IDENTIFYING A SETT

Several things can indicate that a badger sett is nearby:

TRACKS

A badger's prints show five toes and claws on the front and back paws, but whilst walking his back paw prints often overlap part of the front paw print. His track is either side of a line, with the paws turning inwards.

LATRINES
These are shallow delves in the ground, fairly close to the sett entrances, where badgers leave their droppings. Fresh droppings show that a sett is active and inhabited

HAIR
Badger hairs are usually found somewhere near a sett - on twigs and fences - or on one of the tracks leading from the sett to feeding areas. They are about 2" - 3" long feel coarse and wiry and are usually white at the root with a black area near the white tip.
In cross-section they are oval.

SCRATCH MARKS
Trees or fence posts near a sett may show scratch marks from a badger's claws.

SOILAND BEDDING HEAPS
Soil from underground digging is deposited in heaps near the sett entrance together with dragged-out dirty bedding - straw, bracken or grass. At long-established setts very large heaps may be found.

SETT ENTRANCES
These are always oval-shaped and there may be many entrances to one sett.