Badgers seem to occur about anywhere in the west, but not usually in big numbers. Usually 6 or 7 is it for a season. The very best "fur" badgers I've seen were from the Montana "High Line" that were super-fluffy and nearly white-colored.


This was a nice-colored badger from mountains of eastern Idaho.



Here's a badger put up. Usually they are worth much more put up for taxidermy.



The back.



A whole family of badgers from southern Idaho. Not a very good price, as they were "hair" badgers.




A portrait of a young badger.

Great photos! Thank you.

One of my favorite animals to trap. Amazing amount of dirt they can move, even in hard frozen or dry conditions.

My haul from short 13 day December trapline this season. (December is too early for badger here but it was mild and they were moving and causing problems in couple of fields)

Amazing Animal

Awesome pictures

Like other trappers, I don't pick up more than one or two preseason but it is always exciting to find one in one of my traps. As you can see, Loki is not a big fan of them and always has to put in his 2 cents worth.

1 of 2

That first photo shows they are mean little cusses.

Nice pictures and catches.

Badgers are among the prettiest colour combo in design , to me. Such gorgeous dark outer fur , with rich translucent apricot below. Contrasted with white and black. Mini wolverine, I call them.

I really would love to do up a nice colour portrait of one sometime. I think a garment , such as a hat or even a coat, would be absolutely amazing from their fur.

Here's a badger hat I made for a fellow 'skinner.

That's such pretty fur , what a great hat, Snow. It resembles crystal fox .

Just love that apricot undertone with the black tipped outer fur . I really can see a coat of badger hides , complete with the white contrast on the head onto the back, with the black accents in legs used, would be amazing. Somehow there must be a way of cutting hides to fit together to make such a coat. It would have to include the contrasting whites and blacks of the legs to have it pop , the way I'm seeing that in my head.

I bet that was an interesting rodeo.

When skinning them out, I always forget how low on the side of their head their ears are.

Where was it that they had an annual "badger grab dare". Grab a badger out of a barrel and run over and put it in another barrel?

Beaverpeeler -

I don't remember where they had the :badger-grab." I used to mark dozens per year on the southern Idaho desert by running them down at night and using a net. Then jump on them and ride like a bull, giving them Ketamine st the same time. Ride for 3 minutes and the ketamine would start working. Much more efficient than trapping. Course,did it all at night.

Ketamine is almost impossible to get ahold of anymore! Won’t even let WS use it.

Thank you!!! Badgers are so cool! I don’t have any dealings with them but I know they’re rowdy. Everyone says how tough wolverines are but I bet a Badger would beat ‘em!!!

They are a straight up nasty animal! They can be completely unrestrained and bear up to a fight! They are off limits in Wisconsin due to the state animal.

Grawe's trapping days 70's and 80's had the badger pull out of the barrel,and the bare foot bear trap setting.Good times way back when...Jack thanks for sharing,i've only caught a hand full,you know what you've caught from a distance.....

A whole family of badgers from southern Idaho. Not a very good price, as they were "hair" badgers.




Do those all have ear tags?

Its like catching a backhoe

I have only caught a few, I have to travel to get into the right habitat.



Sure makes pulling earth anchors easy.




wws

This one got into a marten set.

Stinky, greasy and destructive. I try to avoid them.

A couple years ago I heard something in tall grass (I was standing in short grass), so I stood still and pulled out my phone. A badger popped out less than 20 yards away. The wind favored me, and it didn't notice me. So I recorded it working its away around me. After several seconds of recording, I said "well are you going to say hi?". With that, it looked at me and scurried off.

Fun times!

Caught this one about a month ago in NW New Mexico. Probably one of the nicest looking badgers I’ve ever caught. Gonna get him tanned and keep for a wall hanger. I caught another that was much smaller but didn’t get a picture. Like already said, it’s crazy the amount of dirt they can move.

This one is from a few years ago

Ketamine is almost impossible to get ahold of anymore! Won’t even let WS use it.


Drug of choice among Hollywood Actors……

I have always been curious how they got a reputation for being vicious. They are tougher than coyotes but certainly not vicious.

Danny -

They often bear their teeth and growl a lot, therefore have acquired the reputation of being vicious. That's all it is.

Jack

Why would that matter?? The Pheasant is our state bird and we shoot millions of them..lol

Beautiful work btw Jack! You have and are living a life most here can only dream of, myself included! Your pictures and stories are simply amazing. Congratulations!

I would rather go hand to hand with a badger then a big boar coon. Coon were harder on my dog badgers.

A badger I home tanned and made into a display. Did it as a favor for a farmer who let me trap and hunt his place for decades. He found it as a road kill in front of his farm and had a possession permit for it. Sadly he was killed in a farm accident shortly thereafter.

Getting ready to release a badger caught in a fox set early seventies. Notice the fancy release pole made from a rake handle and a rope. Lol

I love badger fur. Here's one I tanned.

I normally catch 10-15 a year, only 5 this year. I have never had one growl at me, much less be vicious.

I've just about got enough badgers the same color to start my coat, have wanted one out of badgers for a long time, but it takes time to get enough with the same or close coloring to make the coat look even.

Besides the fact that not everyone has a great badger to buy, but I try every chance I get to offer for one !

Still need some to be on the safe side once I start measuring and patterning for the cutting and sewing !

With that in mind....Oregon's state animal is the beaver. Also I spent four years at Oregon State U where the benny beaver was the mascot. Hasn't stopped me from "beaverin".