badger den neer a EXCELLENT grow spot.

[cork144]

me and a friend (very good and loyal friend) were out scouting for spots recently, we tok a couple of mile treck with the dog, went into some untouched woods up a very steep and muddy old road.

we wanderd for awhile walking through boggy mud and huge ferns, we came to a steep hill and i noticed a badger hole, so i pointed it out to my friend.

30 seconds later, the sheer scale, of the badger holes, was ommence, atleast 20 holes in this one hill.

well, we ended up walking some more, walking through 4ft stinging nettles (what a bitch...), then found this one opening, it was so lush, filled with these 4ft stingers, the sun was shining and the whole spot was lit up so well, gets direct light from morning untill atleast 5pm, so it should be a nice spot.

my question is, next season we might have to lugg alotta stuff to the spot, maybe even at night, is a huge badger den going to be a threat? i dont want to piss them off.

any help is welcome, thanks.

 

[s13sr20det]

sounds like good protection from other people from stumbling on your plot, but be careful...

Protection of Badgers Act 1992 which makes it a serious offence to kill, injure or take a badger, or to damage or interfere with a sett (burrows) unless a licence is obtained from a statutory authority. (wikipedia)

 

[-StashBastard-]

I have come up on badgers while hunting in the woods several times. In my experience as long as you don't get to close they should not be a problem.

The couple of times Ive been too close they start to hiss and get upset but I just backed away and got out of there with no trouble. Try to stay away from the openings to the burrows, that will upset them and be real careful at night not to accidentally walk up on one. That would be bad.


For the most part unless you somehow corner one they will retreat.

 

[DocLeaf]

The majority of the holes in the sett are inactive. The overall size of the sett reflects centuries of inhabitants. The badgers are likely be to friendlier than the farmer is!

 

[buddymate]

Badgers are omnivors,they will always run from man,I have seen hundreds when out at night,if your doing an outdoor there dont use Blood&Bone or fishmeal fert,because brock is going to dig up your crop

 

[buddymate]

Better just add,you often get Badger groups doing surveys on Sett's and also its illegal to disturb a sett,digging near it might arouse suspicion in case your mistaken for a badger-baiter or something similar,be carefull

 

[DocLeaf]

Morphologically Badger = small Bear

Having rescued brock from open man hole covers before,, we can safely say they are power animals with sharp claws and sharp teeth. As such the deserve LOTS of respect.

There's nothing wrong with cultivating ganja in proximity to a sett,, just remember that the badgers were there first,,, and that it's their home range,, not yours!

peace n flowers

 

[buddymate]

Badgers are actually members of the mustelid family the same as ferrets,stoats,mink etc,the only reason I gave a caveat against growing near a sett is because I know quite a number of sett's are monitored,and the sett's themselves particularly the larger ones that they often draw attention I have also handled many badgers,and can attest to their speed at striking when trying to bite,though they run like a fat sack and have relatively little speed in an open field.

 

[McSnappler]

they run like a fat sack

Haha great description!

I've got a lot of respect for badgers. Definately got the ability to fuck you up if they think their life is in immediate danger.

 

[Leafmold]

Hi Cork144,
All i would say is that someone will know of this set, n they might be watching from a hide. Just check it out first thats all. the badgers wont be bothered by you n will aviod you. Dont think they will eat your grow either.
Health n Peace

 

[DocLeaf]

Badger : Meles Meles : Brock :from the Old English 'Brocc' or 'brokko' meaning grey .

Brock is one of the finest and oldest words in the English dictionary IMO

Juvenile Brock can easily reach speeds of up to 20+ mph (approx.) in an open field when prompted,,, not quite as fast as a hare or muntjac,, but quicker than a pig for sure. Trust , they can move really quick if/when they want to. Dont be fooled by their sloth like composure

As mentioned above Brock will root about (looking for roots, worms n grubs),, and so fresh ganja planting spots will make easy digging for them.

The majority of a Brock's diet is made up of earthworms. It is accounted that upto 5% of the total earthworms in the UK are consumed by badgers,,, (and hedgehogs and birds). But the badgers eats the most worms of any beast. Areas where Brock forage for earthworms,, surrounding the sett,, and on undulating open grassland,, would thus be areas to avoid planting up heavy.

Aim to work with nature not against it (I guess this is the purpose of this thread)

Nice

Happy harvesting,, and brock watching all...

 

[buddymate]

Muntie and hares are a totally different league,especially hares whos very survival relies on speed,badger cant sustain its speed,I helped MAAF cage trap for research for a while,best just avoid the area around the Sett,your asking for trouble if its monitored and your spotted walking in the general direction with digging equipment,I have roughly 200 outdoor plants at the moment,if you want a decent harvest spend your time doing decent prep for next year

 

[cork144]

thanks all, the problem is on the way to the grow area we pretty much have to walk past this huge badger hill, i guess it will have to come to the point we will only go through during the day.

fresh holes were dug there, i could tell by the soil discoloration compared to the surrounding soil.

and a positive is the woods there have a very good natural compost all over the floor, ill be getting some for my compost heap.

ill be planting in pots there next year, so them digging the plants up wont be too much of a concern to me.

 

[Fingaz2]

Personally I think if you are seen heading for a badger sett with a spade then the police will get involved.
Buddymate is right, most setts are monitored. At the moment poor old brock is enjoying life, while cats dogs lamas & cattle are being put down for contracting TB. Tuberculosis is a killer disease once almost completely irradicated from the UK. People are losing their livelyhoods simply because they have badgers near to their livestock. The problem is now endemic, its not going to go away.The arguments from all sides are raged, & in the meantime animals are dying in their tens of thousands in the coutryside. The solution, well, its not going to be popular, but something needs to be done. Round here we used to have isolation wards & hospitals soley for TB cases. God forbid we should need them again.
One last thing, a friend of mine lost his son with meningitis, upon diagnosis the first thing the doctor asked him was wether he had had contact with badgers. There is a sett at the bottom of the garden.
Badgers are beautiful animals, but beauty may have its own dangers.

 

[buddymate]

Most counties have badger groups Fingaz,they are aware of the setts in their area and keep tabs on them all,if it were me I would avoid an outdoor grow anywhere in the vicinity of a sett as anyone heading towards an active badger sett with a spade or digging tool is asking for trouble,the countryside is filled with places to plant without drawing uneccessary attention to oneself

 

[cork144]

well to be honest i didnt plan on getting noticed with a spade even if theres a badger set or not,

the badger set is on the way to the spot, i have to walk past it, climb over fallen trees, go through huge stingers,

the entire area is untouched practicly, there is no rubbish (well i lie i saw the most rusted can i ever have laid my eyes upon)

a backpack and a folding spade is whats needed, outdoor spots here are so so soooo scarce because so much land is used for agricultural purposes, be it cows or corn.

i have respect for all other animals, i wouldnt do anything to disturb them, i just wanted to know if i was going to get eaten by them or not

 

[mcherbie]

hmmmm

hmmmm

With the latest issue regarding TB and the research connecting transmission from badgers to cattle I wouldn't grow within at least 200m of a sett.
Someone's gonna be around checking the badgers out pretty damned soon, ie next year. The farmers are not happy in the SW as you probably know.

 

[DocLeaf]

@ cork144

1. next time you're on site please take the rusty can home with you!
2. if you piss a badger off it will give you a nasty bite!

@ mcherbie

There's is little evidence to support the theory of a relationship between badger population/density and Tuberculosis in cattle. It was once believed that badgers regularly suckle from milk cows during the night,, alongside hedgehogs...lol (big myth)

However following a massive cull of badgers , by gas during the 1980's ,, the levels of TB confirmed amid cattle herds was NOT reduced. This presents the conclusion that TB levels in cattle are related to intensive systems of husbandry (keeping large ruminants penned up together)... and has F-all to do with badgers IMO.

The farmers just wanted an excuse to do away with brocks on their land and make more acreage per field available; something that the presence of a Brock Sett in the UK (by law) automatically prohibits.

Hope this helps

 

[DocLeaf]

N.B.

The effectiveness of culling on the incidence of TB in cattle is a contentious issue, with proponents and opponents citing their own studies to support their position.[129][130][131] For instance, a study by an Independent Study Group on badger culling reported on 18 June 2007 that it was unlikely to be effective and would only make a “modest difference” to the spread of TB and that "badger culling cannot meaningfully contribute to the future control of cattle TB"; in contrast, another report concluded that this policy would have a significant impact.[132] On July 4 2008, the UK government decided against a proposed random culling policy.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#Infection_of_other_animals

Yeah, let's just cull all Brocks so farmers can make cheese

 

[Fingaz2]

Talk to those involved, not to so called independant studies. Explain this to organic farmers who have had their livelihoods wiped out, who have closed herds for years. Yes its an emotive issue, why does this government kill their cattle & leave the infected badgers to die slow painfull deaths. Anyone who says there is no link is talking nonsense. Talk to those who have to put up with it. Those people are on the front line. Not in a city, behind a desk, in safe little worlds, pushing paper, peddling lies.