We saw several badgers on our south east iowa farm last summer. They dug a bunch of holes in the road ditches in a short amount of time then left and we havent seen them since. Previous to this me or my dad had never seen a badger. Is it even likely they are still in the area now and trappable. If so what types of areas would be best to look for their sign?

Usually they dig gophers out of the ditches, their den is usually within a half to three quarters of a mile away in a fenceline or fields, sometimes they will stay in one of them holes for a short period of time and go back and forth, in the winter they eat a lot of corn where there's grain or what's available between naps, usually after a snow they'll clean their hole and go right back to sleep the snow must cut off oxygen or something haven't figured it out yet see it alot.

My guess is if you don't see any fresh sign and it has been a long time since you saw a flurry of digging that they (or "it" as is likely) have moved on. As to where are they...look for where there are lots of rodents for them to dig up.

Make a perfect cat set in prime location. Best way I know to find a badger.

I heard they were the same amout of money with half the work as a cat, Tracy! They like to den in south facing ditches and terraces, many times road ditches, high on the bank. I've seen them go underground and stay for weeks at a time in the kinda cold we had earlier. Best time to catch is spring when they get active again, if your season goes long enough. Mine don't!

I hear ya Lazarus. Most all badgers I get are at a nice 'yote set. They love the rotten, stinky baits. Won't name brands but have several that work. Also be sure they are actually "badger holes". We see a lot of fresh dirt in alfalfa fields that are not accompanied by the hole. These are probably ground hogs (nutrias).

Jediknight

A good yote set, and, play the temperatures too. A warm up will bring them back up above ground like coons come back out in a winter warm up. When it gets back down around zero don't expect lots of badger activity.

This one was taken Tuesday ahead of the storm, got up to forties in afternoon.

Not bustin you chops, but ground hogs are not nutria. Nutria is the So. American beaver, that was brought to the states to ranch raise for fur, and I understand a hurricane turned them loose that started the nutria settlement! Ground hogs, whistle pigs, woodchuck, or land beaver, they're all one and the same critter!

Badgers will dig a lot of holes anywhere they please searching for food, but will usually dig a burrow to spend the cold weather on the high points of the field.

Thanks for all the responses, id really like to catch one but its weird how we saw 4 different ones the same day and not a trace since. They gotta be around somewhere they r just being elusive