Finding Badgers
Badger Encounters in the Wild book |
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Superb
book of Jim Crumley's encounters with badgers in the wild in Scotland. The quality of the writing is superb.
A great read. Click here to buy:
Encounters in the wild
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Do It Yourself?
If you want the challenge of finding your own badger sett and
watching the badgers which live there, you will need to learn some field
craft skills. One great way to learn this is to use some of our booklets
and presentations, you you know what sights and sounds to look out for.
Good places to start include these guides:
Badger Groups
Another great way to see badgers is to join your local Badger
Group. Your local wildlife trust or the
Badger Trust can put you in touch. Getting on
for 100 groups have been formed by local enthusiasts who want to study
and protect badgers. Your local group may well know the best time and
place to watch badgers around a suitable sett or hide. Also, Badger Groups
often provide many positive ways to help badger conservation. These
sometimes include protecting badgers from diggers and baiters by
installing reinforced Artificial Setts, helping with care and rehabilitation of injured
badgers, having Badger Tunnels and badger-proof
Fencing added to New
Road
schemes and giving advice about setts in the way of Property Developers.
Badger Protection
Whilst badgers and their setts are still protected under the Law, too
many badgers are still captured or killed and their setts destroyed or
damaged. If you are looking for badgers, be aware that in some areas
some people still wish to persecute badgers; so take care - especially
if you see any suspicious vehicles or people. Most badger groups will
know the locations of local badger setts, but will often keep these a
closely guarded secret. Publishing a list of badgers setts would simply
result in more badgers being persecuted and setts damaged.
Taking care of
yourself and the badgers
However, if there isn't a local Badger
Group, you may be able to find your own Evidence
that badgers are living in an area.
- Whatever you find, take great care with that information -
otherwise the next time you visit the sett you might find it ripped
up and the badgers dispersed or killed.
- If you do find a badger sett, a telephone call to your local Badger
Group (or the
Badger Trust)
would not go amiss. You might have discovered a new sett that they
can help protect or monitor; and they may be able to use the
information to prevent or mitigate the effects of any undesirable
developments.
Finding Badgers
Review the things to look for on our evidence
page, then follow these guidelines for successful sightings:
- Make a reconnaissance first to watch a sett for the first time.
- The morning is a good time since any scent you may leave will
mostly have dispersed by the time the badgers emerge.
- Try not to disturb the vegetation and avoid touching, kneeling or
stamping about near the entrances and on the main badger paths.
- Early summer is the best time for watching cubs since they are
most likely to be above ground then.
- Wear inconspicuous, warm clothes which do not rustle, and don't
smoke or use scent.
- Check that you are downwind of the sett to avoid detection.
Badgers can be a lot of fun to watch. With time and lot of patience,
you might even find cubs learning to tolerate your presence and
snuffling at your shoe!
Characteristic Signs of
Badgers
If you would like to watch badgers there are several signs to look
for, to help you decide if badgers are around. Some of the most
noticeable are:
- Badger paths linking sett entrances and foraging areas
- Tufts of black and white hair caught on barbed wire
- Foot prints
- Claw marks scratched on tree trunks
- Spoil heaps of earth outside sett entrances
- Bedding dropped on paths or near sett entrances
- Bundles of bedding aired on sunny days by sett entrances
Remember it is a criminal offence to disturb badgers, or damage,
destroy or obstruct their setts.
To Learn and See More
The best way to learn more, and get involved with badger conservation
and protection is to join your local Badger
Group or to contact the
Badger Trust. |