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Old 12-30-2011, 01:11 AM
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762Russian 762Russian is offline
 
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Default Badger issues

Friend of mine with a ranch is having some bad badger trouble. Even after doing a number on the gopher population over the summer, the badgers are still there and raising merry hell with the land, not a good thing for the horses or beef.

Needing some advice by those wiser on how to deal with these stubborn buggers; the rancher would be more than happy to blast them in half with her .30-30, but they are never out when she is around. Poison is not an option because she worries about her dogs accidentally getting some of it.

Can't shoot'em, can't poison them, what remains is traps, I suppose. We're on the prairie around Medicine Hat; all open terrain. What'll work?
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Old 12-30-2011, 09:15 AM
dugh dugh is offline
 
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They are very hard to trap, unless you see them at the hole. Unless they are a female with young they will not return to the same hole every day, also they can dig a new hole in no time.
I have trapped them when I see them enter a hole but have had no success using bait. I have 1 mounted, 3 at the taxi and 2 hides in the freezer.
Good luck
Doug
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Old 12-30-2011, 02:20 PM
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Jamie Black R/T Jamie Black R/T is offline
 
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find the fresh hole....you will see the darker colored dirt that he used to fill the entrance of it.....open it up...dump about 50 gallons of water down it....when he comes up for air, kill him

repeat.
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Old 12-30-2011, 03:14 PM
slough shark slough shark is offline
 
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talk to ishootbambi, tell him to bring a tire iron...
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Old 12-30-2011, 03:37 PM
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762Russian 762Russian is offline
 
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Alright then, sounds like it will be a difficult job all around. Badger reputations are well earned.

I was about to ask if spotlighting the buggers is alright, but some browsing just pointed me to a law that says it isn't. Damn.
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Old 12-30-2011, 09:59 PM
KI-UTE KI-UTE is offline
 
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Badgers are stupid. Put a small size bodygrip trap over the hole, pin it in place to prevent the springs from jumping up. Position the trigger to one side of the trap.

Steel foot traps are a much better way, but for some idiotic reason they are prohibited from legal use in this province. South of the border it is a free for all foot trapping badgers, and badgers are one animal that can be taken very humanely with a foot trap because they don't fight they jjust dig and dig with their free foot.
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Old 12-30-2011, 10:24 PM
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The best way to trap badger is the method taught in the Alberta trapping course. I taught the trapping and conservation courses in Alberta for a few years.
The best is to know which holes are active. Once you have identified one such hole, you put up a 3 foot high chicken wire fence around the hole anchored with metal rod posts(easy to pound into the frozen ground). Leave a gap enough to set a 330 size conibear in. If the badger is in that hole you should have him in a day.

Do not use any traps less than a 330 size. These animals have extremely strong neck muscles so you need a trap that will break their neck or back.
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Old 12-30-2011, 10:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KI-UTE View Post
Badgers are stupid. Put a small size bodygrip trap over the hole, pin it in place to prevent the springs from jumping up. Position the trigger to one side of the trap.

Steel foot traps are a much better way, but for some idiotic reason they are prohibited from legal use in this province. South of the border it is a free for all foot trapping badgers, and badgers are one animal that can be taken very humanely with a foot trap because they don't fight they jjust dig and dig with their free foot.


Regarding your advice of using a SMALL bodygrip trap over the hole.... These animals should be trapped using bodygrip traps no less than 330 size for quick and efficient kills. Small traps might work sometimes but the risk of teaching a badger to be trapshy is very high if you don't secure him the first try. Might not be as humane of a catch with smaller traps also.

I taught the trapping and conservation course in Alberta and this was what we taught regarding badgers.
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Old 01-01-2012, 02:39 PM
KI-UTE KI-UTE is offline
 
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Ha ha... very funny!!!

The way that you are suggesting to be the best way is the most cumbersome and inefficient method to kill a badger. Furthermore, your trap size choice also indicates your very apparent lack of knowledge of killing efficiency of traps.

Most bodygrip traps will do the job from a 160 to a 330, however a proper strike position for the trap is critical for a humane kill. When a 330 is used on a badger, 9 times out of 10, the trap will strike the badger on the body/abdomen area. A 160 clutching a badger will yield a perfect strike position, just behind the head or on the neck. I feel that a 220 is a better and more humane trap to use on a badger, however, the 220 is too large for most badger holes, but is a good fit for some.

Back to the constructed fence technique... How many people haver actually used this technique, and yes if we took or taught trapper ed, we were forced to learn this technique, but what a ridiculous method. Go spend a 1/2 building some ugly fence, then stick an oversze bodygrip in the openning and whacking a badger right on the guts with it... most admirable!!!

Did you know that the SPCA and/or the Humane Society also helped in building the mannual? Like we needed their help. So for whatever reason they felt compelled to invent and suggest this technique??? I suspect not for the trappers good. Just like the ole 'scented hayball on the trigger"... Humane Society stupidity not real trapper ed stuff.
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Old 02-04-2012, 10:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KI-UTE View Post
Ha ha... very funny!!!

The way that you are suggesting to be the best way is the most cumbersome and inefficient method to kill a badger. Furthermore, your trap size choice also indicates your very apparent lack of knowledge of killing efficiency of traps.

Most bodygrip traps will do the job from a 160 to a 330, however a proper strike position for the trap is critical for a humane kill. When a 330 is used on a badger, 9 times out of 10, the trap will strike the badger on the body/abdomen area. A 160 clutching a badger will yield a perfect strike position, just behind the head or on the neck. I feel that a 220 is a better and more humane trap to use on a badger, however, the 220 is too large for most badger holes, but is a good fit for some.

Back to the constructed fence technique... How many people haver actually used this technique, and yes if we took or taught trapper ed, we were forced to learn this technique, but what a ridiculous method. Go spend a 1/2 building some ugly fence, then stick an oversze bodygrip in the openning and whacking a badger right on the guts with it... most admirable!!!

Did you know that the SPCA and/or the Humane Society also helped in building the mannual? Like we needed their help. So for whatever reason they felt compelled to invent and suggest this technique??? I suspect not for the trappers good. Just like the ole 'scented hayball on the trigger"... Humane Society stupidity not real trapper ed stuff.



As you know, the 330 as well as all conibear style of traps can have their triggers tuned. A properly tuned trigger will catch its target with a proper kill ,not like the body catches you mention. I can appreciate you can catch a badger with smaller traps, but you don't want young trappers reading your comment about setting a small conibear, thinking its ok to set a 110 single spring conibear over a badger hole. The fenced set is an efficent set here on the parklands.

I am wondering why you would suggest I do not know about traps? I have been successfully catching animals for many years. These forums are for constructive discussion and debate...not mudslinging. There are young people coming on this site and are asking and learning about the outdoors. Let's be acccurate in what we say and try to remain objective. Not take it so personally.
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Old 02-05-2012, 12:56 PM
ishootbambi ishootbambi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slough shark View Post
talk to ishootbambi, tell him to bring a tire iron...
ive actually taken care of a couple around here in the last month.

op.. maybe send me some directions and i can let you know if hes already dead.....or get to doing it for you....
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Old 02-06-2012, 07:29 AM
Northern Canuck Northern Canuck is offline
 
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As a kids we used to catch them with a small leg hold gopher trap occasionally. We would get some pretty good sized ones with it. They will not pull on the trap very much or chew their feet off like a fox or a coyote as without a front foot they would not survive.
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Old 02-07-2012, 12:32 AM
KI-UTE KI-UTE is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KI-UTE View Post

Most bodygrip traps will do the job from a 160 to a 330, however a proper strike position for the trap is critical for a humane kill. When a 330 is used on a badger, 9 times out of 10, the trap will strike the badger on the body/abdomen area. A 160 clutching a badger will yield a perfect strike position, just behind the head or on the neck. I feel that a 220 is a better and more humane trap to use on a badger, however, the 220 is too large for most badger holes, but is a good fit for some.
Please don't twist what I have said and add words in attempt to boost your position! I apologize for appearing over-zealous.

I never suggested people stick a 110 in a badger hole as you imply that I have. 160 to 280 max, and really all that is needed or is appropriate is a 160 or a 220. A 280 might get a suitcase strike which is far less than perfect as the 280 is also oversized, while the 330 commonly yields the ole connibear on the guts strike.

Very few trappers, if any, are ever going to master the perfect trigger positioning you suggest is easily done to make the 330 the best trap for the badger, if it were even possible to do so consistenly. So where does that leave it?
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Old 02-07-2012, 12:49 AM
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762Russian 762Russian is offline
 
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Well, I'll not interfere with the trapper fight above, but I will say that the Rancher is not buying the idea of kill-traps; there is still a danger of hurting her dog.

Spoke with a life-long trapper I know from North Ontario; since the rancher wouldn't use poison, kill-traps or snares, he recommended live-catch traps and then just blasting the critters when one is caught. Not very sporting, but it's pretty much the only idea that the rancher likes, even if it might not be all that successful.
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  #15  
Old 02-07-2012, 08:01 AM
KI-UTE KI-UTE is offline
 
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Not a fight, a simple light discussion. Lets not make it any more than it is.
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Old 02-07-2012, 12:43 PM
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H380 H380 is online now
 
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I have never tried this but a friend of mine claims that after you see the badger go down his hole and close it , if you will open it open and stuff a diesel soaked rag in there and then reseal it , the badger never makes it out .. He claims to have reopened the holes and found them dead right there .. Just sayin ..
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Old 05-23-2012, 04:54 PM
Shadow68 Shadow68 is offline
 
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Did you find anything that worked I have one in my yard and it ate one of my dogs.



Quote:
Originally Posted by 762Russian View Post
Friend of mine with a ranch is having some bad badger trouble. Even after doing a number on the gopher population over the summer, the badgers are still there and raising merry hell with the land, not a good thing for the horses or beef.

Needing some advice by those wiser on how to deal with these stubborn buggers; the rancher would be more than happy to blast them in half with her .30-30, but they are never out when she is around. Poison is not an option because she worries about her dogs accidentally getting some of it.

Can't shoot'em, can't poison them, what remains is traps, I suppose. We're on the prairie around Medicine Hat; all open terrain. What'll work?
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  #18  
Old 05-23-2012, 07:18 PM
Gilly Gilly is offline
 
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I have a cure for badgers. It's called a patterdale terrier. He destroys badgers! If you weren't so far I would help you out.

Gilly
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Old 05-23-2012, 08:05 PM
Shadow68 Shadow68 is offline
 
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Gilly my husband would shoot me if I got another dog lol. I just want to protect the ones I have left, they are my babies
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Old 05-23-2012, 08:14 PM
Shadow68 Shadow68 is offline
 
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I have a badger on my acreage it ate my dog last year and he came back yesterday and dug 6 holes by my deck. I don't want to loose another dog how do I get rid of him? I am not a hunter I do not own a gun just a girl who love her dogs
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Old 05-23-2012, 08:39 PM
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22 mag works every time. I tried a brand new 220 conibear and all I got was bars bent the shape of his head and he dug a different hole to go out. Thinking he would have headache. Tried drowning them and they just block the hole behind them.
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Old 05-25-2012, 11:04 AM
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South west trappin RG South west trappin RG is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
The best way to trap badger is the method taught in the Alberta trapping course. I taught the trapping and conservation courses in Alberta for a few years.
The best is to know which holes are active. Once you have identified one such hole, you put up a 3 foot high chicken wire fence around the hole anchored with metal rod posts(easy to pound into the frozen ground). Leave a gap enough to set a 330 size conibear in. If the badger is in that hole you should have him in a day.

Do not use any traps less than a 330 size. These animals have extremely strong neck muscles so you need a trap that will break their neck or back.
330 is way to big use a 220 and 330 springs on it 330 will never catch them in the right spot i have trapped allot of them.
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