A Badgers' Scratching Tree

Before we follow the trail of the badger away from the sett, there is something else for us to look at: a scratching-tree!

Not every sett has a scratching-tree. However, many setts do have one - and it is usually an elder tree.

Elders often grow near badger setts. The bark of the elder is quite soft, and easily damaged by badgers when they scratch it. As a result, a scratching-tree is usually very easy to see. The bark from the ground to a height of about one metre (three feet) may be heavily scratched or completely torn off. The trunk and lower branches may also be covered with mud from the badgers' paws. You can see all this quite well in the picture above.

Why do badgers scratch trees? To tell the truth, nobody knows for certain. Different people have come up with different ideas. Some say that badgers get rid of mud from between their toes by scratching trees. Others say that when badgers scratch trees, they leave a scent mark, which sends a message to other badgers. And some people say that when a badger stands up against a tree and drags its front feet down the trunk, it is just having a good stretch after being cooped up in its sett all day! It may be that they are all right - badgers may scratch trees for several different reasons.

We will now follow the trail of the badger away from the sett, and see what badger signs we can find . . .