Mat can you tell me how to find and capture a badger? I have a family gathering coming up and I want it to be exciting.
Finding them is the hardest part. They like to be in open areas, near food and earth that’s good for digging. Look for the trails of crushed plants leading to their setts, which are holes in the ground about 2 and a half hands to a foot wide. The holes will be surrounded by tamped-down earth or small rocks.
If you see piles of fresh earth and rocks a pace or two around the holes, that’s a sure sign you’ve found an active sett. Badgers have a distinctive musky smell, too, that can help you find them and their burrows.
They aren’t hard to trap. For the bait, you can use a deer or cow bone, or anything foul-smelling. A dirt hole set works well- that’s where you bury the bait in a small slanted hole behind a distinctive landmark like a rock or small plant. Then place your trap in front of the hole, attach a drag or stake, then bed and cover it.
Badgers are diggers, so it’s better to use a drag than a stake, but if you’re using a stake, make it long or use more than one. Finish off with some bait to the edge of the hole and a call lure.
And bring a nice big sack with no holes! Have fun :)
