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Trophy Badger!!!!!

8K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  davenjohn 
#1 ·
:D This morning on the way in totown from our coyote patrol, I saw a badger digging in a pals hayfield. Most ranchers have a standing order if we catch you NOT shooting badgers when you see them, you are NOT welcome back. I don't like knocking them off in the summer, but sometimes one has to. Anyway, this fellow was busy tearing up the earth as only badgers can. I got the old .22-250 Improved on him, and when he stopped to check the area, sent a 50 Serria Blitzking right into the neck and shoulder area. Perfect shot, if I do say so. Anyway, I got to him, he was nice big fellow with a perfect coat. He must have just came out of hibernation. The biggest one and nicest fur I have taken in a while. Took him straight to the taxidermist to have tanned for my house. :p Have one medium sized one, but this fellow was a real beauty. :wink:
 
#2 ·
Congrats on the badger!! We don't see many of them in Minnesota but I have seen a number of them to the west. Last year we saw one with a ground squirrel in its mouth disappear into a burrow it dug before out eyes. We were in Canada where we did not have a furbearers license therefore weren't able to shoot it. With our luck we would have been the subject of a training excersize for a warden class and had a dozen pairs of eyes watching us. Our big problem has been raccoons. In the last week or so, the dogs have caught 8-10 of the buggers and have the stitches to prove it. I'm getting tired of kicking the ***** out of the dog's mouths before shooting them; one of these days the raccoon is going to get a piece of me. I'm glad I picked up a .22 mag pistol last winter, it works much better than a 22LR and is cheaper than 135 gr Corbons for the 40 S&W.
 
#3 ·
:D Uglydog, I take it you are shooting these ***** around your place? Or are you hunting them with dogs? We did that several times in W. Va., but usually, shot them out of trees. We have a few ***** here. They were brought in years ago by a couple guys that moved from Mo. and missed **** hunting. I don't think ours get real big due to the long winters. Have shot a few over the years here, but not many. :wink:
 
#4 ·
We are finding them all over, the count is now up to 17. Raccoons here seem to just curl up and sleep where ever they decide to. This most often seems to be in some tuft of grass, especially this time of year when the trees are still bare. This is where the dogs scent them and if the raccoon moves, the dogs will break and grab it. It isn't so bad when the wirehair, English setter, and Pointer are all together as the three of them will gang up on a **** but when one on one or one of the others with the setter as it is nearly 11 years old it can be not so pretty. I especially worry that my springer pup will try to get in on the action; at 8 months old, it is just too young.
I much prefer to shoot a **** out of a tree as that means the dogs are not fighting it. There must be a huge number of raccoons out there as I have never seen this many around. Usually the coyotes and occasional wolf or bear keep them in check. This does not bode well for the few pheasants that try to survive up here nor the many other ground nesting birds up here.
 
#5 ·
:D Uglydog, That is a bunch of *****. I never ran across that many no matter where I was hunting. I would worry about rabies also. The only animal that I ever felt was rabid was a big old **** I saw in Texas one spring. :shock: He was scary looking and out in the middle of the day. Since I wasn't on my turf, I didn't bother him. But should have. :twisted: Not only do you have a bunch of guns, but a bunch of dogs too. :shock: I saw a beautiful setter a friend of mine has. He was sooo calm. I told him when I looked for another dog, I sure would like a setter if they were as calm and easygoing as his. I have goldens, my little female is wonderful, but you have to keep with her when she is trailing phesants. It would be nice as one gets older to hav e pointing dog. :wink:
 
#6 ·
I'm not too concerned about rabies as it has not been reported up here for a number of years in raccoons. Skunks are a different matter though I wonder if that really isn't pseudo-rabies. There are several other diseases that affect ***** but I am more concerned with just being bitten. I'm a wuss for pain if it is my own.
I have a few dogs, that's for sure!! Right now it is only 4 at the house but I have another setter reserved fpr this spring. I have 7 other dogs that are still of hunting age placed out to families which I also have access to. I hate being without dog power on long trips. When its possible, I take in temporary boarders when asked by a couple of local rescue groups. These dogs are generally around at least a couple of weeks, long enough to get a feel for what might be wrong with them, their abilities, and a start towards the type of family to place them with. My wife is still dogless, she does Schutzhund competitions but with the way her job has taken off, she doesn't have the time to train one.
I'm used to having a few dogs around though unlike my guns, they seem to stick around longer.
 
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