How rare is it to see a badger?

bobbysands81 · 21-03-2019 02:18AM #1

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 · 21-03-2019 02:38AM

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 · 21-03-2019 02:41AM

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 · 21-03-2019 09:37AM

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

bobbysands81 · 21-03-2019 02:57PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:02PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:08PM

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

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 21-03-2019 03:09PM

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.

Apiarist · 21-03-2019 03:11PM

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

IrishLad90 · 21-03-2019 03:13PM

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

hairyprincess · 21-03-2019 03:14PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:15PM

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

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

bobbysands81 · 21-03-2019 03:23PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:24PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:25PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:26PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:28PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:48PM

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 · 21-03-2019 03:50PM

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 · 21-03-2019 04:00PM

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 · 21-03-2019 04:06PM

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

Keplar240B · 21-03-2019 06:19PM

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 · 21-03-2019 07:16PM

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 · 22-03-2019 01:18PM

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 · 22-03-2019 03:56PM

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 · 22-03-2019 05:00PM

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 · 22-03-2019 05:07PM

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 · 22-03-2019 05:16PM

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 · 22-03-2019 05:19PM

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 · 22-03-2019 09:12PM

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 · 22-03-2019 09:16PM

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.

How rare is it to see a badger?

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