CHAPTER XXIII 



BADGER 



The badger is very shy and will always avoid danger, however, 

 it will put up a fierce fight if cornered, like most timid animals. It 

 lives in deep burrows which it builds itself, and is said to hibernate 

 in the colder regions. It is fond of all sorts of fowl and small rodents, 

 and will also eat birds' eggs, etc. It is a very fat squatty animal and 

 measures about two feet in length. The fur is a light yellowish color 

 with black tips. Badger are found throughout the central and 

 southern states. In some sections the fur is long, soft, and has a 

 beautiful silky quality. As a rule, however, the average badger pelt 



BADGER 



is useless for furriers' purposes. It is only when the fur is very thick 

 and long that it is valuable for trimming. The coarse long hair 

 skins are not wanted by fur manufacturers, but usually find their 

 way to the brush manufacturers, who cut the hair off and 

 make it into shaving brushes, etc. The full grown badger will 

 weigh from thirty to forty pounds. The amateur fur buyer often- 

 times loses heavily buying badger skins. The fine heavy-fur- 

 red silky skins that can be used for furriers' purposes are valu- 

 able and are worth from two to three dollars each and sometimes 

 more. Another badger pelt taken in the same section and at the 

 same time, but with coarse wiry hair will probably not be worth 

 more than twenty five to fifty cents, although it would be fully as 

 large as the more valuable skin. The reason for this is that one 

 skin is what is known in the fur trade as hair, and the other is fur. 



