One Morning, Two Badgers

I wanted to see a badger and on this morning in the Badlands National Park I was lucky to see two in widely separated locations. I had watched this one go to bed in a prairie dog burrow the day before so it was only a matter of time before he woke up and I found him hunting. The second one was hunting with a coyote. the coyote split and it continued hunting allowing me to stalk within range and get some nice tight footage. As you can see in the first half of the video the badger was intensely curious but did not run until it got downwind of me.

Partners in the Hunt

I saw a similar pair hunting last year and had to get a photo. Most of the time they are separated by several feet and only visible on opposite edges of the frame. I watched two pairs in prairie dog towns and was lucky to get these guys close together. Maybe next time I'll get an actual prairie dog hunt. Finding a pair is also a good way to find the badger that is much more camouflaged than the coyote. Coyote and badgers hunting together is well documented and beneficial to each. From what I have read when one gets a meal the other does not attempt to steal it from the other.

Badlands Badger

Badgers fascinate me! Last fall I watched one at long range while it hunted with a coyote and I put it on my shot list to get quality footage this year. Shot lists are wish lists that frequently go unfilled but yesterday it worked out better than could be imagined. It started by being stalked by a badger, a little worrisome with only a tripod to hide behind. Later in the morning this guy, different than the first one, was busy fluffing and preening as I watched while kneeling in the dirt. 

Technical: Canon 7D, 600mm + 1.4 telextender, uncropped

Minnesota Badger

I usually think of scientific and natural areas as historic prairie wildflower gardens.  However, they also contain wildlife that is largely overlooked. This badger was in its den for 3 weeks, perhaps the next memory card will have young badgers on it.

Technical: The camera trap placed after obtaining a special use permit from MN DNR. Images are donated for their use.

Badger at Den

I watched this badger for about an hour a few weeks ago. Most of the time we were both motionless watching each other. I was behind the Tacoma blind to break up my silhouette and standing absolutely still. She noticed the sound of me shifting my feet in the sand! It was a little unnerving when the badger left the viewfinder as it was heading toward me.  

Badger Yawn

One could interpret this image in many ways depending on your opinion of badgers. Most badger images show their fierce defense display which they show when confronted. If you have watched one waddle you know running away from danger is not an option. I spent about half an hour watching this badger on Sunday evening, most of the time we were both motionless looking at each other.  This badger was curious, cautious, and a creature with incredible hearing. She reacted to a foot stepping on sand. Why do I say "she"? This den was the site of a litter of badgers last year and I am making the assumption the same badger has returned, only a guess. A special thanks goes to Kathy J. for alerting me to the badger's return since I missed all the action last year.

Technical: image taken from Canon C100 video capture, moderate cropping