Badgers ?

mirvingm

New member
While deer hunting this year I saw a badger pass by my stand. This is the first badger I have seen in the woods. I didn't want to blow-up the little guy with my rifle.

What are the habits of badgers?
Do they stay at one den? or a area?
When are they most active?
How would you call one? or can you call them?
If I keep an eye on the area I seen him is there a good chance to see him again?
Are they worth the work to harvest?

Thanks, Mirvingm (Mike) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
Badgers make their living by digging, and move where food can be found. They are most active at night. I have called about ten of them with a mouth blown varmint call. It may stay in the area until the it's food supply is gone. Their hide is so tough and loose fitting that you can't blow them up unless you use C4. They also smell skunky, are fat and hard to skin.
 
Thanks for the info and I guess I've been warned if I do get him and have to skin it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
Will keep you posted.
Mirvingm
 
Badgers move to where the food is. They also prime up later than most furbearers. A badger taken right now is no where near the quality of one taken in Feb or March.

Quote:
As an upper trophic carnivorous predator, badger home ranges are large and range from 240 hectares (593 acres) to 850 hectares (2,100 acres) (Lindzey 1978; Long 1973; Messick and Hornocker 1981; Minta 1993; Sargeant and Warner 1972). There is considerable variation within and between regions of their geographic distribution. Home range probably is a function of food resource availability, social structure, and season. For example, male home ranges generally are larger than female ranges, and much larger during the summer breeding season (Messick and Hornocker 1981; Minta 1993). Males must both find sufficient food and mates. Minta (1993) recorded a tripling of male home ranges and a doubling of movement during the summer breeding season to encompass the ranges of several females. Minta also found that males were spatially attracted to females and other males, while female home ranges tended to be more stable and uniform, probably reflecting the distribution of food resources and the locations of other females. Females tend to spatially avoid other females. Messick and Hornocker (1981) observed reduced activity and home range sizes in the winter, with badgers staying underground for days or weeks during the winter. Badgers in southwestern Idaho show strong site fidelity and return to used burrows (Messick and Hornocker 1981). Aside from temporary family groups and transient mating bonds, and despite overlapping home ranges, badgers mostly are solitary animals (Davis 1942; Messick and Hornocker 1981; Minta 1993). Scent marking and agonistic encounters may maintain spacing patterns, but relatively little is known of their social dynamics (Messick and Hornocker 1981; Minta 1993). Their olfactory systems are highly developed and urine, feces, and scent glands provide strong chemical signals for olfactory communication (Minta 1993). Minta (1993) also looked at scarring and wounding as measures of intraspecific agonistic encounters and found that 73% of males and 50% of females had wounds or recent scars. The severity of the wounds of males was higher than those of females. Population densities of badgers range from approximately 2 to 6 badgers per sq km (e.g., Messick and Hornocker 1981).

Copied out of literature I found on badgers.



Also, welcome to PM. We're a great bunch of folks here. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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