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For years I have been trying to take a Badger and I finally got the job done. I shot one two years ago with my .223 while antelope hunting but he made it to his hole and I lost him. This year my new 6x45 AR did the job and I can scratch one off the list. I can't wait to get her back from the taxidermist next year. It's no huge bull elk or a monster muley but to take a furred up and pretty Badger ranks just as high for me.
That's cool, where do they live?
On the prairie mostly. Tough bastages.
He will make great trophy.
If you're unarmed, you are a victim
How do you find them? I haven't run into one out there, but do know where some big holes are that I've always wondered what lives in them.
Badgers tend to be transient and solitary, they like it quiet and will leave the area if any human or other animal activity.
I see them primarily when they burrow into bar ditch embankment along the highway. Or next to fence post where I need to repair fence.
If you're unarmed, you are a victim
Very cool!ivepassed onacouple in the past and regretted it. Next one won't be so lucky!
How are you liking the 6x45. I know it seems to hit harder compared to the parent case of the .223 anchoring animals faster with more DRT's. My experience is far fewer runners in coyotes.
Wow!
So far I'm really liking the 6x45. It definitely hits harder and I've noticed less runners when shooting yotes. This damn badger though managed to take it like a champ and managed to get back to her hole. I found her about an arms length deep and she still wanted to fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colorado Osprey
All the Badgers I've come across have been happen chance sighting, while out hunting the prairie country or while we were moving cows. Spotting one during the winter months when they are furred up and actually in season is no easy task.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Very neat, that will make a nice mount. I once had a road-kill weasel mounted. Weasels and badgers are related, both in the mustela family. The weasel mount deteriorated after about 20 years. I should have treated it every few years with borax or Raid.
I encounter badgers occasionally in the mountain parks and meadows around the Flat Tops, up to 10,000'. A couple years ago my wife spotted one on our farm outside Palisade--more desert prairie. I think they may be responsible for sudden drops in the prairie dog numbers in the small colony on the farm.
Never seen a badger out in the wild till this past summer. Saw two of the together while camping in pike national forest. Solitary huh? [emoji2]
I see them a lot while prairie dog shooting and dove hunting out east, I just leave them alone, personally I don't like to hunt predators except for coyotes.
One time I shot a prairie dog and while he was flopping around a big badger ran over, grabbed the prairie dog and took it to its hole. Pretty cool to see.
I was picking up brass one night at BLGC with a flashlight, and two of those things came towards me snapping their jaws. They had a den in the side berm of one of the ranges. Rather pissy, they were, about me being in their yard. I just got in the truck and left, it was time to go anyway. I had no reason to shoot them, they weren't hurting me and weren't close enough to.
Now, they are a couple of tough cookies.Quote:
Originally Posted by rondog
Livin' on the edge - in more ways than one.
Gotta mate sometime. [Coffee]Quote:
Originally Posted by sampson
Probably had a litter in the den.Quote:
Originally Posted by rondog
Is that a JP rifle ?
Very cool. I have only ever seen two in the open. I shot one and one of my Dad's friends shot the other. Both out near Wild Horse.
Recently?Quote:
Originally Posted by rondog
Did you let Bill or anyone else know?
P.S. I'm sure you're aware, but for anyone lurking, BLGC club rules don't allow the shooting of any critters on the property. Certainly, if you're being attacked, you can defend yourself.
Cool. I shot one years ago with the bow. He wasn't a happy camper. Got the hide here somewhere. I think it's finally dry rotted. :|
Nah, been several years ago. I did mention it to Bill, I think it was range 4 - one of the older small pistol ranges. He asked me why I didn't shoot them, and I told him I didn't think they needed it. Live and let live.Quote:
Originally Posted by brutal
Not to derail the thread, but what loadings are you comparing of .223 & 6x45? I know very little about the 6x45 aside from it being a 6mm/.243 stuffed into a .223 case.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
Awesome looking Badger!
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Just the handgaurd is a JP. It's a Wilson combat billet upper and lower with a Mark Chanlynn barrelQuote:
Originally Posted by asystejs
Pick any... its one of those things that makes mathematicians/ballisticians go grey. Lighter bullets are almost identical to 223.Quote:
Originally Posted by MOLON LABE
By using the same parent case and going to a larger bullet diameter .243 vs .224 the same weight bullet will have less bearing surface(bullet to barrel) causing less friction while increasing surface area where pressure is applied(diameter at rear of bullet) and increasing velocity while decreasing chamber pressure allowing a higher velocity for a given bullet weight between the two cartridges. Additionally the ability to shoot 75-85 grain bullets in the 6x45 with a wide variety of projectiles available. That aside for some reason, I'm guessing the larger diameter surface area of the 6x45 over the 223 seems to anchor animals like coyotes for a DRT even an increase of smack noise on a good hit.
55 grain bullets as high as 3560ft/sec, 60 grain loads as high as 3400ft/sec, 80 grain as high as 3000ft/sec and 85's at 2900.
My go to loadings are Sierra 60grain HP with AA2015(3100ft/sec), 80 grain Remington SP with H335 (2900ft/sec), 85 grain Sierra GamekingHP with H335 (2800ft/sec)
BTW these are NOT hot loadings to get these velocities. Also a 85 grain bullet without a plastic tip will fit in standard AR mags, no need for single feeding like you would with 75 grain and heavier in a 223
Thanks for the info, Makes you wonder why the .mil didn’t opt for this a long, long time ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colorado Osprey
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Haven't a badger taxidermy would be cool. I saw a bunch of badger holes north of King Mountain (northeast of Burns )
I would love to get a badger mounted... and a beaver...because well.. who wouldn't want to mount a beaver.
Congrats!!
She's definitely getting mounted. I'm going to do a life size with her on top of a dirt mound with wheat stuble all around just the same as where I took her at.
Awesome!
Where'd you take her? My life size coyote from Almost Alive should be done around Feb.
Irving when that gets finished can you post it up? Im hoping this year i might need a place to take a predator or two... would love a fox and bobcat to go with my yote
Yes, and a fox would be cool. I've seen some Swift foxes where I got that coyote that would be cool.
Badger hams are delicious btw.
I'm having Greg Brumfield do the mount. He's done my dad's Desert bighorn and 2 of his dall sheep and they've all turned out amazing. I used to use Jonas Bros when our good friend ran it but the owner ran it into the dirt and trashed the Jonas name.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving