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Pre-watch checks - the sett

Once you have decided on your sett, check it out in more detail. Do this in daylight, and well in advance of watching it, to find several good vantage points from where you will be able to see those parts of the sett which look most active. You will need to find more than one such vantage point. This is so that you will have somewhere to watch from, no matter which way the wind is blowing. Be careful not to leave too much scent around the sett while you are checking it out, especially if there is not usually much human activity in the vicinity, and particularly if you are planning to watch the sett later the same day.

It may be worth placing food for the badgers at the sett, for several days before you intend to watch, so that they get to find it and start expecting it. Try a mixture of peanuts (not salted or dry-roasted nuts; bird food peanuts are fine) and raisins or sultanas. Scatter these across the sett area, making sure that some land near the entrances. If there is a particular spot you would like to lure the badgers to, to make it easier for you to see them, make sure you put some there. Do not overfeed however. Anything you give the badgers should be a supplement to their normal diet, not a replacement. Some people prefer not to feed "their" badgers however, as they like to watch completely natural behaviour.

Incidentally, if you find that you have chosen a sett that someone else is already watching, it is only fair to ask them if it's OK with them for you to watch. They may have spent years getting to know the badgers and their habits, and may not appreciate it if you come on the scene and, in your inexperience, frighten the badgers and put them on edge.

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Pre-watch checks - clothing and equipment

Before you set off to watch the sett, make sure you're dressed properly. This means dressing in such a way that you will be warm enough, without making any noise that will frighten the badgers. Try to avoid waterproofed jackets that rustle at every move. Clothes made from natural fibres are generally best. If there is a chance of rain, take a waterproof in a bag. If it is already raining, why not wait for a dry evening? Don't wear or take anything that has pockets sealed with velcro! Also, avoid white or very pale coloured clothing that will make your shape stand out in the dark.

Take a torch with you, ideally one with a sliding switch rather than a push-button switch that makes a loud clicking sound. You may be able to use the torch to watch the badgers, as most of the badgers I've watched have not reacted to white light. The torch will certainly be useful for finding your way to and from the sett in the dark. Take some spare batteries too.

Binoculars may be useful if you will be watching from a distance. They can even be useful at relatively close distances if they focus down to 12 feet or less. If they have good light-gathering capabilities (10x50 or 8x40 binoculars are best), they can help you see the badgers better when it starts getting dark.

On the subject of seeing in the dark, image intensifiers have come down in price quite dramatically over recent years, and are now used by a number of badger watchers.

If you want to encourage the badgers with offerings of food, take some with you, but not in a plastic bag that will rustle. A cloth bag is the best idea, I use one supplied by a bank for carrying cash. I once made a bag by cutting the bottom off one leg of an old pair of trousers and sewing up one end.

If you are going to the sett alone, it is always a good idea to let someone else know where you're going, and to give them an idea of the latest time when you expect to return. Take a mobile phone in case of emergencies, but be sure to switch it off before you arrive at the sett.

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Picture credits

The Eurasian badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Steve Jackson. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

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