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Image: American badger (Taxidea taxus).
Home » American badger (Taxidea taxus) » Articles :
2: Reasons
How those who shoot and trap the American badger explain their actions.
See also: 1: Methods and 3: Conservation and welfare implications
On this page: Introduction | Hunting for fur | Hunting for pleasure | Related Badger Pages
Some badgers are killed in the name of pest control, because they cause problems, such as digging holes which are a hazard to horses and other livestock. However, most are hunted for their fur, and for the enjoyment that hunters derive from their pastime. I will look at each of these reasons in more detail.
Badger fur is said to be extremely durable, "heavy, warm, and somewhat rugged, the long silvery guard hair covers a dense underfur which should be white or tan" [ w066 ]. This fur is used for coats - it takes 17 badgers to make one coat [ w079 ] - and for coat trimmings [ w067 ]. Their pelts, hair and other parts of their bodies are also used for a variety of other purposes. A thorough search of the World Wide Web show that badgers take on a number of rather sad forms in death:
Although badgers and other mammals are trapped so that their pelts can be sold, many hunters also derive enjoyment from their activities. The North Dakota Furtakers Educational Manual has the following to say about the reasons why people trap badgers and other animals:
"Many people trap for the recreational values involved and feel that trapping is one of the best of sports. Certainly most trappers gain a lot of enjoyment from trapping. They also learn a great deal about nature and the ways of animals that they could not learn from books or from most other outdoor activities. The very nature of trapping means that it is a challenge. It consists of trying to outsmart some of Mother Nature's wild animals that are noted for and survive by their cunning" [ w062-02 ].
Personally, I find that trying to watch, study and take photographs of wild animals brings exactly the same benefits, along with another, even greater reward: the knowledge that I have found enjoyment from wild animals without harming them.
Find out about The threats facing the American badger .
The American badger photo used at the head of this Article is a public domain image provided by the US Fish & Wildlife Service; photographer Gary Stolz. 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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