How rare is it to see a badger?

bobbysands81

I’ve never seen a live badger so are there any good places in Dublin/Wicklow/Wexford where it might be possible to see them?

Unfortunately at this time of the year there are plenty of them at the side of the road having been knocked down.

bb12

i've seen them out rummaging around fields at night time. however i pity them when the clock goes forward in a few weeks. screws them up time wise as they try to keep away from humans and a lot get killed on the roads at the end of march as the cars are out an hour earlier.

emo72

Rare enough I'd say. I've seen one once galloping away from me. Wouldn't blame him in fairness. And I'm always on the look out for them where I walk, so no, rare enough site.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They are common and widespread. Seeing them is simple if you a) know where to look and b) go at the right time.

bobbysands81

Camille Weak Smile wrote: »

They are common and widespread. Seeing them is simple if you a) know where to look and b) go at the right time.

Any tips?

Alun

I've never seen one in a typical woodland setting, but then I've probably not been in the right place / time for that either. Would love to be in a position to observe a sett when they're active around it (at dusk?) though.

The only times I've ever seen them have been in open uplands, once in Wicklow and once in the Mournes. They were fairly skinny, rough looking examples, not at all what I envisaged them to look like. I've also come across badger setts in places in the hills in Ireland where I was surprised they'd be able to eke out even the slimmest existence in terms of food supply.

riffmongous

Only ever saw one once, as a young child, frightened the life out of me

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Any tips?

If there's no local nature group, ask landowners. Many farmers are aware of setts on their land and will give permission to go have a look. Get there an hour before dusk, keep concealed and down wind from the sett, and wait it out - check it out in day light beforehand.

victor8600

I have seen one live last year in Wicklow. And seen several roadkills which looked like badgers.

IrishLad90

I've never actually seen one in the wild, apparently there vicious?
More likely to see a fox or Pine Martin

hairyprincess

I saw three together about three years ago on the country lane where I used to live. Typically I couldn’t get the phone out of my pocket quick enough to take a picture, I was driving at the time. Regularly see them as roadkill though.

floatwinner

I have a camera set up in our garden. This clip was captured last September.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Aw1cPusuPQopVvur6

bobbysands81

IrishLad90 wrote: »

I've never actually seen one in the wild, apparently there vicious?
More likely to see a fox or Pine Martin

I’ve seen a Pine Martin leaving my garden in Wexford.

See foxes all the time in Dublin.

bobbysands81

floatwinner wrote: »

I have a camera set up in our garden. This clip was captured last September.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Aw1cPusuPQopVvur6

That’s fantastic.

How much did the camera cost? Would love to do that.

thelawman

floatwinner wrote: »

I have a camera set up in our garden. This clip was captured last September.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Aw1cPusuPQopVvur6

Very impressive,

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

IrishLad90 wrote: »

I've never actually seen one in the wild, apparently there vicious?
More likely to see a fox or Pine Martin

No, they are most certainly not vicious.

harr

floatwinner wrote: »

I have a camera set up in our garden. This clip was captured last September.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Aw1cPusuPQopVvur6

Was about to suggest a camera .... we had a trail camera set up at bottom of garden and left out food and we got fox’s , badgers and hedgehogs.
Google what a badgers set looks like and keep an eye out on your walks for similar...then you will have to keep an eye out at right time of day.
I have only seen two alive in the flesh...

riffmongous

riffmongous wrote: »

Only ever saw one once, as a young child, frightened the life out of me

Oh wait, actually I saw one last year too! In the city (Vienna) outskirts no less. Saw it first from behind and thought it was a big bushy cat

Bandana boy

I saw one once on my Grannys farm , just before dusk it wandered across the lane in front of her house in rural galway .
was surprised how big it was

Peter T

Saw one in broad daylight a few weeks ago on a friends farm. His family members said they had seen it the night before near the road and suspected it got clipped by a car. They couldn't find it when they were looking the next morning, later in the day I was down a separate part of the yard and there it was sitting on the hedge above me. After a few trips over and back of us looking at it the badger moved on to somewhere quieter as it was gone when I returned later. First time in my life I've seen one alive and stood only a few meters away

vandriver

I saw one about 7.30 one summers evening on Terenure Rd West in Dublin.

Keplar240B

bb12 wrote: »

i've seen them out rummaging around fields at night time. however i pity them when the clock goes forward in a few weeks. screws them up time wise as they try to keep away from humans and a lot get killed on the roads at the end of march as the cars are out an hour earlier.

Did the EU change that,,, so clocks won't change anymore?

gzoladz

I have been looking for one too...some users kindly invited me to some places but mainly away from where I live so I will take them up on the offer when I am in their area.

A friend got one in her garden near town and the badger had to get rescue as he could not get out. He got great views.

whelzer

I see them regularly enough in the phoenix park, best was summer 2017 - at dusk, a whole family scuttled past me and ran alongside the fence of the zoo for 20-30 meters before going into the zoo. I was (am still!) gobsmacked...

Eddie B

bb12 wrote: »

i've seen them out rummaging around fields at night time. however i pity them when the clock goes forward in a few weeks. screws them up time wise as they try to keep away from humans and a lot get killed on the roads at the end of march as the cars are out an hour earlier.

Keplar240B wrote: »

Did the EU change that,,, so clocks won't change anymore?

I don't believe the clocks changing has anything to do with badgers being killed on the road.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Eddie B wrote: »

I don't believe the clocks changing has anything to do with badgers being killed on the road.

Absolutely. Peak road deaths for Badgers is late spring and early summer. This is when they have cubs and travel further for food, which involves crossing roads.

Eddie B

Camille Weak Smile wrote: »

Absolutely. Peak road deaths for Badgers is late spring and early summer. This is when they have cubs and travel further for food, which involves crossing roads.

Yes true. But what has that got to do with changing of the clocks?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Eddie B wrote: »

Yes true. But what has that got to do with changing of the clocks?

Nothing. I was agreeing with you and stating the cause - which is not clocks changing.

Eddie B

Camille Weak Smile wrote: »

Nothing. I was agreeing with you and stating the cause - which is not clocks changing.

Apologies, read your post wrong.

Esel

Eddie B wrote: »

Yes true. But what has that got to do with changing of the clocks?

As the badgers don't change their 'clock', traffic volume around dawn/dusk will be different after we change. This could affect the number of road deaths.

realitykeeper

bobbysands81 wrote: »

I’ve never seen a live badger so are there any good places in Dublin/Wicklow/Wexford where it might be possible to see them?

Unfortunately at this time of the year there are plenty of them at the side of the road having been knocked down.

About 30 years ago, I used to see them quite frequently at night. They would come and eat food from the cats dish outside the kitchen window. Haven`t seen them sinse.