badger advice

[darren p]

Hello there, recently went on a walk throught the woods and discovered quite a few big holes that i think were badger holes. My girlfriend wants me to go back to the woods with her again this weekend with a picnic, and to get to the part of the woods she wants to go to would involve walking right past these holes again (i had to step over one or two last time). I am a bit reluctant to walk past these again as i would not want to disturb or antagonise any badgers at all. It might sound like a silly question but is it safe for me to be walking past the holes at a close distance?

[valleyforge]

Hi Darren and welcome to the WAB forum.

Originally Posted by darren p

It might sound like a silly question but is it safe for me to be walking past the holes at a close distance?

It's safe in that you are in little danger of being attacked by any badgers, if that's what you had in mind?

However, disturbance of an active badger sett is illegal ... so if you suspect that's what this is, you must give it a wide berth.

Incidentally, for recognition purposes, badger 'holes' are oval in shape, wider than they are tall, unlike rabbit burrows where the entrance holes are of course smaller and rounder.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by valleyforge

However, disturbance of an active badger sett is illegal ... so if you suspect that's what this is, you must give it a wide berth.

I'd be very surprised if anyone would consider walking past a Badger sett as 'disturbance'. It would be a bit of a problem for all those who have setts in their gardens, or on local footpaths.

henrya

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by thunder

I'd be very surprised if anyone would consider walking past a Badger sett as 'disturbance'. It would be a bit of a problem for all those who have setts in their gardens, or on local footpaths.

henrya

true - i know of at least three very big setts which have a national trail running over the top of them.

[valleyforge]

Originally Posted by thunder

I'd be very surprised if anyone would consider walking past a Badger sett as 'disturbance'.

That's probably true enough ... however the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, stipulates that it's an offence to 'Intentionally or recklessly interfere with a badger sett ... by disturbing a badger when it is occupying a sett.'

This particular law is somewhat complex and has additional amendments in Scotland and Northern Ireland, however to deliberately walk over a supposed badger sett, when it could so easily be avoided, may be considered somewhat reckless, whatever the intent.

Besides, if you read between the lines of Darren's post, one might conclude that he asked the question in order to NOT have to go again.

[blackb1rd]

Originally Posted by darren p

Hello there, recently went on a walk throught the woods and discovered quite a few big holes that i think were badger holes. My girlfriend wants me to go back to the woods with her again this weekend with a picnic, and to get to the part of the woods she wants to go to would involve walking right past these holes again (i had to step over one or two last time). I am a bit reluctant to walk past these again as i would not want to disturb or antagonise any badgers at all. It might sound like a silly question but is it safe for me to be walking past the holes at a close distance?

Many of the badger setts in my local area are on, or directly next to, major pathways through local woodland etc. The badgers in them are thriving and I've not heard of a single attack on anyone from a badger in years.

They are nocturnal, you'll be there in the daytime and they'll be tucked up underground oblivious

You really don't need to worry about it, just don't go digging up cubs or dropping rubbish down the holes

As an idea of how tolerant badgers are and how adaptable they can be here's where my local sett is. A tiny bit of woodland in the middle of a small town and completely enclosed by housing. They thrive there (currently 6 individuals I think) and I'd guess that of those 25 or so houses only 3-4 at most are even aware of their presence.

The red line is a path which half circles the copse (which itself is enclosed in an old wall and metal fence). The green dots show roughly where the sett lies:

Message - Wild About Britain Pics

And here they are enjoying a snack (they genuinely didn't know I was there):
Badgers at my feet - Wild About Britain Pics

[paulthomas]

It may well be an old sett that you came across. An occupied sett will have very obvious signs of excavation. And if its Badgers doing the excavating there'll be bits of dried vegetation mixed in with the diggings. If there's no vegetation then it's probably either Rabbit burrows or maybe an old Badger sett which has been taken over by a Fox. If it is Badgers then my advice is to forget about picnics, get there for 8;00pm or a bit earlier, settle down about 20-30 yards away down wind and wait patiently to see something magical

[blackb1rd]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

If it is Badgers then my advice is to forget about picnics, get there for 8;00pm or a bit earlier, settle down about 20-30 yards away down wind and wait patiently to see something magical

Good advice Badger watching is always entertaining.