Mysterious stamping noise

Rob_D · #1 (**permalink**) 08-05-2008, 08:24 AM

I was out watching badgers a couple of nights ago in fields/hedgrow near to large wood in N Herts. It was getting very dark (21.30) when two of the little devils moved noisily through the hedges and got round behind me - though one badger did poke his head out about 10 feet away before he detected me.

I assumed the badgers then went off as I could hear nothing. About 5 or 10 minutes later I heard a loud stamp from the far side of the hedge behind me. It carried on for a few minutes from the same spot, but I heard no other movement.

I thought it might be a deer - which I'd seen around there, but normally I'd expect them to stamp a warning and run away quickly. It was also very loud for a rabbit and again it did not move off but stayed in the same spot for a while.

Any suggestions?

Rob

paulthomas · #2 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 09:53 AM

Maybe it was a noise which sounded like stamping? Maybe a badger foraging under a log could create such a noise?

deer boy · #3 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 11:21 AM

I've heard & seen deer stamping there feet & not run away before so it may well have been a deer.Or maybe a badger trying to get worms

Rob_D · #4 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 03:06 PM

It was a definite stamp and not a scrape. The stamps were spaced by about 10 seconds or so - not really a digging noise.

I didn't know deer stand and stamp like that - thanks. I'm guessing it was one of them - it could smell me but not see me on the other side of the hedge and perhaps that spooked it. Can't believe how many fallow deer are around N Herts (plus loads of muntjac and CWD).

Will go back and stake out the badgers again now I've changed the batteries in the Night Vision Scope! A fuller moon later in the month might help too.

deer boy · #5 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob_D

It was a definite stamp and not a scrape. The stamps were spaced by about 10 seconds or so - not really a digging noise.

I didn't know deer stand and stamp like that - thanks. I'm guessing it was one of them - it could smell me but not see me on the other side of the hedge and perhaps that spooked it. Can't believe how many fallow deer are around N Herts (plus loads of muntjac and CWD).

Will go back and stake out the badgers again now I've changed the batteries in the Night Vision Scope! A fuller moon later in the month might help too.

What type of night vision scope do you have & how good is it

Rob_D · #6 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 04:43 PM

It's just a Bresser (1st gen) that I got after trawling round 4 branches of Lidl. I couldn't say how it works compared with other low-end scopes, but it works OK and was way cheaper than most others(£110). Now if I could just get hold of some really cheap high power IR LEDS to make a decent illuminator those badgers would be very clear.....