Saw a Badger for the first time

ThunderCat

As the title suggest, yesterday morning I saw my first ever live Badger. It was in a field in the countryside near Enniskillen and I only got a fleeting glance as I went past in the car but there was no mistaking what it was. Great to finally see one. My question to the forum however, is should I have seen a badger in a field at 9am? I know badgers are nocturnal creatures so would it be common for them to be out and about as late as 9am? I'd like to think it was a healthy one and not a sick one but hopefully someone can shed some light as to weather or not that is normal for them. Thanks.

Alun

I've only ever seen two badgers in my life too, one at about 5pm in the Wicklow Mts. and one at about 5am in the Mournes, both in daylight as it was summer in both instances.

vandriver

My one and only alive badger was at a house I was delivering to in Terenure D6.

TopTec

I was unlucky enough to have a sett at the bottom of my garden. The sett went out under a fence and then under a car park of a factory. They used to cause lots of damage to adjoining gardens and used to drive people mad. One woman even got her son to collect Lion Poo on his trip to Africa to scatter around her boundary!

Fine sight to see them, commonly in the mornings, near the sett, especially when they had young. Although mainly active at night it wasn't unusual to see them out and about during the day.

TT

Zoo4m8

In all my years living with Badgers nearby I have only come across two during daylight hours, the first one didn't have a choice..the unfortunate animal was caught in a snare set for a fox and had thrashed the area it was caught in in its efforts to escape..didn't end well
The second was last year when my dog found one in some scrub, it wasn't pleased to be disturbed and turned on her , she quickly decided that discretion was the better part of valour!

savagethegoat

in a previous job involving early morning deliveries, I used to see them occasionally. Not ever for long enough though. They have a curious shuffling gait that is unmistakable even in the dark

emo72

seen one leggin it in carton house one summers eve. it is gas looking at it on full throttle. big enough too. bigger than they look on tv. great to have finally seen one. and im glad it was running away from me. and ive only ever seen one!

WHL

I have seen them a number of times on the road in West Cork if driving late at night. Even had one that turned around in the headlights and squared up to the car - I didn't pursue that battle!

Pretzill

The badgers near me live in the forest but this time of the year until about March they come out and dig holes all around the land looking for earthworms - I have got one on or two on the wildlife camera - but never seen them during the day - they're lovely despite the digging -

Alun

Pretzill wrote: »

The badgers near me live in the forest ...

Until a few years ago, I'd always assumed badgers were creatures that only inhabited wooded areas, but I've seen badger setts out in the hills, including here in Wicklow, in some very inhospitable and quite exposed places indeed.

Birdnuts

Nearly hit a badger this evening on the road between Ballina and Crossmolina!!