198 FUR FACTS 



A man not well posted on badger skins might buy a fine skin at a 

 small price, ship it into the fur house and get two to three dollars 

 for it, and at another time, a badger skin equally as large, and find 

 that it was only worth from twenty five to thirty cents. Therefore 

 it is advisable to be cautious in buying badger skins for these reasons. 



The badger is not at all difficult to trap and traps may be set 

 in their runways and in the same manner described heretofore for 

 trapping coon and like animals. Badger are often taken by puffing 

 a little smoke into their dens, not too much but just a little in order 

 to give them the odor. They are afraid of smoke and will come 

 piling out of their burrows in a hurry. Extreme care should be 

 taken not to put too much smoke in the den, as this will do more harm 

 than good. 



The breeding season of the badger begins early in the spring 

 and during the month of May and June it brings forth a litter of 

 from three to five, which are born in the den. The mother takes care 

 of them for from sixty to ninety days and then turns them out to 

 catch and kill their own food, such as mice, worms, etc. As soon as 

 they are proficient in catching their own food they are turned loose 

 to take care of themselves. 



It is said that the male badger inhabits an abode all to himself, 

 and that oftentimes a fox will den up with the badger, possibly 

 skunk, and they all get along together very nicely. Badger that are 

 taken for their fur should only be killed in the very height of the 

 winter, for as stated before the pelts are of little value unless the fur 

 is well developed, which as a rule happens only in the very coldest 

 weather. 



