A first for me!

[spamel]

Last night, I went up on my permission with Ratbag to see if we could lower the numbers of pests up there for Phil the Farmer. We didn't have a very productive evening as it was very dark and all the rabbits had gone to the pub!

The corvids were flying about like something out of Lord of the Rings, but no joy, and any rabbits we did see were either out of range or ninja trained and they'd dodge out of the way just before a shot was fired!

Anyway, the reason I'm posting is that I saw a first last night: I told Ratbag about the field across the road and that apparently the farmer suffers rabbits over there too. We went across and Ratbag lamped up the hedgeline to see if there were any running about. It was then that I heard a snuffling sound not 5 metres from where we were standing, slap bang in the middle of this field.

My first thought was that it was a piglet escaped from the pen in the corner of the field, but when he was lamped, it turned out to be a badger! And he was less than 5 metres away from us!! He didn't seem bothered by being lamped or our voices, but must suddenly have caught our scent as he was off like a rocket! I couldn't believe how quickly he went off.

I didn't tell the farmer about the badger as I don't want him getting the little blighter, I'm not sure on his views but some farmers believe that they spread bovine TB, but his cows seem to be thriving. I don't want to be the cause of the little fellas death. I hope to see him again!

 

[nooky]

Wow that is neat. The only time I have seen a badger is as a roadkill beside the road.

 

[fredcraft]

I've never seen one in my life, they seem to be very rare (or extremely cautious) around where I live. They are somewhat of a legend for me The only one I saw was stuffed and it was in a fauna exibition.

Nice story spamel !

 

[EdS]

we see them failry reguarly here - neighbour even sees them wandering around at lunch time.

 

[Wayland]

The first one I saw was on Salisbury Plain. We were on night ex. I was point on a 4 man patrol and the fella came through the undergrowth sounding like a bunch of squaddies.

Cracked us up when we realized what it was.

 

[fredcraft]

Have any of you seen/heard of a badger react aggresively to a contact with human ? Or are they pretty much like bear and try to avoid contact with humans as much as possible ?

 

[British Red]

Nah I've never heard of them being agressive - they generally look at you and either leg it or go about their business - we don't eat them and they don't eat us!

I remember seeing my first and was amazed at the size of the **** on one as it walked away!

Yes mate - your bum does look big in that!

Red

 

[Goose]

I suppose I have been lucky with badgers, seen them lots of times and even ran one over , I couldn't help it driving along(on salisbury plain near Imber Village) and I saw it at the side of the road I slowed down to get a better look and it ran straight into the front of the car! Couldn't get over the size,weight and SMELL of it though, it smelt like it had been dead a week already, ask me for the full story round a fire sometime.
I stayed at a friends chalet up in Dumfries and I watched loads of badgers passing and even got some close up pictures of them, they didn't seem bothered at all by us from the balcony and when I went down to the area they were walking across they just ignored us until the flash went off,shining a torch on them didn't bother them at all, and I was within touching distance of them. I spoke to my mate who is up there several times a year and he hadn't seen them before, so smoking does have its advantages!
I remember seeing a strange looking "dog" knocking around at the school of Infantry at Warminster, I got close and it turned out to be an Albino badger, very strange looking without the stripes to break up its shape, looked more like a really fat jack russel.

 

[Neanderthal]

Haven't seen one for quite a while.

Last time was in Langdale up in the Lake District, I'd been trying to find a spot in the climbing club hut where I couldn't hear people snoring and gave up at about 4am and went out for a walk. Saw the guy on the hillside about 5am, made my weekend.

Stu

 

[Longstrider]

The only time I ever knew Old Brock to react aggressively to my presence was once in 1984 when I was involved with (stuck right in the middle of ) the job of relocating an ancient sett that was going to be built over by the expanding city of Milton Keynes. Working for the Parks Dept of the Development Corporation at the time I sort of got "volounteered" for the job of helping to build an artificial sett some miles away, and helping to "persuade" Brock and his kinfolk to move house. Not a simple task I can assure you ! Can't blame the badgers for being so uppity about the affair, but all were safely transfered to their new home and settled in well thank goodness.

I did once have a badger come trundling along through a field of standing wheat along a well used "bunny run" thrugh the crop towards me. The field he was in was atop a steep rise and from where I stood the field was level at my shoulder height. I was out shooting at the time and heard him coming. Not knowing what it was at first I levelled the rifle down so the muzzle was in the "bunny run" in front of me. The badger came right up and actually sniffed the silencer on my barrel before calmly turning round and wandering back the way he had come ! I guess he never knew just how close he came to what could have been the end of him had someone else been behind the trigger

 

[mace242]

I used to work nights in Tesco. Walking home at 3am came across Mr Badger about his badgery business on a local housing estate. We both walked round a corner at the same time and almost tripped over eachother. I never knew - but do now - that a really shocked badger'll put all it's feet together like a cat, arch it's back and make a really deep grunting noise.

Then it'll chase you

Until you jump a brick wall into a garden.

Then it'll snort at you 'cause it knows who's a big scardey cat and saunter off into the night.

If you want to see urban wildlife work nights at Tesco. That's the only reason I'd ever recommend it, though.

 

[Welsh Dragon]

Have any of you seen/heard of a badger react aggresively to a contact with human ? Or are they pretty much like bear and try to avoid contact with humans as much as possible ?

I've known a badger to get aggressive, we've had them kill our chickens twice in the last few years, There population round where i live are in nuisance proportions.
Anyway the one occasion a badger got into our chickens was after it forced its way under heavy chain link fence and then under chicken wire AND THEN to partly dig and partly force its way into the pen. It then went on to kill 20+ chickens :aargh4: The cheeky devil must not of been able to get back out the way he got in.
He was stuck in all night 'til my old man went to let his chickens out in the morning but was faced by a very upset badger who proceeded to snarl and rise up on its back legs and then drop to the ground into a pouncing position! I don't think i should finish the story :tapedshut but this cute cuddly badger was very aggressive!!


Brian

 

[fredcraft]

I've known a badger to get aggressive, we've had them kill our chickens twice in the last few years, There population round where i live are in nuisance proportions.
Anyway the one occasion a badger got into our chickens was after it forced its way under heavy chain link fence and then under chicken wire AND THEN to partly dig and partly force its way into the pen. It then went on to kill 20+ chickens :aargh4: The cheeky devil must not of been able to get back out the way he got in.
He was stuck in all night 'til my old man went to let his chickens out in the morning but was faced by a very upset badger who proceeded to snarl and rise up on its back legs and then drop to the ground into a pouncing position! I don't think i should finish the story :tapedshut but this cute cuddly badger was very aggressive!!


Brian

Woah, sounds like a mix of a cunning fox and tasmanian devil ! Scary stuff

You are probably correct assuming that they get more agressive when the population of badgers is real high. I was told that there are some around where I live, but there never was any reported incidents where a badger would go on such a chicken rampage ! It's a shame...

From a badger, I'm less suprised, but from a calf I'm always amazed :yikes: .... I know it's a bit off topic, but I just can't forget that nature oddity

 

[Pablo]

Badgers!!! Don't talk to me about Badgers! Anyone who's been following my blog will know that I've spent hundreds (well ...quite a few) hours trying to watch the blighters at our local sett without success. Type in "badger" and marvel at the extraordinary ninja abilities of these animals to evade me on every occasion (they've got to come out to eat surely!)
One day ...aye...one day soon!
Pablo (yes ...he of the Badger profile picture)

 

[Tengu]

I saw one a few weeks back crossing the road in an outer district of town.

they dont half run funny.

I have a book, `A Forest by Night` written by a guy who went out every night for a year in Epping forest, even he had difficulty in seeing them as they were very shy.

(and as he remarked, these badgers had not been disturbed by humans in some decades, and so had no reason to fear them. He too, was concerned over the death by car...this was in the early 50s)

 

[Welsh Dragon]

I have unfortunately hit several over the years in my car, they can cause a lot of damage one occasion i swerved quite violently to avoid one but unknown to me it had a friend following up behind
Had to take my car to get a new track rod though after

I saw a programme on tv quite a few years ago about the illegal activities involving badgers, it was quite disturbing really about what some "people" do for amusment!
one part showed two mean being secretly filmed digging into a sett, dragging a badger out then letting two lurchers chase it down. Fair do's to the badger it could run! if it was a one on one chase it might of stood a chance!!


Brian

 

[torc]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0514/tb.html

 

[Tengu]

Badgers are very nasty pieces of work.

its a shame they cant be trained to deal with our local badger (and otter, though what an otter would be doing here where there is no water I do not presume to know.) conservationists who have blocked planning for a university campus development.

(and we do need a real uni here.)

Im sure the badgers can go to uni too; there will be lots of places for them to live.

 

[spamel]

I have unfortunately hit several over the years in my car, they can cause a lot of damage one occasion i swerved quite violently to avoid one but unknown to me it had a friend following up behind
Had to take my car to get a new track rod though after

I saw a programme on tv quite a few years ago about the illegal activities involving badgers, it was quite disturbing really about what some "people" do for amusment!
one part showed two mean being secretly filmed digging into a sett, dragging a badger out then letting two lurchers chase it down. Fair do's to the badger it could run! if it was a one on one chase it might of stood a chance!!


Brian

My uncle was heavily involved in combatting cruelty to badgers, read his book "Baiting the trap" if you want to find out more.

(Shameless plug!!)

 

[Tengu]

...Its a shame he cant do something for road saftey.