badgers

[bill9044]

I've been trying to connect on a badger in this field for a while now. Finally it paid off.
He is on the bigger side of badgers I have seen. He's going to the taxidermist for a good friend of mine.

[HunterDave]

Nice...congrats! I'd like to catch one sometime in the future.

[bill9044]

Hey Dave do you have any in your area?

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by bill9044

Hey Dave do you have any in your area?

Oh yeah. I'm not real sure how many are around here but out at my gopher grounds at Lac Ste Anne I've seen numerous badger holes. I'll target them one day, skunks too, but I have to get some muskrat/beaver experience first.

[Red Bullets]

Typically the badgers range was mostly south of the North Sask River but the badger has expanded its territories to the northern edge of the parklands. I don't think you would see many badgers north of Westlock.

Badgers are in full prime in February.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by bill9044

I've been trying to connect on a badger in this field for a while now. Finally it paid off.
He is on the bigger side of badgers I have seen. He's going to the taxidermist for a good friend of mine.

Nice gopher dog.
The picture sort of shows that the badger was sort of caught by the body. If this was the case, try positioning your triggers more forward on your next set.

[bill9044]

I caught him just behind the head on neck and on the body. He was going into the hole and got her and then tried to get out. Then game over.

[winmag]

nice catch , did he have ivory or clear nail tips , get them here in late March once they are out a bit it's wore off...looks real cool on a rug .

[Redfrog]

I don't like skinning them, but I can usually salvage enough meat to make some inlaw jerky.

Nice catch BTW.

[jmparker]

Originally Posted by bill9044

I've been trying to connect on a badger in this field for a while now. Finally it paid off.
He is on the bigger side of badgers I have seen. He's going to the taxidermist for a good friend of mine.

how did you make your set? was the conibear just placed over the hole? I have a badger in my pasture that i'd love to get out of there but i've never done a badger set.

[davesilva]

Too cool, I wish I lived in southern alberta

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by jmparker

how did you make your set? was the conibear just placed over the hole? I have a badger in my pasture that i'd love to get out of there but i've never done a badger set.

If you know which hole the badger is down make a chickenwire fence around the hole. Leave enough opening in the chicken wire to set your conibear in.
Fairly effective.

[bill9044]

I am trapping badgers by taking some stinking meat (had a little left from coyote bait) and placed it in one of the half dug holes. You can see the bottom. I might dig it down so it is about a foot deep if it is not already. I place the 330 over the hole. I dig out the edges so the springs will be level with ground. I set the bait in the bottom and set the 330 over the hole. The trigger is on the underside of the 330. The badger is full committed when trap goes off. Then I pound in a good steak and attach the chain. Then cover springs and chain with loose dirt. In the field I have is a bunch of loose chaff from peas or canola and I sprinkle it around the trap to camouflage the square. I then drip some blood from the bait from the hole up to the mound. Sometimes I place a small bit of bait on the mound as well.

I don't know where he lives if I did I would make a cage and throw a 330 in the opening. In the field I am at there are too many holes to tell. Yes this badger had yellowy white tiped nails.

[jmparker]

thanks for the info! nice badger btw!

[bill9044]

2nd badger same trap same hole same stink bait
.



White tipped claws


If anyone would like a badger for taxidermy please pm me.

[bill9044]

Caught another badger #3.
If anyone would like a badger Please pm me.

[nube]

Sweet!!! Good job

[chinchaga]

Back when we would get $100-$300 for a badger, I would build a box out of 2x6's. About 16" long, Conibear 330 wide. Open bottom, open on one end. Place it over the hole. Set the conibear on the open end, use small nails to hold the Conibear in place. Pack dirt around the box and on top to hold it steady. When the Badger comes out of the hole, or wants to use that hole, it gets caught in the Conibear.
Pretty effective, I caught a lot of badgers with this set up

[HunterDave]

Nice! We're going to have to start calling you "Badger Bill".

[bill9044]

Hahaha. Dave. Call me what ever just not late for hunting season. The box and CONI work great. My issue is there is too many holes to tell which is his home. So I am baiting a hole and putting 330 over the hole. Been baiting with gophers now. Shoot 6 and throw in hole.



I threw gophers in after it was set. I know this is a crude set but i havent got a coyote. The springs are dug in and covered with dirt then I block the top of 330 with stubble obviously steak down the 330. Anyone else Targeting badgers?

[Young Eldon]

If there are several freshly dug badger holes - the badger will be in the one that is still covered with fresh dirt.

[CamoDerrick]

I've been reading the trapping manual on badgers and it is recommended not to trap the main entrances of burrows even if you know the badger is in it, because of the chance of inhumane captures due to the badger coming out of the hole backwards when it is pulling dirt out.

Has anyone had an experience like this? It seems logical to me.

[bill9044]

The best way to trap main holes: ( in no specific order )
Make a large wooden box have an opening away from the hole in the box the size of a 330. Place the 330 in the opening. They will come out backwards. Removing dirt from the hole. They walk around inside your big box and try and leave out your opening with 330.

Make a fence (chicken wire) around the main hole large enough so they can walk around steak down the fence. Leave an opening big enough for a 330 set it.

Dig a hole or find a hole near there den hole 10 feet away or so. Make sure hole is at least 12" deep and has a bottom no deeper than 24" deep. Place bait in hole (ie: gophers). Set 330 over hole. Steak 330 down with a chain. Cover it a bit see the set picture. I don't hide the trap real well in hopes I won't have an incidental coyote. You usually get a neck catch with a badger. Sometimes they will be so comited that you will get a neck and body catch.

These are the only ways I know of catching badgers guys in the states use footholds. Disclaimer: I am not a badger expert by no means I am using the bait method cause I cannot see their den hole too many holes in the field to look into. Also the baiting method seems to be working well for me.

[HunterDave]

All this talk of trapping badgers got me interested but I found that the season closes on April 15 in Zone 4. After that date, does the landowner have to apply for a nuisance animal control permit in order to allow me to trap them or is he okay to kill them on his own property all year long?

I just scanned through the regs so my answer might be in there.

[jmparker]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

All this talk of trapping badgers got me interested but I found that the season closes on April 15 in Zone 4. After that date, does the landowner have to apply for a nuisance animal control permit in order to allow me to trap them or is he okay to kill them on his own property all year long?

I just scanned through the regs so my answer might be in there.

from page 21 of regs "Badger and Red Squirrel may be hunted or trapped without a licence and during all seasons, by a resident on privately owned land to which the resident has right of access."

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by jmparker

from page 21 of regs "Badger and Red Squirrel may be hunted or trapped without a licence and during all seasons, by a resident on privately owned land to which the resident has right of access."

Thanks JM.

[CamoDerrick]

Great info, thanks bill9044!

[crazyfish]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Typically the badgers range was mostly south of the North Sask River but the badger has expanded its territories to the northern edge of the parklands. I don't think you would see many badgers north of Westlock.

Badgers are in full prime in February.

I live North of Westlock and have seen a few around , the local trapper has gotten a few as well . They are around , just not as plentiful a farther south !

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by crazyfish

I live North of Westlock and have seen a few around , the local trapper has gotten a few as well . They are around , just not as plentiful a farther south !

I watched one roaming around near Lac Lanonne last summer and I've seen numerous badger holes around Lac Ste Anne.

[Secret coulee]

I've trapped a dozen badgers now with 330 connys,nowing 100% they are in the hole.every one head and body catch coming from down hole to surface.the Badger dig going down hole leaving all the dirt behind them leaving a closed hole at the top,every single time.coming back to surface same thing digging up to surface leaving loose dirt behind them going to surface and done deal 330 bedded into hole entrance.