Badger

[NancyM]

The arena here doubles as feed and hay storage, and grooming stall, which is next to the tack room. This summer, we’ve had a marmot move into the arena, I’ve seen him a few times. We used to have a large population of marmots, all over the place. But they moved on eventually. Haven’t seen one of those is several years. I’m OK with one marmot in the arena. (Marmots are big rodent type things). Marmots whistle when they feel threatened.

Today, I was out plucking out thistles. Then we went firewooding, then I came back to pluck a few more thistles out in the little grass hay field close to the arena. As I was coming back to feed the horses who live in the paddocks next to the arena, I hear the marmot whistling… again and again, from the arena. I couldn’t figure out what he/she was going on about. I entered the arena to get the dinner hay ready. The hay has to be peeled off a round bale which is currently stored in there. As I came through the front door of the arena, I am met by a new inhabitant, face to face. A badger. I’ve never actually seen a badger before. I never saw anything of the two badgers who lived in a burrow at the end of our driveway a few years ago. The DH saw them walking down the middle of the road once, and we knew they were there. The large population of marmots disappeared at about the same time, actually… and the badgers probably had something to do with that. But now, I have a badger IN my arena. And apparently setting up house in there. He had excavated a large hole under the pallets that are under some small square bales stored next to the tack room. And he/she had piled the ring footing sand up around some of those bales, sealing the area underneath off. Dunno if he/she is planning to stay for the winter or not. The resident marmot was nowhere to be seen, probably evacuated I guess. Or dinner for the badger. It took me a minute to take in the view of what this animal WAS, peeking out of his/her new front door to his/her new burrow, under the hay pile and tack room floor. But yes, it was a badger, for sure… looking back at me. I backed out of there. Because I’ve always heard that badgers are bad tempered animals, with no fear. That if you have a choice between a bear or a badger, take the bear because it’s nicer. This little badger is cute as can be, but has no fear of me, that’s for sure. He/she is cute as can be, but I picked up the pitch fork, and loaded the hay into the barrow, and took the pitch fork with me, just in case. I fed everyone, then returned to barrow to the arena. The badger was back out there, we looked at each other, and I spoke to him/her. He/she looked back at me and it was a stand off. Then the badger went back into the hole under the tack room.

It’s as cute as can be, but I know it’s not cute. Just what do I do about this? I don’t want someone to come and kill this animal, that is not my way of doing things. But just how do I handle this? How long will it stay? I think the marmot that was there is gone (one way or the other). There is nothing much else for a badger to eat. The DH has just returned from his evening walk, and went past the arena. He reports that the badger was outside the arena, and that my gelding Hardy who gets turned loose around the barn area to graze at night took after the badger, went for him with front feet!!! The badger ran for it, back under the tack room floor.

How do I convince the badger to move out? (If Hardy has not already done this). Do I need to carry the pitchfork for personal protection when I’m in the arena? How come badgers are so dam cute when they are so nasty? Should I throw mothballs down his/her hole? (I’m grasping at straws here).

[fanfayre]

Badgers are an endangered species in B.C. They won’t actually attack you unless you seriously threaten it, and then they will protect themselves fiercely. They are members of the weasel family, so that should explain their reputation.

There is a badger recovery team in B.C. to help you.

Just want to add how jealous I am of you that you have encountered a badger! I’ve always wanted to see a real badger! Even though I know the European badger is different than the North American badger- either species would be fine to see!

[goodhors]

My friend had one move into her farm. It was very nasty, running off when sighted and started killing the kittens. Friend was afraid it was a pregnant female because it was pretty big. Not something you want hiding around the house and barn with small children living there! Badgers can dig a hole under themselves, disappear as you watch if you corner it! Gone before you can get a gun.

Her Rhodesian Ridgeback dog got hold of the badger and killed it. It evidently was a ferocious battle with grass torn up and not much left of the badger when Bess was done! They were not home to see the fight. Bess needed some stitches, medication on her cuts, but escaped being blinded.

That is the only badger I ever heard of trying to move in by humans. I know they are out in the wooded areas, but you don’t see them or meet them. Anything in the weasel family is crabby, dangerous fighters.

[Bluey]

We have badgers and they are very dangerous, will shred a dog to pieces, make mince meat of a human, their claws are deadly.

Here their holes show up first, around buildings, under water tanks, on edge of roads, generally just one badger covers a territory.
We try to run them off, they generally only stay around as long as there is anything left to eat, mice, snakes, lizards, pets, a couple or three weeks.
There are not even snakes, rattlers left for a bit after they are gone.
We had a resident huge bull snake in the barn that disappeared when a badger came by.
Once the pickings get too light, they vamoose for months, so we leave them be other than keep filling the holes up every morning, under concrete with concrete, in other places with dirt.

My one salient badger story, was fixing roads after a big rain in a sandy spot, my dozer blade scooped a badger out of a hole!
That badger was really mad, grabbed the steel edge of the blade and clawed at it, left big streaks on the steel blade, impressive.
I was on the dozer and hoping badger didn’t notice me and came after me. I was ready to bail if it did.

One sad cowboy story, two neighbors were walking back home in the afternoon when one horse stepped in a hole with a front leg and came back up with a badger attached to it, clawing at it.
Cowboy and horse parted company, horse ran home, vet was called but horse could not be saved.

As the game warden tells us time and again, keep wildlife bothered so they stay away from human dwellings is safest for both, humans and wildlife!

I would try to keep filling holes, try pouring bleach or any other product down and around first, maybe that badger will get the message and move on.

Badgers don’t make good neighbors, here are badger holes dug in five minutes, must have been something tasty in there:

[NancyM]

Thanks for this. I have “reported” our badger. But it doesn’t seem like they are sending anyone out to save me from this badger. I do not yet know if my horse has had further contact with this badger, which I feel may not go well for the horse if he does (reading Bluey’s post). I am not happy about having to go into the arena to get hay out from right next to where the badger is now living. Or grooming and tacking up horses right next to where the badger is living. We had no problem with the badgers when they were dug into a bank on the side of our driveway about 10 years ago… I never even saw them then. They just eradicated our marmot population (which was a good thing), and moved on. But the location this badger has chosen to live is not great, from my point of view. (even though the view of him was great!!!). I shall see if I can get a picture of him this morning, if I can do so without enraging him/her. I shall continue to carry the pitchfork with me when in the barn. Just in case. In fact, I might even move that partly used round bale OUT of the barn with the tractor so that I don’t have to wrestle hay off it right next to the burrow… THAT might be a better idea.

[Bluey]

Our badgers didn’t just use one burrow, at times they slept in a different hole.
Once one dug under the cattle working shed concrete floor, several holes.
We concreted the holes that next morning, thinking they were hunting grounds.
Several hours later a hole opened and here came the guilty party.
Guess it had been asleep in there and, holes plugged, just made a new one to get out.

I would guess they only make a real home when they are going to nest and have little ones?

[endlessclimb]

I’d go that route, moving everything out from there, then I’d put ammonia in a hose end sprayer and spray the area (hose end sprayer so you can stay a distance away!). No way, no how would I ever want to tangle with one.

[beau159]

It’s not “cute” to see a badger nor “cool”. They are dangerous, mean, and dig holes big enough to break your horse’s leg if they step in it.

If you won’t kill it (which I advise you do) then trap it and haul it out and get it away from your place. Either way, be rid of it.

You aren’t going to convince a wild animal to “move out”

[NancyM]

Hmmm, well for “one”, it’s a protected animal.

[cutter99]

Shoot, shovel and shut up. Very simple solution.

When wild animals move into my environment or the environment of my livestock, especially ones that will do hideous amounts of damage, I have no issues with the above method.

[fanfayre]

I’m glad you reported it.

Depending on the marmot supply, your badger may move along sooner rather than later since there may not be a food source. Especially if you keep your cats/kittens (if you have any) locked up safe and your dog out of the arena…

[Simkie]

We (successfully) used this product to get a woodchuck (same thing as a marmot) to vacate.

Repels-All Animal Repellent Granules - Bonide

It looks like the same sort of thing may work for a badger, even though it’s not labeled for them. I don’t recall it being particularly smelly to us, although it’s been a few years, so maybe I’m misrecalling? Although it was definitely less awful than spraying ammonia, and easy to use. Worth a shot if you have something similar available.

The internet also says that badgers really dislike citronella, which is interesting and might be helpful.

Keeping the marmots out may also discourage future bigger predators from considering moving in.

[endlessclimb]

I wouldn’t want to get close to the hole, on anything but a tractor with some sort of ability to keep the animal from attacking (cab?) to apply repellent.

These things are no joke. It’s like if a bobcat had a den in there, and you were going to walk up to sprinkle something near the opening. Yeah, NOPE. Because these things are meaner than bobcats.

[Bluey]

@endlessclimb

I wouldn’t want to get close to the hole, on anything but a tractor with some sort of ability to keep the animal from attacking (cab?) to apply repellent.

These things are no joke. It’s like if a bobcat had a den in there, and you were going to walk up to sprinkle something near the opening. Yeah, NOPE. Because these things are meaner than bobcats.

Definitely.
Bobcats are reasonable sensible animals.
Badgers are trigger aggressive fighters without any sense of self preservation.

[trubandloki]

@fanfayre

I’m glad you reported it.

Depending on the marmot supply, your badger may move along sooner rather than later since there may not be a food source. Especially if you keep your cats/kittens (if you have any) locked up safe and your dog out of the arena…

Per Google, Badgers have a varied diet and also eat insects, worms, greenery, etc.
So, if the OP has plenty of that type of stuff, even with out the marmot, the darn thing might just hang out and make themselves at home.

On a lighter note, there is a cute badger emoji on this forum.

[Simkie]

@endlessclimb

I wouldn’t want to get close to the hole, on anything but a tractor with some sort of ability to keep the animal from attacking (cab?) to apply repellent.

Totally agree, and that’s one advantage to something like this–get in there (safely) once and it lasts several weeks. No need to approach daily.

[Larbear]

Ok, I think we need to see a picture of this badger

[endlessclimb]

Put it in the bucket of the tractor to dump it maybe. No way on approaching on foot. Ammonia lasts a good while, in my experience tho.

[NancyM]

Here is the badger update for this morning for you.
And just a note about our relationship with our predators… We moved into HIS environment when we moved here. To get away from predators wearing a human costume. We have many animals close by who are predators, and we are OK with that. Bobcats, cougars, coyotes, and the occasional wolf. We’ve had a bear all spring around here. WE don’t kill them. And we don’t kill badgers either. Humans do way too much killing IMO. And there are way too many humans on the planet.

No viewing of the badger this morning. But further excavations done under the tack room and the piles of small square grass bales. I successfully removed the partial round bale that I’ve been working on, and put that outside. It had been one of two 1000 lb bales that the DH made by mistake (asleep at the controls with the doldrums of baling), we usually make the 600 lb bales which my little 35 horse Kubota can lift. With this thing falling apart, I just put a cargo strap around it, and dragged it out of there, which went well. We may mount a trail cam down in the arena, just to see if he’s still around. We have only seen just the one marmot down there, or anywhere this year here. So I think this guy isn’t going to be hanging around too long. Really, other than this ONE marmot that just showed up recently, the only other possible prey down there is pack rats. And if this badger would like to eat those, I’m in full support of THAT. Eat up, my little badger friend!!!
That’s the update.

[NancyM]

LOL I took the camera down there this morning, just in case. But no badger was sighted. Sorry.