The New Huntmastersbbs!: Badgers

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Posted by Cal Taylor (Member # 199) on November 27, 2004, 10:43 AM:

1st trap check on about 8 sets. 3 badgers. I guess they are supposed to be worth a little this year though. 40 bucks maybe. I think I averaged about 25 on them last year. Gas money at least. They are one of the few animals that I refuse to put up. I freeze them and sell them whole.

Posted by Tim Behle (Member # 209) on November 27, 2004, 12:03 PM:

Cal,

I've passed on a couple of good coyote locations this past week because there was sign of Badgers digging in the area.

I cross stake my traps with 24" rebar, I'm afraid a badger might dig them up and leave with my trap.

Every picture I've seen of a badger in a trap looks like a land mine went off. [Eek!]

One of these days, I'm going to miss seeing their sign and snag one, but I'm in no hurry to do so.

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on November 27, 2004, 01:44 PM:

Cal, I know why you freeze and sell them whole. It won't take long for someone who has never cased a badger to figure it out lol. [Big Grin]

Posted by Cal Taylor (Member # 199) on November 27, 2004, 04:44 PM:

And the smell Danny, the smell in a confined space is about unbearable for me. That and Beaver. I can take most smells, rotten bait, dead stuff, gut shot antelope, but badger and beaver musk makes me gag. I have open 2 day dead coyotes to check stomach contents and not a wimper, but I still won't skin badgers. That and as you mentioned they skin hard too.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on November 27, 2004, 04:47 PM:

As one who has done it, but not recently, I can guess why.....

First of all, they seem to have a lot of fat under the skin, and they don't peel like any animal I have ever skinned. They are tough, and ackward to work with. Fight you every inch of
the way.

Then, to my mind, they really gross me out, foul smelling gooey juices, and the fur is kinda brittle and always in the way.

And, besides. As has been mentioned many times, bullets have a hard time exiting, but they still make a mess of the internals. I have killed them with everything from 22-250 to 25'06 and I honestly cannot remember an exit?

Other than that, skinning badgers is no big deal. If you get a nice one, worthy of a mount or a rug; it's worth the effort.

Good hunting. LB

[ November 27, 2004, 04:52 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]

Posted by Dave (Member # 402) on November 27, 2004, 07:18 PM:

I have only caught one badger ever. We have some around here but I stick to coon. The one I caught it happened to stick it's head in one of my 220 conibears. It didn't stand a chance. If I could figure out how to post a picture here I would share it with you all. I enjoy the picture's that I have seen and would like to give one back for everyone else to enjoy
[Smile]

Dave

Posted by GUTPILE (Member # 448) on November 27, 2004, 07:33 PM:

I shot a male Badger this summer while out in the woods cruising for coyotes. I was so excited I almost wet myself. Come to find out, you have to live trap 'em [ need license] because they are furbearing. About a 25#er from what the taxidermist said. Male. I was so mad I had to get rid of it. Applied for a trapping license only come to find out, you have to live trap them, then shoot them. Only in Washington State.

Posted by Jack Roberts (Member # 13) on November 27, 2004, 09:32 PM:

Leonard,

"Other than that, skinning badgers is no big deal. If you get a nice one, worthy of a mount or a rug; it's worth the effort."

Next time I shoot one, I will send it to you. No need to pack it in dry ice since a little putrefaction can only improve the smell.

Jack

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