7) What animals did the Timucuas eat?
They hunted these animals with spears or bows and arrows: deer, wild pig (after the Spanish brought them here), rabbit, raccoon, turkey, alligators, bears, sharks, dolphins, seals, and many others. (Armadillos did not live in Florida until the 1920’s when they escaped from a circus. Armadillos originally come from Mexico and South America.)
They hunted these animals with nets, hooks and lines, and traps: fish, crabs, shrimp, ducks, and many others.
They just collected these: oysters, whelks, clams, turtles, bird eggs, and many more.
They hunted deer by hiding under a whole deer hide, with the fur, antlers, and legs still attached. This way they could sneak up on the deer and shoot them with a bow and arrow. Click here "Deer hunt" to see a picture of this.
They hunted alligator by sticking a pole in the alligator’s mouth. When the pole got stuck in his mouth and throad, the Timucua men would turn the pole over, and the alligator would get flipped too. Then they could spear him on his softer belly. This was extremely dangerous. Sometimes the men got killed trying to hunt alligators. Click here "Alligator Hunt" to see a picture of this.
