Hunting coyotes, I recently have had a couple badgers come in. I hear they are mean. Last time, I stood up and threw rocks at one to stop him.

Is it legal in Commiefornia to shoot one if they don’t stop? I don’t really have any interest in shooting one. I just would rather not tear one off my leg.

Never tried calling them but have had a few show up when shooting prarie dogs, the noise of the shots are like a dinner bell. Have had coyotes do the same. Most are smart enough to stay away till we are gone, have seen them sneaking in as we are on the way out. Had one mother Badger make several trips between dog town and her den taking dead dogs back to her little ones, fun to watch

I've called them in, just wave your arms in the air and they back off. When I was trapping back in MN Grawe's trapper supply would have a Fall Rendezvous and one of the games was "Badger in a Barrel" they had a live badger in the bottom of a shortened 55gal drum and you had to reach in, grab him and lift him out and put him in another barrel next to it. Fun times.

Have called several in and even caught a couple, catch and release.
In some ways badgers are like a rattler, they don't want anything to do with you unless you harass or corner them.

Yes, called one in to rabbit distress this August and shot it. They are considered varmits in Oregon, can’t help with CA

I've lipped squeaked them out of their hole far enough to make a shot. I've only called one in that I can remember. It died.

As far as hurting you goes they don't want to. They'll run away from you. I've ran up on them and kicked them in the butt numerous times to get them to turn around so I could no scope them in the head. That's the only times I've ever had them act aggressive but that was understandable. That's the only way I've ever got them to stop other than hitting them on the run with a rifle.

Never called one but had the dogs bay one under a bush once. A buddy got the bright idea to stab him with a knife. He screamed like a little girl when it bit him. lol Lifes simple pleasures.

One of my most memorable stands.
Had my wife with me. Called one up right in front of her. She was getting a little nervous about the possibility of it crawling up on the rock ledge we were on. It got to about 20 yards below the edge of the rock down wind of us. It peeked around some brush, took a sniff, and left. She took a little video of it with my phone.

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...062#Post2369062

Photobucket doesn't work for me anymore, but you can see the badger peeking out from behind the brush in the third pic, that used to be video.

I wish I could! I want a fully furred badger rug in a bad way, but I'm really only interested in calling one in to get it.

Take 'em when you can...

I was parked alongside public land in Montana back in October waiting for a phone call when I spotted a coyote making the rounds in the distance. Unprepared, I had to put on all my hunting clothes and 20 minutes later the chase was on. I probably travelled over a mile, spotting it every now and then but headed away from me. Calls had no effect. I cleared a rise and saw something in the distance. I was stunned to see a badger walking on a shallow dam of a dried up impound pond. Then I saw another not 50 yards away from the first one. The second was quartering away from me and laying at the hole entrance with not a care in the world. I was in the wide open so decided to bee-line it towards them. Distances always look further out west but I stopped and discovered I was only 194 yards, so I got on my butt and sent a 40-gr VMAX from my Rem 700 VS .223, heard the hit and that was that. Small entrance hole and one tiny exit hole from a bullet fragment, so not bad.

It was a really long day and it got cold as I skinned it out. I was tired and opted to simply cut the feet off, though I did a good job on the face, tail, etc. Maybe just me, but their bellies seem to be really thin-skinned. I regret not keeping the feet on, but will get the pelt tanned. I also kept the skull and I'm getting ready to whiten it tomorrow. They are a bit stinky and I was surprised to see how much fat was on this male. I didn't see any ticks/fleas on this one, and not even sure if that's a thing for them.

Not much country to sneak up on critters here:


The sunset was really nice that day (at least for me):


They really are pretty up close:

I've called in two over the years in eastern Oregon. Got 'em both.