Badgers?

[davelumb]

Nowhere near where I've seen the tracks in the crops.

_DL35886.jpg

[Mike J]

Nice.
A damp old place but clearly very dry underground. Bit of new bedding being collected and possibly sharing the bank with a rabbit or two.
The sleeping area will be higher than the entrances to trap the warm air, judging by the spoil heaps its not been in use for very long.
Next time your there have a look around for their scraping tree, where they stand a sharpen their foreclaws, the vertical grooves will start just above your knee height.

.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Looks like badgers to me, lovely creatures that have a fondness for my nuts

Cheers, Alan

[davelumb]

Nice.
A damp old place but clearly very dry underground. Bit of new bedding being collected and possibly sharing the bank with a rabbit or two.
The sleeping area will be higher than the entrances to trap the warm air, judging by the spoil heaps its not been in use for very long.
Next time your there have a look around for their scraping tree, where they stand a sharpen their foreclaws, the vertical grooves will start just above your knee height.

.

I spotted the small hole. It is close to a pool of water, just out of shot at the bottom of the picture. It's a fenced off place I've just got key access to. I'm sure badgers can get in and out though.

Many years back some wood on my garage got 'scraped' one night. Always suspected a badger had been along!

[Mike J]

Nice.
A damp old place but clearly very dry underground. Bit of new bedding being collected and possibly sharing the bank with a rabbit or two.
The sleeping area will be higher than the entrances to trap the warm air, judging by the spoil heaps its not been in use for very long.
Next time your there have a look around for their scraping tree, where they stand a sharpen their foreclaws, the vertical grooves will start just above your knee height.

.

I spotted the small hole. It is close to a pool of water, just out of shot at the bottom of the picture. It's a fenced off place I've just got key access to. I'm sure badgers can get in and out though.

Many years back some wood on my garage got 'scraped' one night. Always suspected a badger had been along!

Well done.
Follow the tracks, the one going up the slope to the right is being well used, eventually you will find how they leave the fenced area. There isn't many in there, probably only one or two juveniles.

Their routes are often centuries old and there isn't many obstacles they cannot find a way over or under. While building fences I have installed many badger gates to allow them free passage while still stopping rabbits. Their routes are so ingrained that even if the gate was 6-8" off line they would bore under on one side.
Wooden buildings are no deterrent, ive had them rip slats of a chicken shed and go between a corrugated iron sheet and a stone wall to get to the other side. My Father had one go through several fence panels before he gave up and made a clear path for it.

.

[davelumb]

Nice.
A damp old place but clearly very dry underground. Bit of new bedding being collected and possibly sharing the bank with a rabbit or two.
The sleeping area will be higher than the entrances to trap the warm air, judging by the spoil heaps its not been in use for very long.
Next time your there have a look around for their scraping tree, where they stand a sharpen their foreclaws, the vertical grooves will start just above your knee height.

.

I spotted the small hole. It is close to a pool of water, just out of shot at the bottom of the picture. It's a fenced off place I've just got key access to. I'm sure badgers can get in and out though.

Many years back some wood on my garage got 'scraped' one night. Always suspected a badger had been along!

Well done.
Follow the tracks, the one going up the slope to the right is being well used, eventually you will find how they leave the fenced area. There isn't many in there, probably only one or two juveniles.

Their routes are often centuries old and there isn't many obstacles they cannot find a way over or under. While building fences I have installed many badger gates to allow them free passage while still stopping rabbits. Their routes are so ingrained that even if the gate was 6-8" off line they would bore under on one side.
Wooden buildings are no deterrent, ive had them rip slats of a chicken shed and go between a corrugated iron sheet and a stone wall to get to the other side. My Father had one go through several fence panels before he gave up and made a clear path for it.

.

Thanks Mike. Unsurprisingly my access is fish related.

[John Milford]

It looks very much like the sett I walk by almost every day with my dog Dave.

It has trebled, perhaps more, in size since I first saw it. Now the brambles have died back, at least four newish entrances are now visible.

It must be a very active sett as there seems to be fresh spoil almost every week.

There have been a few areas of torn-up turf showing in the fields recently too. Last winter they disturbed dozens of square metres - I assume grubbing for leatherjackets or somesuch?

I see lots of other little shallow diggings at this time of year year too, which I expect are the work of grey squirrels.

[davelumb]

It looks very much like the sett I walk by almost every day with my dog Dave.

It has trebled, perhaps more, in size since I first saw it. Now the brambles have died back, at least four newish entrances are now visible.

It must be a very active sett as there seems to be fresh spoil almost every week.

There have been a few areas of torn-up turf showing in the fields recently too. Last winter they disturbed dozens of square metres - I assume grubbing for leatherjackets or somesuch?

I see lots of other little shallow diggings at this time of year year too, which I expect are the work of grey squirrels.

There's a new housing estate going up about 100 yards from this one. Good luck with the gardens folks!

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

I regularly get them in the garden especially since I had the tip of "prebaiting" for then with peanuts!

Cheers, Alan

[davelumb]

I regularly get them in the garden especially since I had the tip of "prebaiting" for then with peanuts!

Cheers, Alan

I'm not gonna start feeding the buggers badgers! I might by a new trail cam though.

[davelumb]

[Bob Barker]

Nice.
A damp old place but clearly very dry underground. Bit of new bedding being collected and possibly sharing the bank with a rabbit or two.
The sleeping area will be higher than the entrances to trap the warm air, judging by the spoil heaps its not been in use for very long.
Next time your there have a look around for their scraping tree, where they stand a sharpen their foreclaws, the vertical grooves will start just above your knee height.

.

This came down not long ago...

BadgClawTree01.jpg

(pic limit, con't next post)

[Bob Barker]

and...

BadgClawTree02.jpg

BadgClawTree03.jpg

BadgClawTree04.jpg

...they were at it like a tramp on a hot poke of chips.

[davelumb]

and...
BadgClawTree02.jpg

BadgClawTree03.jpg

BadgClawTree04.jpg

...they were at it like a tramp on a hot poke of chips.

I'll look out for that sort of thing.

[Mattjb]

I regularly get them in the garden especially since I had the tip of "prebaiting" for then with peanuts!

Cheers, Alan

They also like the dry dog food,I buy a sack of the cheapest variety and mix it 50/50 with peanuts.

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

I regularly get them in the garden especially since I had the tip of "prebaiting" for then with peanuts!

Cheers, Alan

They also like the dry dog food,I buy a sack of the cheapest variety and mix it 50/50 with peanuts.

Sounds yummy!
I have seen badgers laying down over the peanuts so as the others cant get them, they then shuffle backwards as they nibble.

Cheers Alan