I’ve trapped a lot of badger over the years but cannot say I’ve ever deliberately targeted them. One of my landowners seems to be over run with them. I’m coyote trapping so I know I’ll catch some incidentally. Lots of fresh digs every time I’m out.

Any thoughts on deliberately targeting badger. I’d like to help this landowner out.

Good post, I hope someone with experience chimes in. I also have caught a few but only in canine sets.

Can't help Marty but Dave Hastings has a new Badger Book out now...might want o check it out...Christmas is coming up.
I have only caught maybe 10 all accidental....coyote sets.

If you're 100% certain they are down the hole and need them gone, drowning them out of it works great.

Pretty hard to get that much water to where most of these holes are. No way to carry that much on my four wheeler and I’d have to have a mile of hose to reach some of them. I’ve tried a few times to fill holes with a garden hose on badgers in backyards. Never had any success.

I just ordered the badger book.

I caught 14 last year, but all in canine sets. Have never targeted them on purpose. I did average $41.00 on them, so thinking I need to go after them.

If you find fresh digs, set every hole you can find. If you want to be able to catch coyotes that come by, a #2 or #3 foothold will work. If you just want to catch the badgers, a 220 over the hole works well. Many times you need to excavate the hole a little to make sure the trap will close after its pinned down. Badgers don't seem trap shy to anything that I can tell. I've caught them in foothold, bodygrips, snares and have heard of people catching them in cages. If you have fresh sign, also make some dirt holes in the area with skunky bait/lure. They seem to move around a lot but will usually come back to check out holes they have previously dug. In cold weather, they den up for long periods of time.

I was in Alaska for 20 years. Last time I put up badger they were skinned open. Is that still what the buyers want? Or are they wanting them cased.

I don’t know if it makes any difference to the buyers. Most of the badgers that come through our Fallon sale are cased. They look really nice too! Make sure you get them fleshed good and cleaned up, that does make difference to the buyers!

I will add another set to try for badgers. The exposed bobcat set seems to be especially appealing to badgers! They cannot leave them alone!

Thanks for the idea.

The thing with badgers is they often run a circuit in my experience. You might see some activity for awhile then they seem to disappear for a while. So patience is often necessary. If you are really wanting to get rid of the badgers you will often have better and longer term success by eliminating the prey base they are digging/feeding on.

Just make the nicest coyote sets you’ve ever made.

They’ll come along and ruin them.

We have a lot of badger here but I’ve never been able to specifically target them. The few times I’ve tried with success have only been finding fresh holes with the badger still in it. A lot of times you find a fresh hole and the badgers already miles away.

They’re pretty random travelers it seems.

This has been my experience also. Unless there’s a plug, or dirt flying out, they are the next section or three over.Lol

I've had luck setting a step down in a fresh badger hole lured with a loud lure , as has already been said be patient .

Cased fur out on a coon board.

Skunky lure or bait. Late winter gland lure. Setting holes never worked consistently for me.

I’m in camp right now, watching On the trap line with Lesel Reuwssat Advanced Professional Badger Methods. Think you can find it at F&T trap supply. So far it’s good info, said he catches around 50/60 a year. Worth the $$$ as far as I can tell.

wws

I'd love to trap one or two of these when I'm down in the states over the holidays. What are the odds a guy would luck into one with a half dozen sets over a week in decent badger country?