Badger Advice

[geordie1970]

Hi all, there is a sett where I walk the dog so I have been leaving peanuts when I have walked the dog and returned alone later. I have taken great care to be quiet and the correct side of the breeze/skyline etc and after sitting (in camo) for a couple of hours all I have seen are a couple of woodmice running in and out of the sett.Please tell me that if I persevere I will see them

P.s the sett is active if the latrines are anything to go by.

[hobble]

The badgers that visit my garden every night arrive any time between 9.30 and midnight at the moment. They like to leave their sets just as the sun sets.
I am sure if you persevere you will see them.
Make sure you do not where any scent.
Good luck.

[witham]

we have a sett in the area, activity on our property and regularly leave food out for them, we have stopped up at various times and so far haven't seen diddly squat, we know it comes to the food as we have made a sand trap and have seen the pad prints it leaves, unless there's a small bear in the area

[paulthomas]

I get the impression that there's a lot variability in the time that Badgers emerge. I know people on other forums who are watching/photographing Badgers who are emerging well before sunset. We know that there's a seasonal pattern to emergence times but I've not read of anything which explains these sett-to-sett variations. It might be that in some areas food is sufficiently easy to find that the Badgers feel no urgency to emerge until well after dark but this pure speculation on my part. I have no evidence to back it up. It might also be a sign that there are no cubs in the sett so no little hooligans racing around waking everybody up early

[stripee]

Originally Posted by geordie1970

Hi all, there is a sett where I walk the dog so I have been leaving peanuts when I have walked the dog and returned alone later. I have taken great care to be quiet and the correct side of the breeze/skyline etc and after sitting (in camo) for a couple of hours all I have seen are a couple of woodmice running in and out of the sett.Please tell me that if I persevere I will see them

P.s the sett is active if the latrines are anything to go by.

Hello geordie,
if they can smell you they won't come out. And they are quite happy to wait until you've gone away! But as Paul T says there is terrific variation in emergence patterns. Some at this time of year are out before dusk and others - like mine, between 11.30 and midnight. Patience is essential - many hours sometimes needed.
Otherwise why not go out on a badger watching evening, there are many advertised for the coming weeks from wildlife trusts, forestry commission, nat parks etc, and get some more handy hints. I hope you get to see some soon

[Ukwildlifeo]

You probably know this but just in case are you sure the sett is occupied as they usually have more than one and move around between them