Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Badger, western Idaho

Gonna throw this out here to see if I can get any help. I will be in the Meridian/Boise area the last week of January. Being from the east I have always wanted to take a prime badger for a rug mount. I've seen them on western hunts and called one in in Mexico, but not legal to cross the border.

Thinking about bringing my Hornet, I have 3 days Jan. 25-27 available to hunt. Anyone want to share any areas with access that I may be able to try. I expect it to be difficult to find one if there is a bunch of snow and cold, but I could get lucky too and have a little thaw with them moving.

If anyone has any specific info you could just pm me.

Thanks

I live in Boise. I have never seen a badger in January but I can't state they aren't about. Badger are most commonly found around the ground squirrel colonies.

I'm told, but never have, one may obtain a permit to hunt at night for predators. Using a spotlight and hunting at night is definitely the best way. In the old days, thirty years ago, we would see many badgers each night. We didn't shoot them, I've always liked badgers and could see no reason to shoot them as varmints.

Badger activity is extremely obvious, they dig enormous holes. Heading south and east of the Simco exit places one in prime squirrel territory as is the area around Swan Falls. Heading west also has lots of badgers, I like the Sand Hollow area.

I suggest you contact our fish and game and suspect badgers hibernate or at least go inactive during the colder months.

Good luck, let me know if you want specific information. I know of thousands of public acres the hold these critters. Rick

I killed one yesterday in Central Idaho while out trying to locate some coyotes after a fresh snowfall. We are about 5000' elevation and high desert country, it was only about 28 degrees but sunny, it was his misfortune to be out roaming around. It wasn't a very large one, I would say a small adult, probably a couple of years old. I was a little surprised to see him out roaming around in the cool weather.

I just did a google search on behavior and came up with this -

Badgers are solitary animals. Typical population density is about 5 animals per square kilometer. Badgers are mainly active at night, and tend to be inactive during the winter months. They are not true hibernators, but spend much of the winter in cycles of torpor that usually last about 29 hours. During torpor body temperatures fall to about 9 degrees Celsius and the heart beats at about half the normal rate. They emerge from their dens on warm days in the winter.

I guess that explains what it was doing out.

drover

We went pheasant hunting here in central Ks yesterday morn and our raterrier went/followed us out. My son and I was walking the fence when the dog doubled back. Aparently we walked past a badger and did't notice him, although Chief noticed him. After a short fight between the two my gun got involved. The badger did't fare so well.

Is the dog ok?


Travis

The dog came out good! He sure was proud of "his" victory.

I live about 50 miles west of Boise. I've never shot one in the winter but, never really tried that time of year. I got 4 or 5 this past summer. If you don't get any offers I'd be glad to meet with you and put you into some badger "country". I'll have to work the 25th but will be free the other two days. I've never called any but,Id like to give it a try.
Bob

What kind of calls do they usually come to?

distress calls, lip squeaking. I know guys that have called them, I just never have. I've never hunted them at night either. Always found them in daylight around ground squirrel colonies. In the summer you hardly ever see them after about 9 or 10 am. As soon as it starts warming up they head under ground. They probably are a lot more active at night.

If they don't come to the calls, one could drip a little petrol down a fresh Badger dig hole, or maybe a road flare....

Thanks for all the replies. Been researching it hard, got some good ideas, good to go with airline, hotel, and rental reservations. Just hoping for some above freezing temps that they may be moving.

Broper thanks for the offer, I'll see how it goes the week before. I'll have the 18 and 19 to do some scouting, I suppose I could be successful even then, then I head to the SCI convention, maybe some tips from there, and then back to Boise area to give it a whirl.

No problem, just let me know.

Good thinkin'

Hate those SOB's...

They eat my p/dog targets..

Had one come at me once while doggin'.......my 40 auto jammed...my buddy took hime out with a 223...think the badger was on crack...

I ran into one once along one of our dilapidated fence rows. I didn't have a rifle and ended up pulling out a post from the fence row and beating the badger to death with it. Tough old critters.....

They are tough... Mine took two shots from my 22-250 at about 135 yards before she died.


She will be a rug and damn they are pretty!

Montana Badger I shot in January many years ago...they are mostly nocturnal but you can bump into them in the daylight on occasion. The best way to collect one is to find sign and set some traps....any coyote type set will work as they are pretty bold and will wade right in and get caught.

Good luck!!

That's a stout badger, they do come out in Jan, prolly to breed. Let me guess the year... '79?

You boys failed to earn a merit badge in shot placement, didn't ya.....(grin) This one complied in a hurry with one shot to the face from my Ruger Mark III.



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