Hunting the Badger

I got lucky today and after 13 years I got a sight of my first american badger. So after an energetic time trying to keep up with him/her I got some nice pics. It was in Rocky Mountain national park by the way in case you are curious, they also can be seen at Pawnee Buttes (although I haven't seen them there).

Enjoy. (Back in the UK the British equivalent used to frequent my back yard!)

More here...

http://www.billmeikle.com/component/option,com_joomgallery/func,viewcategory/catid,5/Itemid,12/

That's an awesome portrait! Without his claws and/or teeth in evidence, he doesn't look all that fearsome. ;-)

Great image!

Update: I just viewed the series - All of those shots are spectacular! Great collection!

Bill, this is fantastic! I love your whole series. In all my years going to RMNP, I've never seen one of these critters.
BTW, a friend of mine was at Pawnee this past weekend and watched a badger chasing a coyote.

Great shots, Bill!!! I like the two portraits the best, as well as the last running shot where you can see the big claw.

I ran into one on a trail in the Wind Rivers once; we had a brief stare-down before it (thankfully) ran off into the woods.

Jack, they have a reputation for being bad tempered and aggressive so I was a bit cautious until I realized that I was not of interest to him at all. I still didn't lie down in the grass to film him though!

Nice set - he looks pretty cute here

I think its the sloth in Ice Age that he reminds me of with his long claws etc! Kind of a crazy hippy character!
(although he was very active!)

For being so mean he looks harmless here! I want to scratch him behind the ears. Wisconsin doesn't seem so tough now.

He does look harmless. Nice set of images! I have never seen a badger in the wild, or in captivity for that matter.

Awesome shot Bill.

Great shot- and the other side profile on your webside is as good, imo - possibly even better!

Sandy r

That is a great shot Bill - congrats.

I saw one above treeline on Mount Evans about 8 years ago - crazy place to have seen one.

Very nice shots and like the collectio Bill. I have only seen one badger in my life and it was also at RMNP just 6 months ago. Problem though, is it was shortly after my back surgery and he ran across the road. I was in no condition to be balt to chase after him (could still barely get in and out of the car at that time). Since then I have drove up and down in that same area at the same time hoping to catch another glimpse of him and nothing! Congrats...these guys are VERY elusive. BTW, I know someone that did see one out at Pawnee this year also...but like you, I have never seen one out there either.

As a fellow Badger (UW grad), I can speak for all Badgers that you did a marvelous job in capturing this wild version. I don't believe I've ever seen photos of a running badger before, although I did watch 3 badgers run away as I approached them in the Badlands of South Dakota, quite the surprise! I've had the privilege of photographing them on 2 different occasions, both in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, about 10 years apart.
Jeff: The cuteness factor is a diversionary tactic Wisconsin hopes their opponents will concentrate on while we're busy scoring points and notching another W in the win/loss column!

That's fantastic, Bill! Great series. Congrats!

An excellent series, indeed! Pro caliber work.
I've never seen a wild badger before, so I really appreciate you sharing these with us!

Every bit as good as Kurt Bowman and that's darned good.

Fabulous image! It doesn't get much better than this!

gracias senors!

Great images Bill! Really like that eye contact!

"badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, mushroom, mushroom, mushroom" sorry, thinking of an old viral internet video.

Great find and badger shot!