Post by Steve Gappa on Feb 13, 2004 7:32:55 GMT -6
Reprinted from the august 2001 issue of Trapper and Predator Caller
Getting the Better of Badgers
By Steve Gappa
While badgers are fairly common in the upper Midwest and the West- they are not one of our most popular furbearers. There are several reasons for this. First of all, badgers are not a prolific animal- their litters are small, averaging around three per litter. In addition badgers are solitary animals, and the concentration of animals in a particular area is low. Most badgers are caught as incidentals when trapping for other animals- usually coyotes or fox. While 50% or more of the badgers I catch are during the summer for ADC work, I prefer to trap them in the late fall, or early spring. Badgers don’t truly completely prime and fur up until February or so, but in late fall still have good value. I sell many of my badger whole to taxidermists. A fully furred, longhaired badger makes a beautiful wall mount or rug.
When trying for badger, the equipment needed is the exact same as you would need for coyote trapping- a trowel, stakes, trap and sifter. I believe that badgers do not act adversely to human scent, and if you are trapping for badger only, you do not need to take any extra precautions. One thing though to keep in mind, a good badger set will also take several other furbearers if normal attention is paid to practicing clean trapping methods- so in fur season I use the same precautions I use when trapping canines. Traps for badgers can range from # 1 ¾ to # 4. Whatever trap you normally use for coyotes will be perfect for badgers. Because I use #1 ¾ for trapping coyotes, this is the trap I use for badger. This size trap would be the smallest I would recommend for consistently holding badgers, and if I was outfitting traps just for badger, might go with a #3 offset. You can either single stake (minimum 20” rebar) or use double stakes. I always double stake, because of the possibility of taking a coyote. Cable stakes might also be an option, but I have never used them on badgers, and don’t know how the digging habit of a badger after being caught would affect them. Try them at you own risk. Chains on badger traps should be short- the shorter the better. I use an 8“ chain with 3 swivels. The short chain keeps the badger on top of the ground, not down a hole. Don’t make the mistake I made when I first started trapping badgers. I used my double long spring beaver traps, with 3 feet of chain. When I caught my first badger, and all that was there to greet me was a plugged hole, I realized that buried in this hole was my trap, badger, and 3 feet of chain! It took me about 45 minutes to dig that badger out- not knowing what end was up. You would surely think that this would teach me something- and sure enough, 2 more buried badgers later it did. Now I know-SHORT CHAINS. That’s the answer.
Badgers have a reputation of digging a huge hole when they are caught, and digging up the stake. This is partly true. Badgers will, and just about always do, dig a deep hole around the stake as a catch circle. Imagine what a normal catch circle looks like, and then sink it 3-4 feet deep around the stakes. The center of the circle is still high, and the stakes are usually untouched. I have never lost a badger using double stakes. Another method that works well is drags. As long as the badger can have free movement (not being staked in one place) he will stay above ground. I like to use an exposed hardwood drag for badgers- many times building the set using the drag as a backing.
Badgers are both a scavenger and a predator. Their main prey is usually some form of ground dwelling rodent- gophers, squirrels, mice, etc. In my area the number #1 prey are pocket gophers. A badger is a wanderer, traveling over many miles on his travels. On his journeys, he digs many temporary dens, sometimes 2-3 in a night. On many occasions, where you see fresh holes made by hunting, if you look close you will find a fresh den hole. When this happens, a set made at this den is as close to a sure thing as you can have.
A badger will reuse many of his temporary dens throughout the year, so setting in old dens can be productive, but it is a waiting game at best. In addition to temporary dens, a badger will have a home den, which is more or less permanent. He will use this den occasionally during the entire year, and with use it exclusively in the late fall winter period. If you can find fresh temporary dens or the home den, set them up as follows. First, you will notice that in front of the den, there is a depressed area in front where the badger enters the den. I like to exaggerate this depression- making a 12” wide and 3-4” deep trench in the dirt, extending back from the hole about 2 feet. I then push dirt up high on the sides of this trench, giving the badger an obvious path. Next dig a bed, severely offset to one side of the trench or the other, about 18” back from the den hole. Use no guides except the side of the trench. Place the trap so that the dog is tight to the side of the trench. Pack the trap solid, and use your sifter to cover well. This part is just like covering any land trap. This set is the only set that I ever set two traps at. If desired, place another trap on the other side of the trench, about 6” closer to the den. With the badger’s squat body form, and his habit of leaving a den backwards, two traps do up the odds. While I personally have had little success using 220’s on badgers, I was told about a way that will work. Stake the trap solid over the hole, with the trigger jaw facing up. Now cover the entire trap lightly with grass. Don’t even think of setting a 220 for a badger unless it is in A-1 shape- a badger is one tough no-necked dude!
The second set to use for badger is a dirthole. While badgers are often caught in canine flat sets, if you are targeting badger- use a dirthole. The fresh smell and look of the dirt attracts badger. Badger, as mentioned before, do a great deal of traveling from hunting area to another hunting area. While badgers can move very quickly when the want to, they are somewhat cumbersome when walking, so tend to avoid brushy, woodsy areas. They will be on the fringes of these areas, or in the flats. The best locations for the dirtholes are either in areas that show evidence of recent hunting activity, or on the natural travel ranges between these areas. Because badgers are also scavengers, they are always on the lookout for a free meal. A badger dirthole is more similar to a coon dirthole than a dirthole made for canines. By this I mean more flamboyant, with dirt scattered around. I like to use the dirt to make guides on each side of the hole. I repeat, you do not have to be subtle with badger- make your guides large, or the badger just ignores them. Dig your dirthole big and deep- 6-8 around and 10-12 deep. A semi step-down is helpful to direct his foot. Double stake or use drags, the choice is yours. Again, bed the trap as normal for land trapping. Badgers are attracted to many varied baits and lures. Any good call lure works well. Coyote gland lure is also good. In addition to lure, a good bait is important for badgers. I use 3 main baits, and all work well- pocket gophers, fish oil, and venison/caster chunk bait. During the summer or early fall, pocket gophers work well. I just throw a gopher down the hole, and replace every few days as needed. This works best where you have very fresh sign, and expect quick results. If I am playing more of a waiting game, then I will use either the fish oil or the chunk bait. Whatever you use, it must be meat based for best results. Refresh your lure/bait ever 3-4 days - I like to have things ready when he comes by.
When you get a badger, the best way to kill it is behind the back of the head with a .22, angling down. This puts the hole at the back of the neck. This isn’t important is you are trapping for damage control or fur, but I sell most of my badgers to the taxidermy trade, and this way the hide can be used with no bullet hole showing. A hole between the eyes is hard to cover. If you sell to a taxidermist, you will most likely get a much higher price over market- for good fluffy prime furs that is. The taxidermist will most likely want to buy it from you unskinned. Most badgers used this way are made into rugs. If you are going to skin your badger, they can be skinned and handled both cased and open. Check with your buyer. Mine prefers them to be skinned and handled cased.
You will find that badgers have very dirty, odiferous pelts. I just wash the animal or pelt off well in cool water, then roughdry it with an old towel, then allow to air dry. Then brush out the pelt nothing is prettier then a shiny, fluffy good colored badger pelt.
You are never going to trap large amounts of badgers on your trapline, but they are an interesting and profitable furbearer where found. The biggest secrets in badger trapping are simple- have badgers, and have a trap big enough to catch and hold the badger. If you want to get a fur you caught tanned, you can’t do any better than a February badger.
Getting the Better of Badgers
By Steve Gappa
While badgers are fairly common in the upper Midwest and the West- they are not one of our most popular furbearers. There are several reasons for this. First of all, badgers are not a prolific animal- their litters are small, averaging around three per litter. In addition badgers are solitary animals, and the concentration of animals in a particular area is low. Most badgers are caught as incidentals when trapping for other animals- usually coyotes or fox. While 50% or more of the badgers I catch are during the summer for ADC work, I prefer to trap them in the late fall, or early spring. Badgers don’t truly completely prime and fur up until February or so, but in late fall still have good value. I sell many of my badger whole to taxidermists. A fully furred, longhaired badger makes a beautiful wall mount or rug.
When trying for badger, the equipment needed is the exact same as you would need for coyote trapping- a trowel, stakes, trap and sifter. I believe that badgers do not act adversely to human scent, and if you are trapping for badger only, you do not need to take any extra precautions. One thing though to keep in mind, a good badger set will also take several other furbearers if normal attention is paid to practicing clean trapping methods- so in fur season I use the same precautions I use when trapping canines. Traps for badgers can range from # 1 ¾ to # 4. Whatever trap you normally use for coyotes will be perfect for badgers. Because I use #1 ¾ for trapping coyotes, this is the trap I use for badger. This size trap would be the smallest I would recommend for consistently holding badgers, and if I was outfitting traps just for badger, might go with a #3 offset. You can either single stake (minimum 20” rebar) or use double stakes. I always double stake, because of the possibility of taking a coyote. Cable stakes might also be an option, but I have never used them on badgers, and don’t know how the digging habit of a badger after being caught would affect them. Try them at you own risk. Chains on badger traps should be short- the shorter the better. I use an 8“ chain with 3 swivels. The short chain keeps the badger on top of the ground, not down a hole. Don’t make the mistake I made when I first started trapping badgers. I used my double long spring beaver traps, with 3 feet of chain. When I caught my first badger, and all that was there to greet me was a plugged hole, I realized that buried in this hole was my trap, badger, and 3 feet of chain! It took me about 45 minutes to dig that badger out- not knowing what end was up. You would surely think that this would teach me something- and sure enough, 2 more buried badgers later it did. Now I know-SHORT CHAINS. That’s the answer.
Badgers have a reputation of digging a huge hole when they are caught, and digging up the stake. This is partly true. Badgers will, and just about always do, dig a deep hole around the stake as a catch circle. Imagine what a normal catch circle looks like, and then sink it 3-4 feet deep around the stakes. The center of the circle is still high, and the stakes are usually untouched. I have never lost a badger using double stakes. Another method that works well is drags. As long as the badger can have free movement (not being staked in one place) he will stay above ground. I like to use an exposed hardwood drag for badgers- many times building the set using the drag as a backing.
Badgers are both a scavenger and a predator. Their main prey is usually some form of ground dwelling rodent- gophers, squirrels, mice, etc. In my area the number #1 prey are pocket gophers. A badger is a wanderer, traveling over many miles on his travels. On his journeys, he digs many temporary dens, sometimes 2-3 in a night. On many occasions, where you see fresh holes made by hunting, if you look close you will find a fresh den hole. When this happens, a set made at this den is as close to a sure thing as you can have.
A badger will reuse many of his temporary dens throughout the year, so setting in old dens can be productive, but it is a waiting game at best. In addition to temporary dens, a badger will have a home den, which is more or less permanent. He will use this den occasionally during the entire year, and with use it exclusively in the late fall winter period. If you can find fresh temporary dens or the home den, set them up as follows. First, you will notice that in front of the den, there is a depressed area in front where the badger enters the den. I like to exaggerate this depression- making a 12” wide and 3-4” deep trench in the dirt, extending back from the hole about 2 feet. I then push dirt up high on the sides of this trench, giving the badger an obvious path. Next dig a bed, severely offset to one side of the trench or the other, about 18” back from the den hole. Use no guides except the side of the trench. Place the trap so that the dog is tight to the side of the trench. Pack the trap solid, and use your sifter to cover well. This part is just like covering any land trap. This set is the only set that I ever set two traps at. If desired, place another trap on the other side of the trench, about 6” closer to the den. With the badger’s squat body form, and his habit of leaving a den backwards, two traps do up the odds. While I personally have had little success using 220’s on badgers, I was told about a way that will work. Stake the trap solid over the hole, with the trigger jaw facing up. Now cover the entire trap lightly with grass. Don’t even think of setting a 220 for a badger unless it is in A-1 shape- a badger is one tough no-necked dude!
The second set to use for badger is a dirthole. While badgers are often caught in canine flat sets, if you are targeting badger- use a dirthole. The fresh smell and look of the dirt attracts badger. Badger, as mentioned before, do a great deal of traveling from hunting area to another hunting area. While badgers can move very quickly when the want to, they are somewhat cumbersome when walking, so tend to avoid brushy, woodsy areas. They will be on the fringes of these areas, or in the flats. The best locations for the dirtholes are either in areas that show evidence of recent hunting activity, or on the natural travel ranges between these areas. Because badgers are also scavengers, they are always on the lookout for a free meal. A badger dirthole is more similar to a coon dirthole than a dirthole made for canines. By this I mean more flamboyant, with dirt scattered around. I like to use the dirt to make guides on each side of the hole. I repeat, you do not have to be subtle with badger- make your guides large, or the badger just ignores them. Dig your dirthole big and deep- 6-8 around and 10-12 deep. A semi step-down is helpful to direct his foot. Double stake or use drags, the choice is yours. Again, bed the trap as normal for land trapping. Badgers are attracted to many varied baits and lures. Any good call lure works well. Coyote gland lure is also good. In addition to lure, a good bait is important for badgers. I use 3 main baits, and all work well- pocket gophers, fish oil, and venison/caster chunk bait. During the summer or early fall, pocket gophers work well. I just throw a gopher down the hole, and replace every few days as needed. This works best where you have very fresh sign, and expect quick results. If I am playing more of a waiting game, then I will use either the fish oil or the chunk bait. Whatever you use, it must be meat based for best results. Refresh your lure/bait ever 3-4 days - I like to have things ready when he comes by.
When you get a badger, the best way to kill it is behind the back of the head with a .22, angling down. This puts the hole at the back of the neck. This isn’t important is you are trapping for damage control or fur, but I sell most of my badgers to the taxidermy trade, and this way the hide can be used with no bullet hole showing. A hole between the eyes is hard to cover. If you sell to a taxidermist, you will most likely get a much higher price over market- for good fluffy prime furs that is. The taxidermist will most likely want to buy it from you unskinned. Most badgers used this way are made into rugs. If you are going to skin your badger, they can be skinned and handled both cased and open. Check with your buyer. Mine prefers them to be skinned and handled cased.
You will find that badgers have very dirty, odiferous pelts. I just wash the animal or pelt off well in cool water, then roughdry it with an old towel, then allow to air dry. Then brush out the pelt nothing is prettier then a shiny, fluffy good colored badger pelt.
You are never going to trap large amounts of badgers on your trapline, but they are an interesting and profitable furbearer where found. The biggest secrets in badger trapping are simple- have badgers, and have a trap big enough to catch and hold the badger. If you want to get a fur you caught tanned, you can’t do any better than a February badger.