Bada Badger, Bada BOOM!

SnowmanMo

SnowmanMo

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Been a busy summer. Been doing some calling, trying to get some more video footage. Then life got in the way. Now, that is not really a bad thing. Decided to change jobs after almost 19 years with the same company. But trying to get up to speed with the new company has had me out on the road. So I haven't been out much in the last 2 weeks.

So this week, after a bunch of prepping for the new job, I decided I had to get out. So I took the opportunity of a bit cooler morning here to get out on my own. I wanted to get a real chance to test a new piece of equipment, the Jack jr decoy from FoxPro. Now, I am not that big of fan of decoys, but recent open country coyotes have shown that having a controllable decoy might not be a bad thing. I managed to fit the decoy into my quick deployment bag and got it connected to my CS-24.

Went to an area that I have kept my eye on. Set up so that I had a farm field off to my left and a farm field to my back and was calling out towards the desert. I had heard coyotes in that direction. But our fox/bobcat season started the 1st of the month, so I chose to start my stand with some prey calls instead of howling.

So I am running some rabbit calls, since I saw several bunnies out and about that morning. I was randomly turning the decoy on and off. I really wasn't holding out much hope, as I had a crop duster buzzing around at tree top level around and even right over the top of me. Then, I catch movement from my left. I don't move, thinking that a coyote has crept out. But the mvement starts again and I can see that it is a badger. I have called in badgers before, just not when they were legal to shoot. This time, it was legal season. So now I am really focused on watching the badger. It comes out and stops. Staring at the call, I turn on the remote. Sure enough, it starts moving again. It pauses again, then moves again. On the third stop I decide it's time. I carefully lift my PTG-10 along with my Night Stalker tripod and smoothly focus on the badger. It looked toward me but the decoy got it's attnetion right back on the call and gave me what I needed. SCHWACK! THUMP!
image000001 (2) by Jason Mosler, on Flickr


Man those guys are solid. .30 cal entry, about a 2-3 in exit hole.

SHould make for a nice wall hanger when I get it done. Probably get the skull done too.

I threw together this quick video for your viewing pleasure.

 

You sure anchored him right there. I have always thought a badger would be a nice trophy and was hoping for one when I was in Arizona a few years ago, but it was not to be. Good job on that.
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
You sure anchored him right there. I have always thought a badger would be a nice trophy and was hoping for one when I was in Arizona a few years ago, but it was not to be. Good job on that.

Thank you sir. We see their digs all the time. I have called in a few, but they were always out of season. But this one's time was up.
 
Seen that on Instagram last night. Man, what a cool mount that will make! Congratulations Jason!

I'd love to shoot one. Two years ago my wife and I were bowhunting antelope in Montana. She had a badger two yards in front of her blind, but she didn't shoot it. When I asked why, she said because she couldn't stop staring at it and admiring it. They are one beautiful looking little critter, that's for sure.
 
Congrats. Badgers are cool critters and make awesome mounts. Consider a rug as well, they look great. I took one a couple weeks ago that tipped my scale at 26 1/4 lbs. That's huge for our neck of the woods. Called in one for my boy last week, around 20 lbs. Which is average for a mature male. Check us out on Instagram. @jimandlanceunderthebigsky.

I haven't figured out how to post pics on here since photo bucket sucked.. lol
 
Originally Posted By: Jim ByersCongrats. Badgers are cool critters and make awesome mounts. Consider a rug as well, they look great. I took one a couple weeks ago that tipped my scale at 26 1/4 lbs. That's huge for our neck of the woods. Called in one for my boy last week, around 20 lbs. Which is average for a mature male. Check us out on Instagram. @jimandlanceunderthebigsky.

I haven't figured out how to post pics on here since photo bucket sucked.. lol

Thanks, I am considering a rug, and having the skull cleaned.

I use flikr for photos. It's pretty easy.
 
I've only called one in but have killed a bunch of them as targets of opportunity. We can only shoot badgers during fur bearer season. Can you just shoot them whenever or is there an actual season on them there?
 
Badgers are pretty rare on the ranches I hunt and are protected by the land owner so this is about as close as I can get to a mount, but that's OK. Suspect this pair of youngsters are brother and sister. The one I think is a little male (on the left) had quite an attitude!
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Regards,
hm
 
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