LETS GO BADGER WATCHING -
here's a few tips to help you have a successful badger watch
Two little badger cubs, aged around 10 weeks, emerge on the last day of April and begin eating peanuts and custard creams. We are behind a tree to break up our shape and zoom in on our phone. The wind direction has changed and its not ideal, but the cubs are totally unaware of us! How wonderful is this?
FIRST THINGS FIRST - PREPARATION
So you've found an active badger sett and you would love to watch them one night. It really is most rewarding, but it takes patience and a bit of skill. Moving twigs and crackly leaves prior to your badger watch will help you approach the sett quietly. Finding a tree which will break up your outline also helps. So remember, NO perfume, aftershave or midgy repellent, no crinkly, crackly clothing, no food except peanuts for the badgers. You may be sitting in one place for a long time, so get comfy !
TIME TO GO
In the height of Summer, badgers can be out of the sett before dusk, so getting there early is quite important. As you approach the sett, pause for a while and listen. The cubs may already be out and playing around the sett. What a lovely sound (and sight) that is ! Please do not frighten the badgers, always approach and leave the sett as quietly as you can.
TIP: When you hear a blackbird's shrill alarm call - you know badgers are about. Get ready !!
CHECK THE WIND DIRECTION
Even on the stillest night, there is always a slight breeze which will carry your scent into the badger sett. It is important that you check the wind direction before you settle down to watch badgers. Take a piece of string, or cloth, anything which will show you the wind direction. Always face into the wind and check the direction regularly, as it can change.
USE A COMPASS
A compass is very useful when establishing the wind direction
Most modern mobile phones have a compass in the Utility App, if not, then one can be purchased quite cheaply off the likes of Ebay. But they do help you to get in the right position with the wind in your face and blowing away from the Sett.
PREPARE YOUR ROUTE TO THE SETT BEFOREHAND
It's a good idea to visit the sett in daylight prior to your actual badger watch, that way you can time how long it takes to get there and walk to the sett. Removing fallen twigs and leaves beforehand can help make your arrival to the sett a slient one, thus avoiding frightening the badgers.
FIRST EMERGENCE
When badgers first emerge, they do not leave their sett immediately. They spend a few minutes, even longer sometimes, sniffing the air for any dangers. If the badger picks up your scent, he won't emerge until you are gone.
IS ANYBODY THERE?
A badger's eyesight isn't great, but their sense of smell is. Placing yourself downwind and behind a tree to break out your outline will help you have a more successful badger watch. Also wear dark clothes, and as stated earlier, please do not wear perfume or aftershave.
BRING A TORCH AND BINOCULARS PLUS YOUR CAMERA IF YOU AIM TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS
Remember it will probably be dark when your badger watch concludes. So please take a torch but do not shine the torch at the badgers. Binoculars will help you see the badgers if you are some distance from the sett, so it's worthwhile popping them into your rucksack. If you are taking your camera, other than the camera on your phone, you will probably need a tripod to prevent camera shake. Photography can be a bit tricky in low light and getting sufficient shutter speed to avoid camera shake. A tripod helps. And speaking from experience, just as you've decided it's a "no show" night and packed all your camera stuff away, out pop the badgers :)
MOBILE PHONES
Don't get distracted by playing on your phone. The badgers can emerge just when you've given up hope. Use your phone to check the wind direction and what time the sun is setting. But please switch your phone to SILENT.
If it does ring whilst you are badger watching, prepare yourself for a long wait before they emerge again.
FEEDING PEANUTS
A few peanuts scattered about will attract the badger and he may remain for a few minutes before he leaves to go on his nightly forage.
Anything that is portable, like a biscuit, he will run off with, so peanuts, maybe with a bit of marmite or peanut butter will encourage him to stay for a little while.
HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH BADGERS
A FEW TIPS AND TRICKS
1. When you discover a badger sett which you wish to photograph, don't share the location with other photographers, otherwise it will become over-run and the badgers will be disturbed. Keep it to yourself, and enjoy the peace and quiet and the sight of the badgers. When badgers don't know you're there, then that's a successful badger watch. Not everyone has the same ethics as you and may not even know about wind direction.
2. Badgers have poor eyesight but have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. So.... keep downwind, take a windsock of some sort with you. Wear dark, none rustling clothing like a fleece. Don't wear perfume, aftershave or mozzie spray. Stand behind a tree to break up your outline.
3. Familiarise yourself with the ethics of badger photography. Keep at least 8 metres away. Don't go around moving anything natural just so you can get a photograph. If you have to move twigs from the path to the sett, do it through the daytime, not at the actual badger watch.
4. Don't use a flash. We use Canon 2.8 lenses, 200mm and 300mm - one of the fastest lenses Canon's ever made. In the height of summer, badgers emerge before dusk, so the middle of June is ideal.
5. Turn all sounds off on your camera. No beeping etc. We used to have a Canon 1DX and that was a brilliant camera in lowlight, but unfortunately the shutter was so noisy, it was no good for badgers. Now we are using Canon 5D MK3 DSLR, Canon R6 and Canon R7, both mirrorless.
6. Take a tripod to avoid blurred images. It's difficult to get a good shutter speed and banging the ISO up can cause a lot of noise. So experiment. Remember an Aperture of 2.8 will have little depth of field so just be aware to get sharp focus on the eyes and that most of the badger will be soft.
7. A few peanuts scattered in the grass will keep the badgers interested for a little while, but never make them dependent on you for food.
8. Do you need a pop up hide? No definitely not. Badgers, although having poor eyesight, will see a strange shape that wasn't there before and will be alarmed. Hide behind something.
9. Turn off your phone. Check it for wind direction and the time of sunset, but after that - turn it off or put it on silent.
10. Arrive quietly, have everything prepared so you're not faffing about at the sett. Leave quietly. When the badgers don't know you're there or have ever been there - you've had a successful badger watch! Enjoy and Good Luck !
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