Is there a law / moral code regarding building trails near badgers?

Pretty obviously (I hope) you already know the answer to that one!

Yes – don’t do it

http://www.dorsetbadgergroup.co.uk/badgers_and_development.htm

give them enough mash potato and they’ll be ok 😉

don’t worry the farmers will be out kill^^^culling them given half a chance

Carry on.
Just take care.

If I knew the answer I wouldn’t ask. Doh!

Thanks – good to know.

If you have found a sett you might want to report it to your local badger group so it can be recorded wrt any future development in the area.

If it is a sett then its in the middle of a woods away from any development – I only found it while scoping out some ideas for lines. I imagine that riding past a set isn’t even allowed so I’ll divert it round to avoid causing any issues.

If I knew the answer I wouldn’t ask. Doh!

What? You mean you seriously were in some doubt about the relative importance of protected wildlife and scraping out push bike tracks in the woods?

I think the OP did a good thing in asking about it, not that many people know everything about protected species legislation!

I think it’s a fair enough question – he said ‘near’ badgers. Whilst it may be obvious that you shouldn’t build a kicker out of the spoil heap it’d be useful to know how close you could get before you disturb them.

Badgers aren’t endangered are they? They’re about to cull a load…

Its against the law to disturb badger setts, so if your trail runs close to one you could have a problem

I’m gonna route the trail away from it, shame as it would have been ace, but means I’ll have to think about it a bit more.

I have a trail that runs near a badger sett. I give them loads of space, tend not to use it at dusk/night so I don’t disturb them. Plus no heavy trail maintenance close by, just a bit of pruning.

Sometimes I go camo and sit and watch them though. That can be a lot of fun, in fact the best time of the year is upon us, when the cubs emerge. Except unfortunately my sett got dug over by badger baiters this year :cry:. They take mothers with newly born cubs because they are most aggressive 😥 So probably no cubs this year.

SPCA and police were informed for what its worth.

Waderider – Also make sure the local badger group and the likes of the Badger Trust, Scottish Badgers etc are aware of the incident.

Some real sicko’s out there.

don’t tell anyone. the local badger watchers will, given half a chance, stop all riding within miles. Badgers will not run miles just because you ride near them. they do not only build setts in secluded places. round here they build on the sides of roads kicking the spoil onto the tarmac, in the middle of well used green lanes, in the fences of the local industrial units that mends trains and are currently extending a sett under a tree harvester that is moved once a month. Consider the legal issues but the animals won’t care a toss if you use their spoil for a jump.

Interesting point of view Mattsccm and one which seems to be a little more down to earth.

Baffled me slightly how they are a protected species but then there are plans to cull them – WTF?

bushwacked, badgers have dug a sett at herts 🙂 🙂

You’ll have to rip it all down then or you could smear naga round the rim of their sett so they stay safe indoors

they rock 🙂 badger central round my way

Oh and check what kind of Badgers they are, if it is this kind.

Run before it takes your shovel off you and beats you to death with it.

Used to be a huge step down over a badger sett at some woods I used to ride at. I guess you only disturbed them if you came up short…

don’t tell anyone. the local badger watchers will, given half a chance, stop all riding within miles.

how will they do that, using magick?

Stoner – any more info on the cheating wife & the stripper wife?

only if you’re into 1970’s big hair, ifyaknowwhatImean….