Badger signs?

[Fruit Loop]

Can anyone help me with any input/opinion/facts about what I may have discovered today? I do not mind if you shoot me down. I have always wanted to see a badger in the wild instead of road kill. I forgot to take a camera so no photos to help with identifying the following signs. I found some hair and some scraped/cleared areas as well a ripped apart rotting stumps and tree trunks.
I found some tufts of hair that stood out and grabbed my attention. The hair was about 60mm long and very coarse feeling (like guard hairs). There was a mix of off white, some grey and some all but black. The paler hairs did have a darker band about 10-15mm from the tip.
The scraped/cleared areas were amongst the trees and several of them close together. They ranged in size from a sheet of A4 to two sheets side by side. Only the top surface layer of grass and moss was removed. I did look about the area but no sign of the grass and moss.
The rotten stumps and trunks looked like they had been ripped apart. I did notice that what wood was left did have holes 3-5mm Dia. running through it.
I know each sign may be totally separate and not connected in any way shape or form. I have searched online but good photo examples of badger activities seem to be lacking for me to compare with what I saw.

 

[Pterodaktyl]

All sounds like badger to me. The colouration on the hair is usually pretty obvious but another way to check is to try and roll it between finger and thumb. Badger hairs are oval which means they won't roll smoothly.

 

[DurhamBushcrafter]

yep, sounds pretty much like a badger to me too.
Now, the good thing about badgers is they are very poorly sighted......if they dont smell u, or hear you, then they will almost walk into you!

so sit out of the wind, no smoking, wear no scents, keep quiet ans you may just see one after dusk or later on, they are pretty much creatures of habit and will
generally be around the same time every night, once you see em, you will know they will always be around that time give or take a half hour

Oh and they are noisy snuffling clumsy critters too.....

 

[Fruit Loop]

Thank you for replying and the hints and tips. I guess the final and conclusive proof will be a visual sighting. I plan to return in a week or two so I do not disturb them anymore than I may have done already by leaving my human scent in the area. I found the signs by accident as I was initially looking for an area with more natural cover to observe the other wildlife from. I will do more research and educate myself and be more aware of the signs, plus try to find a good point from where I can hopefully see them but remain undetected.

 

[Robson Valley]

The most difficult bush trick I ever learned was to sit still. Breathe, move your eyes, that is all.
Hide your hands, don't show your arms, never turn your head, not even slowly (pick a better vantage point next time.)
10 minutes was an eternity, made it to 15 minutes twice.
Resist the urge to even smile as the forest wakes up in your (apparent) disappearance.
I don't even think that it matters too much what your wearing.
Good luck with a real sighting!

My new bush trick is to use a bowdrill fire kit. Not there yet.

 

[British Red]

Dont worry about human scent. The badgers in my garden really aren't bothered by it, or me come to that. Dont crash about like a maniac and they should pretty much ignore you. Oh and they love plain unsalted peanuts, the kind sold for birds.

 

[Toddy]

+1 to what British Red says

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124348

By the end of Summer, we could sit with the living room windows open in the cool of the evening, company in, camera's flashing, and the badgers quite happily grunting, snuffling, chirirping away to each other not six foot in front of us.
They don't like sudden movements, they do like peanuts and hazelnuts, they go nuts over wireworms and they love sunflower and pumpkin seeds. They will also happily raid the tray on the bird feeder where I break up left over scones and pancakes. I bake daily and left overs just feed the birds, well and the badgers

I was so absolutely delighted to see them in my garden, yet neighbours are complaining that they're digging up their lawns….can't win them all.
We had three at once, and the young fox too, in the front garden.

The Scottish Badger Trust folks say not to feed them every night, because they become dependant on it, and that's not good for a wild animal. Best they forage in season too, with bird feeder stuff just a little bit of their territory kind of thing.

atb,
M

 

[TarHeelBrit]

Dont worry about human scent. The badgers in my garden really aren't bothered by it, or me come to that. Dont crash about like a maniac and they should pretty much ignore you. Oh and they love plain unsalted peanuts, the kind sold for birds.

Very true. Especially if there a pound of pork and beef sausages in the equation. A few years ago while camping along the Medway for a few nights I had a couple visit my camp after a fry up. I guess they smelled the sausages and came to investigate and helped me finish the sausages off. They became regulars at camp so I named them George and Mildred.

 

[British Red]

Destructive beggars mind you, I'm with Mary's neighbours on that. Nice to see them around, but dont want any more badger latrines in the garden.