos root through soil for live insects rather than following scent to a stationary lure.

What You Can’t Use

No fumigants, toxicants, or repellents are registered for armadillo control.5Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Managing Armadillo Using an unregistered pesticide or poison violates federal and state pesticide law. It also wouldn’t work, since armadillos dig for live grubs and don’t eat bait on the surface. Applying a lawn insecticide to reduce the food supply can make your yard less attractive over time, but it won’t remove an animal that’s already dug in.

What to Do With a Trapped Armadillo

Trapping is legal at any time, but what happens next matters. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension advises notifying local TPWD representatives before trapping and relocating an armadillo.5Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Managing Armadillo Most wildlife professionals dispatch trapped armadillos rather than relocate them, both because the notification adds a step and because relocated animals often return or become someone else’s problem.

Selling a Live Armadillo Is Illegal

Killing armadillos is one thing; profiting from live ones is another. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.103 prohibits any person from selling or possessing for the purpose of sale a living armadillo in Texas.6State of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.103 Selling non-game animals taken from public land is also unlawful.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Nongame, Exotic, Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species

Handle the Animal Carefully

Armadillos are the only animal besides humans known to regularly carry Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium that causes leprosy (Hansen’s disease). Overall risk is low. The CDC notes that leprosy is not highly communicable and that any risk from indirect environmental exposure would be “extremely low.” The greatest exposure comes from direct contact with the animal’s flesh, especially when preparing meat.7CDC. Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southeastern United States

Wear gloves when handling armadillos, live or dead. Avoid preparing the meat for consumption. Wash hands and tools thoroughly afterward.

Check the Burrow Before Filling It

Armadillo burrows attract other tenants. Abandoned ones often shelter opossums, rabbits, skunks, snakes, and burrowing owls.8Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Armadillos – Introducing Mammals to Young Naturalists Burrowing owls are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and disturbing an active nest or harming one of the birds carries serious federal penalties.9USDA APHIS. USDA APHIS Facilitates Return of Burrowing Owls Look before you collapse or fill a burrow. Reaching in blindly is a bad idea for other reasons too, including snakes and skunks.

Disposing of the Carcass

If you take the carcass off the property where you harvested the animal, Texas statewide carcass disposal rules apply. Three options are allowed:10Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Statewide Carcass Disposal Restrictions

  • Put it in commercial trash service, double-bagged.
  • Return unused parts to the property where the animal was taken.
  • Bury it at least three feet below the ground surface, covered with at least three feet of earth.

Leaving the carcass on the property where you took the animal doesn’t trigger these transport rules, though burial is still sensible to avoid odor and scavengers.