Looking for advice on Badger Photography without lights...

russellsnr

russellsnr

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Russell
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Looking for advice on Badger Photography without lights of any kind.
Found a set and defiantly occupied as got a Badger on trail cam at night, I don't have lights and would never use flash on a wild animal so looking for a time of year that they may venture forth in daylight?
Thank You, Russ.
 
I found these two in your area that might be worth getting in touch with?

wildhaweswater.co.uk

Our work in focus: New Badger Watching Hide and Spinning Barn restoration at Wild Haweswater - Wild Haweswater

Today we’re excited to have opened our new Badger Watching Hide here at Wild Haweswater, following hard work from our dedicated team of staff and volunteers to construct it this winter, ready for the busy summer season. The Badger is one of the UK’s most recognised and popular mammals, bringing...
wildhaweswater.co.uk wildhaweswater.co.uk

www.visitlakedistrict.com

RSPB Badger Watching Hide at Wild Haweswater - Penrith

Enjoy intimate views and excellent photography opportunities of Badgers, from the comfort of the RSPB's Badger Hide at Wild Haweswater. As the sun…
www.visitlakedistrict.com www.visitlakedistrict.com

Actually it seems 'they' might be the same place???
 
Box Brownie said:
I found these two in your area that might be worth getting in touch with?

wildhaweswater.co.uk

Our work in focus: New Badger Watching Hide and Spinning Barn restoration at Wild Haweswater - Wild Haweswater

Today we’re excited to have opened our new Badger Watching Hide here at Wild Haweswater, following hard work from our dedicated team of staff and volunteers to construct it this winter, ready for the busy summer season. The Badger is one of the UK’s most recognised and popular mammals, bringing...
wildhaweswater.co.uk wildhaweswater.co.uk

www.visitlakedistrict.com

RSPB Badger Watching Hide at Wild Haweswater - Penrith

Enjoy intimate views and excellent photography opportunities of Badgers, from the comfort of the RSPB's Badger Hide at Wild Haweswater. As the sun…
www.visitlakedistrict.com www.visitlakedistrict.com

Actually it seems 'they' might be the same place???
Click to expand...
Thank You.
 
I found a sett a few years ago, scoped it out a few times, never saw a badger. I left a trail camera out, which was a big risk as dog walkers frequented the area. It never triggered but there were definately badgers present.

I hear they love raisins, so might be worth scattering a few and wait to see what happens.

The biggest problem is though that they forage at night and this time of year, they still have plenty of dark hours to do their scavenging.

My approach would be to wait until the summer months, when there are only a few hours of darkness, end of May to the begining of July, when the dark hours are much shorter, in fine weather, it hardly gets really dark at all during the middle of that period. My approach would be to camp nearby as the badgers will almost be forced to forage during lighter hours, even in daylight, it can easily light enough by 4am.

I think this is maybe your best chance without flash, as at the moment, it will be too dark when they forage anyway. You may be lucky and have a group that forage during the twilight hours at the moment but I'm guessing not.

As is usually the case with wildlife, patience and fieldcraft will usually reap its rewards.

I really must take a look at my locals this year.
 
Badgers seem to tolerate constant lighting, if the site is private this might be an option. The RSPB have a Badger hide at Haweswater that is lit by (bad) LEDs and the Badgers did not care. IR would be fine either flash or constant, they would not notice anything > 850nm, but the images would be mono. I have seen tham at dusk often in the Spring/Summer when the evenings are lighter. this might be your best option. The ones are Haweswater will do anyting for peanuts as long as its quiet.
 
Thank you for the replies. Have images from trail cam that confirm they are at the set, did drop some peanuts and this afternoon a can of dog food, also did contact the Haweswater hide and they said same thing later on in the summer best time. Thank you again, Russ.
 
Dale. said:
I hear they love raisins, so might be worth scattering a few and wait to see what happens.
Click to expand...

Grapes, raisins and currents are high in Tartaric Acid and this is poisonous to dogs - it can be fatal. :runaway:
 
Sky said:
Grapes, raisins and currents are high in Tartaric Acid and this is poisonous to dogs - it can be fatal. :runaway:
Click to expand...


Badgers would be fine regarding this, though there is a potential for causing kidney problems with badgers if raisins (grapes/currants) are fed long term (or in large quantities) but that's not what I was implying, it was more to entice the badgers initially.

You're right though, I wouldn't leave raisins on a site where dogs frequent, it is a valid point you make, so caution is probably well advised. (y)
 
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Reactions: Sky
Dale. said:
I found a sett a few years ago, scoped it out a few times, never saw a badger. I left a trail camera out, which was a big risk as dog walkers frequented the area. It never triggered but there were definately badgers present.

I hear they love raisins, so might be worth scattering a few and wait to see what happens.

The biggest problem is though that they forage at night and this time of year, they still have plenty of dark hours to do their scavenging.

My approach would be to wait until the summer months, when there are only a few hours of darkness, end of May to the begining of July, when the dark hours are much shorter, in fine weather, it hardly gets really dark at all during the middle of that period. My approach would be to camp nearby as the badgers will almost be forced to forage during lighter hours, even in daylight, it can easily light enough by 4am.

I think this is maybe your best chance without flash, as at the moment, it will be too dark when they forage anyway. You may be lucky and have a group that forage during the twilight hours at the moment but I'm guessing not.

As is usually the case with wildlife, patience and fieldcraft will usually reap its rewards.

I really must take a look at my locals this year.
Click to expand...
Cool post buddy.I'd go with peanuts.brock love 'em .no idea what so ever if there is a neg impact to brock please post up if there is . I .do know min of ag were using peanuts as bait decades back.. re catching for TB testing....but I also can't qualify wot that might mean ..................That said Bri May's fantastic documnetary was filmed by a guy I have bumped into and talked to maybe twice. ( read in quizzed in awe) I know he has worked with brock for eons and also is an NHS Doc ......I'd summize he used peanuts with a degree of care and knowledge.

Russ I echo many thoughts in this thread.summertime when the livin' is easy has to be your go to.also you have the chance of kidlets. Russ I've encountered brock at 12 noon in the midstt of winter but this is a one off never repeated. 40 years ago I asked my mum if she would like to see brock....she used to tell folks she saw 20...probably not.but the set was HUGE a JCB wouldn't dig them out and her joy, her face, that day will live with me till I die. That was just afore dark

simple stuff they can't see great.their ears and noses are astounding..so base all observation/photography on your most frequent wind direction.., before light.light is second here though needs pondering...........mate brock are mustelidea.they are super bright (intelligence wise).......if you really graft at them .slow burn years of effort you can build huge trust. Bait will help narrow angles within building trust.....time an effort could put you in a place few see

Me also no to flash but.........constant lights.yeah that could work.............. honestly if I had the time I'd just grind it out and work with them :)
 
Bear in mind that badgers often have summer & winter quarters and migrate between the two. You need to look for recent signs of activity, not just badger setts.
 
In a similar situation to you @russellsnr I've ended up with a mix of bird suet, peanuts & sultanas. Funnily enough I was just down by the sett earlier dropping some off for brock...

In terms of lighting, I agonised over it for weeks & ended up with a head torch (550 lumen Petzl) as long as you don't sweep left-right (or right-left) wildly they tend to be unfazed. Huge dancing shadows are your enemy. The badgers tend to be least bothered if the light sweeps slowly vertically down on them.

Early days though red light all the way.

Further once they're used to the quasistable lighting I've found they tend not to be too bothered by flash - especially if there's food about. I don't just leave it in a pile though - hide it in & around bits of tree so they have to actually work a little bit for the food. I also never put out more than about 200g of food - they need to keep hunting.

If it gets dry for a period in summer I'll get a cheap bag of apples or pears & chop them into bits (not too small) & scatter them around too.
 
I have never photographed badgers at a sett but have outside the back door and my experience re flash is the same as Jason - no reaction at all(unlike the few foxes I've photographed that left like a rocket as the flash has gone off).

Agree about peanuts, badger and other things like them.

The badgers appear to see the red lights on a trail camera but again don't seem bothered by them. They sometimes stop and peer at them for a few seconds but then get on with eating. I've also had badgers 'hoovering' the trail camera, and sometimes walk through it.

Good luck.

Dave
 
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