Even if you're a frequent traveler to Yellowstone, you will probably never see a badger. While said to be a common species, badgers do a good job staying hidden from prying eyes. For one thing, they’re mostly nocturnal critters - only occasionally out during the day. For another, they’re consummate diggers, spending most of their time underground, either looking for food, nursing young, or sleeping. So, for many park visitors, badgers are simply ghosts.
With tan and brown fur and distinctive facial markings (“badges”), they’re a strikingly beautiful animal. About the size of a small dog, badgers are fairly short, stout, and streamlined for burrowing, with beefy front legs, long claws, a conical head, and sharp teeth. But despite their good looks, I’d read stories about badgers being fearsome fighters, with few natural predators. People told me - if you ever see one, never tangle with a badger - the badger will win every time.
Badgers have a knack for finding their favorite food - ground squirrels and pocket gophers - and burrowing their way to dinner. But occasionally badgers rely on friends for help, like the wily coyote, with whom they have a symbiotic relationship. Sometimes badgers and coyotes tag team to catch their prey - the ground squirrel sees the coyote and darts into its burrow, and the badger follows suit. So now the squirrel is between the proverbial rock and a hard place - does it stay put and hope the badger doesn’t catch up, or does the squirrel take its chances with the coyote by trying to escape through another hole? Either way, there’s a good chance it’ll end up dinner for either the badger or the coyote. It’s a crap shoot which animal eats.
Badger's sometimes friend and hunting partner
A tantalizing tale for sure, but given the badger’s reputation as a ghost, it was an experience I’d probably never have. In fact, I just assumed that I’d never see a badger at all in Yellowstone, which is why I was shocked to stumble across one on a sunny afternoon while hiking around Trout Lake. He seemingly came out of nowhere, paused a few moments on the hillside to size me up, then disappeared in a flash. It was one of those chance encounters you always feel lucky to have had - like manna from heaven. Fortunately, I happened to be carrying my camera with a midrange lens and managed to fire off a few quick shots before my badger buddy disappeared. I wasn’t sure if I’d captured him since everything happened so fast.
A few moments later, my friends caught up with me, and I told them what happened. They couldn’t believe it - surely I’d seen something else - a raccoon perhaps, or maybe a porcupine, they asked? Nope, I was sure I had a real badger encounter - if only my photos might prove it. A quick review on the camera’s LCD screen confirmed what I had seen was indeed a badger. I became the envy of the group. A badger! Not only had I seen one but I’d captured it on film! I felt a sense of triumph and elation - I had come to Yellowstone to photograph bears, wolves, elk, and bison, but had stumbled on an animal much rarer - the American Badger! I wanted to claim that my badger blessing was due to my superior skills and knowledge, but we all knew better. It was plain dumb luck, and I was glad to have had it.
So, the next time you’re in Yellowstone, don’t bother looking for badgers, but be ready for the unexpected - you never know what you may find.
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