Louisiana Lets You Kill Armadillos Year-Round, but Night Shooting and Public Land Come With Strict Conditions

Yes, you can kill armadillos in Louisiana, and the state puts almost no limits on how often or how many. The animal has no wildlife protection at all, which makes it one of the most freely removable animals in the state. The catch is that the legality of the method matters: shooting, trapping, night hunting and land access each carry their own conditions.

This article walks through each question a Louisiana landowner usually has, from licenses and night shooting to poison, relocation and local firearm ordinances. The rules below come from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the Louisiana Revised Statutes. For background on the animal itself, see our armadillo overview.

Is It Legal to Kill Armadillos in Louisiana?

Yes. LDWF lists armadillos as outlaw quadrupeds, alongside feral hogs and coyotes. Under R.S. 56:116.1, outlaw quadrupeds may be taken at any time of year, from one-half hour before official sunrise to one-half hour after official sunset, without limit as to number.

That daytime window is the baseline. Night take is a separate rule with extra conditions, covered below.

Question	Short Answer
Legal to kill?	Yes, year-round
Bag limit?	None
Daytime shooting?	Legal with a hunting license (unless exempt)
Night shooting?	Private property only, with written permission and sheriff notice
Poison?	Not an approved method in LDWF’s published rules

Are Armadillos Protected in Louisiana?

No. The “outlaw quadruped” label is the opposite of a protected status. Foxes, by contrast, are listed by LDWF’s regulations as protected quadrupeds that may be taken only with traps by licensed trappers during the trapping season. Armadillos get no such treatment.

The LDWF outlaw quadrupeds page is the agency’s own statement of how these animals are handled.

Is There an Armadillo Hunting Season in Louisiana?

No. There is no closed season for armadillos. Licensed hunters may take outlaw quadrupeds year-round during legal shooting hours. You do not have to wait for deer or small-game dates.

One exception applies on Wildlife Management Areas. During hunting seasons specified on WMAs, outlaw quadruped take is allowed only with guns or bows and arrows legal for the season in progress. The details are in the WMA section below.

Do You Need a Hunting License or Permit to Kill an Armadillo in Louisiana?

If you are hunting them, generally yes. LDWF’s regulations say that a Basic Hunting License is required of persons 18 and older who are actively hunting quadrupeds and resident game birds. The daytime rule is written for license holders: “Holders of a hunting license may take coyotes, feral hogs and armadillos year round during legal daylight shooting hours.”

No special armadillo permit or tag exists. Some people are exempt from the basic license, such as youth hunters and landowners in certain situations, so check LDWF’s exemption list or call an LDWF office if you are unsure whether you qualify.

Important Note: Some third-party sites say no license is needed at all. LDWF’s published regulations describe the daytime take as something hunting-license holders may do, so treat the license as the safe default unless you clearly fall under an exemption.

Can You Shoot an Armadillo on Your Property in Louisiana?

Yes, with a few conditions. The LSU AgCenter says lethal control is legal year-round and shooting is one method that is legal in Louisiana. Your method still has to be a legal one. LDWF notes that air rifles are legal for taking outlaw quadrupeds.

Local rules still apply on top of state law. Many parishes and municipalities restrict discharging a firearm near homes, roads or in town limits, which is why the next-to-last sections of this article matter. The LSU AgCenter’s armadillo fact sheet describes shooting as legal when done in daylight and within local firearm ordinances.

Can You Shoot Armadillos at Night in Louisiana?

Yes, but only on private property and only under specific conditions. LDWF states that on private property, the landowner, or his lessee or agent with the landowner’s written permission and contact information in his possession, may take outlaw quadrupeds from one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise.

Several requirements apply:

• Written permission: If you are not the landowner, you need the owner’s written permission and their contact information on you.
• Sheriff notice: Anyone attempting night take must notify the sheriff of the parish where the property is located within 24 hours before the attempt or immediately upon taking the animal.
• Clean record: You may not participate or be present during nighttime hunting if you have a class three or greater wildlife violation within the previous five years, or are prohibited from legally using a firearm.
• Equipment: Any legal firearm may be used with or without artificial light, infrared or laser sighting devices, or night vision devices.

Pro Tip: Save a short call or text record to the parish sheriff’s office before you go out. It gives you a simple timestamp showing you gave notice.

Do You Have to Prove Property Damage to Kill an Armadillo in Louisiana?

No. Because armadillos are outlaw quadrupeds, the statute does not require you to show damage before taking one. The daytime rule in R.S. 56:116.1(D)(1) contains no damage condition, and neither does the night provision.

Damage does matter for other animals. LDWF’s regulations say that landowners or their designees may remove beaver and nutria causing damage to their property without a special permit. That damage language is aimed at those species, not armadillos.

Is It Legal to Trap Armadillos in Louisiana?

Trapping falls under a tighter rule than shooting. The statute allows take of outlaw quadrupeds at any time except by trapping during the closed season for nongame quadrupeds, where trapping generally requires a special permit issued by the department. The statute then carves out an exception for trapping outlaw quadrupeds without a permit under conditions the text sets out.

Because the exact conditions are in R.S. 56:116.1(D)(1), read the full text or call LDWF before setting cage traps out of season. If you use a live trap, check it often and have a lawful plan for the animal before you set it. The LDWF hunting page links to nuisance wildlife control information.

Can You Relocate a Trapped Armadillo in Louisiana?

LDWF’s published outlaw quadruped rules do not set out a relocation program for armadillos, and moving wildlife onto land you do not own raises trespass and landowner-consent problems. Releasing an animal on someone else’s property without their permission is a bad idea regardless of species.

If you do not want to kill a trapped animal, a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator is the safer route. Armadillos also carry a practical problem: they are widespread statewide, so a relocated animal often just returns or digs up another yard. The LSU AgCenter notes that armadillos now are found throughout the state.

Is It Legal to Poison an Armadillo in Louisiana?

Do not do it. The legal methods listed by LDWF for outlaw quadrupeds are firearms, air rifles, and (with limits) traps. Poison is not among them, and the outlaw quadruped rule says nothing that would allow it.

Poisoning also creates risks that no wildlife rule excuses: pets, other wildlife and children can be exposed, and pesticide use is separately regulated. It can also trigger cruelty and pesticide-label violations, covered in the final section.

Can You Kill Armadillos on Public Land in Louisiana?

On Wildlife Management Areas, yes, but only with the right license and the right gear. During hunting seasons specified on WMAs (except turkey and spring squirrel seasons), outlaw quadruped take is allowed by properly licensed hunters, only with guns or bows and arrows legal for the season in progress.

The night provision is different. It applies to private property, so night take of armadillos on public land is not covered by it. Other public lands, such as city parks, state parks and national forests, have their own rules, and many prohibit firearm discharge or any hunting. Check with the managing agency first.

Do Local Ordinances Limit Killing Armadillos in Louisiana?

Yes, and this is the most common reason a legal-by-state shooting turns into a problem. State law lets you take an armadillo, but a parish or municipal ordinance can still bar discharging a firearm in certain areas. The LSU AgCenter specifically ties the legality of shooting to local firearm ordinances.

The LDWF hunting information covers state rules only. Call your parish sheriff’s office or city clerk before you shoot in a subdivision, near a road, or inside town limits. Also remember that hunting, standing, loitering or shooting game quadrupeds or birds on a public road or right-of-way is prohibited.

Can Someone Else Kill Armadillos on Your Property in Louisiana?

Yes, if they have your written permission. For night take, the statute covers the landowner or his lessee or agent, with the landowner’s written permission and contact information in his possession. For daytime take, they still need their own hunting license.

Put the permission in writing, include your phone number, and note the dates. A pest control company can also do the work, but confirm that they follow the sheriff-notice rule for any night work. The person doing the shooting is the one who answers for a violation, so pick someone with a clean wildlife record.

Can You Keep or Sell an Armadillo You Kill in Louisiana?

You can generally keep one you take legally, since the animal is not protected. Selling is a different matter. LDWF’s published outlaw quadruped rules do not set up a market for armadillo parts, and commercial sale of wildlife products can involve trapping licenses and fur dealer rules. For comparison, LDWF notes that nuisance beavers and nutria taken outside the open season cannot be pelted or sold, and a trapping license is required to sell or pelt animals taken during the open season.

If you want to sell any part of an armadillo, ask LDWF first. Armadillos can also carry disease, so wear gloves when handling a carcass and bury or bag it for disposal.

Do Animal Cruelty Laws Apply to Killing an Armadillo in Louisiana?

They can. Wildlife law lets you take the animal, but it does not cancel the state’s general cruelty statutes if you torture, mutilate or needlessly prolong an animal’s death. A quick, lawful kill by firearm or air rifle is the safe approach. Methods like drowning, burning, or beating are not.

Armadillos are not a game animal, but the principle is the same for related species. For a similar discussion in another state, our article on killing raccoons in Texas covers how hunting rules and cruelty rules interact. Also see the Louisiana-specific piece on roadkill laws in Louisiana if you find a dead armadillo on the road rather than killing one yourself.

Common Mistake: Assuming “outlaw quadruped” means no rules at all. The animal is unprotected, but your method, location, license status and local ordinances all still apply.

For related state-by-state questions, you can also compare raccoon rules in North Carolina and roadkill laws in Mississippi, which sits next door to Louisiana.