perfect Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 badger or fox hole how do you tell the difference? theres alot of fox on one of my permissions but iv been told badgers have been there years too altho iv never seen a badger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 There's three easy ways for you to tell. 1.) Marks - Look at the prints outside the Den/set 2.) Smell - Both Badgers and foxes have very destinictive, musky smells, though you will of needed to of gotten close before to realise which is which, you won't forget the smell afterwards. 3.) Fur - Feeling brave? Good. Get you're hand and stick it along the wall of the mouth of the tunnel, and route around untill you find some fur that's either on the floor, or stuck to the walls, from this you can try and figure out which is which. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignoel Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 fox holes are more rounder and badger are more shapet like a rugby ball plus the big spoil outside fresh smell from them realy destinctive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Ask the Farmer/Landowner or the farm workers, they usually know what is where on their land. If in doubt keep well away. Last year some roost shooters about 10 miles from me were seen by bird watchers (some distance away with binos), setting up near badger setts and there was a Police attendance and they were warned about badger "harrassment". They hadn't even noticed the setts were there. The Police advised the Farmer and they also lost their permission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 The Police advised the Farmer and they also lost their permission. Some Farmer...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Cranfield is spot-on. The local badger-welfare groups, backed up by the interfering goons at Natural England, will have every sett plotted on a map. These scrotes will traipse all over private property if there's so much as a peep about shooters and farmers touching setts, clearing ditches, legitimately slug-pelleting growing crops etc. The other indicator of badgers is latrines: a few small pits dotted around by the opening, filled with ****. Setts are usually located near running water, and have multiple entrances. Foxes aren't so picky or industrious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perfect Posted November 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Some of these holes are massive i hate even walking past them some are big some are meduim sized some are small some are round and some are rugbyball shaped there are also big hares around, i dare not send the terrier in just incase i will leave them be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Some Farmer...! Don't blame the Farmer, he doesn't need any aggro from locals, nature lovers, police, or anyone else. Pigeon shooters are ten a penny. You may not like the truth, but it is the truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Some of these holes are massive i hate even walking past them some are big some are meduim sized some are small some are round and some are rugbyball shaped there are also big hares around, i dare not send the terrier in just incase i will leave them be. Hares don't go down holes, they live above ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 Some Farmer...! +1 As from what I've read they weren't intentionally bothering the badgers in the first place. I wouldn't agree if they had been, and the farmer knew of it, while I'm not up on agriculture in the UK I know even more problems can be caused for farmers than shooters over here by them types. Would have been better let the shooters get on with dealing with the pigeons and tell the tree huggers to get bent, plus charge them with tresspassing if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 (edited) Don't blame the Farmer, he doesn't need any aggro from locals, nature lovers, police, or anyone else.Pigeon shooters are ten a penny. You may not like the truth, but it is the truth. No one is blaming the Farmer Cranfield...where do you get that from ? You may not like the truth, but it is the truth And what's all that about ? So in future, all these treehuggers have to do is phone the police & say the shooters are harrassing the Badgers......another victory for the Antis......& how long before this is applied to other farms ? Maybe the Farmer should have had the balls to tell them get off his land, the the police done them for wasting police time. Edited November 24, 2008 by Bazooka Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santlache Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Badgers tend to stay in one place, whereas foxes are more nomadic and will go to ground wherever there is an unused earth/hole/shelter, especially in this cold weather. Check for fresh signs of digging and bedding being dragged out, pretty common with Badgers and everything that Bleeh recommends above. The Landowner will also usually know where he has badgers. If in doubt, walk away. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 Everyone claiming it's 'tree huggers' are way off mark. It is about the law, plain and simple. The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 was brought in because of the levels of persecution prevalent at the time, not because of nature lovers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 Whatever, you need to be completely sure whether it's fox or badger as even interfering with a set as oppossed to a den you're liable to get nicked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 Remember that badgers can also have outlier setts some distance from the main sett so a single hole is not always an indication that it is not badger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 By no was is this gospel but it is what I have found over a few years. The Badger set has a hole that will have a arched top to it and a flat bottom. Like others have posted, there will be **** pits around the locality, don't step in them as they stink as much as a brock. Having coming up from the mire smelling of roses after a recent rspca investigation I highly recommend that you give any suspicious holes a very wide berth. LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan browning gts Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 a badger wil cleen out its set so look for bedding out side and look to se iff the bark has been taken off the bottem of the trees out side the set but watch out because the watchers put cctv up and you will get alot of **** if they think you are messing with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek.snr Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 have a look round with the lamp,badgers are easier to see at night . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 As an ecologist, a large part of my job is identifying badger setts and activity so if any members are in doubt I will do my best to identify holes from photos for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernlad Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 How did you become an ecologist 955i? I recently lost my job to the recession so am looking for a new line of work and that sounds interesting. :wacko: Since when does taking an interest in wildlife make someone a tree hugger? SL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perfect Posted December 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 (edited) I'm sure they are badgers now the sets look old and unused but who knows, plenty of leaves blown into the holes and lots of them around very deep and excavated. Dan browning i can assure you there's no way I'm gonna mess with them lol i hate walking past them iv heard there very territorial ? Edited December 4, 2008 by perfect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted December 5, 2008 Report Share Posted December 5, 2008 (edited) How did you become an ecologist 955i? Studied Zoology at Uni, did some work for the National Trust and the Barn Owl Trust in Devon. Did voluntary work as an English Nature bat warden and got my bat license then applied to consultancies and wound up with the job I have now. Takes a bit of time and effort as most companies want qualifications and experience which is the tricky bit but worth it if you can get into it, get to go all over the country and see some great places. Edited December 5, 2008 by 955i Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 5, 2008 Report Share Posted December 5, 2008 so do you shoot 955 or are you just so to speak a badger fancier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
955i Posted December 5, 2008 Report Share Posted December 5, 2008 so do you shoot 955 or are you just so to speak a badger fancier? I used to shoot a lot of match .177 air rifle and teach archery. Just got into clay shooting and currently applying for my certificate. Intend to do bits of game shooting when the freezer is empty . Most of my work brings me into contact with farmers around the country so hoping I can get a few permissions for when I am in different areas so there is always the opportunity to shoot as I am rarely in my home area during the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted December 5, 2008 Report Share Posted December 5, 2008 good to see an ecologist into shooting and realistic about nature. I've mixed views on Badgers both from TB and also their impact on ground nesting birds but as you say the laws the law Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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