{"id":40046,"date":"2016-06-12T05:46:54","date_gmt":"2016-06-12T11:46:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=40046"},"modified":"2016-06-12T07:09:03","modified_gmt":"2016-06-12T13:09:03","slug":"a-surprise-badger-up-close-and-personal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/12\/a-surprise-badger-up-close-and-personal\/","title":{"rendered":"A Surprise Badger Up Close And Personal"},"content":{"rendered":"

This American Badger was as surprised by me as I was by her.<\/p>\n

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\"badger<\/p>\n

1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited or set up<\/strong><\/p>\n

Six days ago near the border of Idaho and southwest Montana I was driving a\u00a0remote dirt road when I came around a blind corner and saw this badger just a few feet in front of me as she scampered furiously\u00a0to get out of my way. By the time I was able to stop my pickup she had entered her den next to the road and then partially reemerged to check me out. I was so close to her that using my big lens\u00a0I could barely fit her head into the frame when I popped off a couple of quick shots without\u00a0checking my camera settings. I had so little depth of field at this range with that gear that the only thing sharp in the image is her left eye and lower forehead. The image is uncropped.<\/p>\n

I know she’s a female because her swollen nipples were visible for a moment but I was swapping camera gear at the time and didn’t get any of those photos. I suspect she had cubs in the den but I never saw them. It was noon-ish when these images were taken so the light was harsh,\u00a0the colors a little washed out and catch lights in the eye were difficult to get.<\/p>\n

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\"badger<\/p>\n

1\/8000, f\/5.6, ISO 1250, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 200mm, not baited or set up<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I was so fearful that she’d disappear down her hole before I got any shots of her with my more appropriate lens that when I switched gear once again I didn’t check my camera settings at first – thus the exorbitant shutter speed and ISO (previously I had been shooting flickers in deep shade).<\/p>\n

I include this shot mostly for the good look at her massive and muscular chest and forelegs which power those digging claws – to me she looks a little Hulk Hogan-ish.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\"badger<\/p>\n

1\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 340mm, not baited or set up<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

She seemed to be quite olfactory-oriented and was often sniffing around in the air or near the ground. Her head angle when doing so allowed me to occasionally get some light in her eye with the sun so high in the sky.<\/p>\n

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\"badger<\/p>\n

1\/1600, f\/9, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 400mm, huge crop,\u00a0not baited or set up<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In only one shot was I able to get a relatively clear look at her claws. This is a very large crop and the image isn’t particularly sharp\u00a0but it allows us\u00a0to see\u00a0the very\u00a0impressive digging tools of the American Badger.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\"badger<\/p>\n

1\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 170mm, not baited or set up<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is about as far as she emerged from her den while I was there. This view partially illustrates her surprisingly long body.<\/p>\n

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\"badger<\/p>\n

1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 100mm, not baited or set up<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Not long before I left I backed off with the zoom to try to show some habitat near her den. This general area is badger-heaven because there are so many ground squirrels nearby – plenty to eat for her growing cubs (assuming she actually has them and I believe she probably\u00a0does).<\/p>\n

These aren’t great\u00a0photos but I’ve found badgers to be elusive quarry over the years and I thought readers might enjoy seeing them anyway.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

Addendum: My heart is broken this morning by the tragic\u00a0events in Orlando. Many readers (including\u00a0members of my\u00a0family who read this blog) know that my daughter Shannon and her family live in Orlando so I thought I’d pass on the information that they are ok, though like everyone else they’re stunned by the senseless tragedy.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This American Badger was as surprised by me as I was by her.<\/p>\n

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