# Badger



## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Son saw what he thinks was a badger. We found two holes about 12" wide dug into the ground at an angle so the opening looks like a half moon. The 2 holes are about 8-10 yards apart. We didn't find any other holes. He says the critter looked like this:









My understanding is that badgers are really mean and aggressive so we've got to eliminate it before it starts gnawing on our livestock and/or children. What's the best way to catch/kill this thing?


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## cedarguy (Nov 19, 2012)

A good .22, a steady hand and some patience. Then roast it with garlic and thyme!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

We have badgers everywhere, have heard of problems but never had any. They eat rodents like gophers, mice, etc so I don't mind having them around, they are nice to watch.

If you want to kill one check your local laws, they are protected in some areas and regulated in others, don't want anyone getting in trouble.
.22 is a good bet, otherwise snare/foothold/conibear/livetrap at the burrow entrance will all work.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

LD please don't kill that Badger, he is no threat to you, your children ,or your stock and he will help to keep the rodent population under control. Just leave him alone and he will return the favor.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Badgers are actually very skittish creatures - your son should consider himself lucky to have seen one. In all my years of being deep in the bush, I have only seen badgers with my own eyes a few times.

Badgers are very "family" orientated creatures, the parents hoard food during the summer to feed their young over the winter - just like we do. :teehee:

Badgers have a very bad rap ... like being more aggressive than bears and wolves. The reality of it is ... they are more like ground-squirrels ... only bigger. They will fight if they are cornered, don't corner them and they will be just fine.


:wave:


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Like others have said he will not harm you. His burrows may harm clumsy livestock that do not watch where they are going.
Like NaeKid, I have only seen a few in my life and I have looked! We never bothered them when they were on our farm(though we sometimes cussed the burrows they left). They often travel so you may never see him again.


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## MDsapper (Mar 12, 2013)

i saw a couple standing by the side of the road when i was traveling through the rocky mountains


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Well heck if they're not going to attack us, he or she can stay. Was I thinking of Wolverines that are so aggressive?


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

lazydaisy67 said:


> Well heck if they're not going to attack us, he or she can stay. Was I thinking of Wolverines that are so aggressive?


The wolverine could be - but, unless you are living in the northern reaches, you may not ever see one ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine

Click that link for more details of their range ...


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

You can't kill a badger. See youtube vid honey badger don't give a sh$t. Don't bite off more than you can chew . 

I don't know if a honey badger and a badger are the same thing though.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

The badger, wolverine, weasel, mink, fisher are related species.


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## MDsapper (Mar 12, 2013)

honey badgers live in africa


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

hiwall said:


> The badger, wolverine, weasel, mink, fisher are related species.


And black footed ferret these are making a comeback, reintroduced in Canada a few years ago, diet is 90%gophers

And yeah I have stepped in a badge hole that'll wake you up.


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## Jaspar (Feb 3, 2010)

Leave the badger alone, and it will leave you alone. [email protected]## with the badger, and the badger will @#$$ with you. They are [email protected]@. 

there are no wolverines in Western Iowa. 

I saw a badger last summer running by the side of a gravel road (coming up out of a creek). At first I thought it was a dog. It was huge, and soaking wet. I stopped along side it, and we stared at each other for a few seconds. It looked really [email protected]@ed off so I kept driving.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Well, if he will leave my animals alone, I don't have a problem leaving him/her be. I just didn't want it to get too close to the house or yard where the kids play and attack one of them thinking they were threatening it's den or babies or whatever.


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## kyredneck (Aug 12, 2012)

hiwall said:


> The badger, wolverine, weasel, mink, fisher are related species.





cowboyhermit said:


> And black footed ferret these are making a comeback, reintroduced in Canada a few years ago, diet is 90%gophers
> 
> And yeah I have stepped in a badge hole that'll wake you up.


...and skunks, otters, and martens


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

Let the badger be. It'll be more of a benefit than a liability.


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

Lots of badgers where I was raised, and the only problems were the occasional holes where we didn't want them. When you see one digging, you would swear it's some kind of machine throwing a steady stream of dirt into the air. I enjoyed having them around.


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## Jimthewagontraveler (Feb 8, 2012)

As much as I love nature......
We have a digging machine in Missouri called a gopher.
In the woods they get left alone.
In the pasture they get Harrassed.
If they ever go near the yard it is open season.
I have seen too many cracked foundations result in thousands of $$$$
all because some one wasnt will to kill to keep his turf.
The good news is after you remove all that YUCK STINKY fat they are the best eating in the woods.
chunked rolled in a lard pepper corn meal mix then deep fat fried.
YUM YUM!!!!!!!!!


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