Get up close with one of nature’s most determined and charismatic creatures – the North American Badger. At the Triple D, our trained badgers gives photographers a rare chance to capture details, lifelike images that highlight its strength, personality, and unique features. Whether you’re expanding your wildlife portfolio or looking for a distinctive subject, photographing a badger here is an unforgettable experience.
Scientific Name
Taxidea taxus
Common Names
American Badger & North American Badger
Description
Badgers are a large, stocky weasel with short legs and a short tail. These digging machines use the long claws on their powerful forelegs to tunnel through soil. They have a black and white stripped face, with the stripe on some populations extending down the back. The body is covered with long coarse fur, grey on the back and may be mixed with white, brown, and orange.
Filming Site
Although typically associated with the prairies, badgers range from sea level to alpine meadows. Numerous filming sites are used throughout the year including a grassland and several locations with logs, stumps, and some tree cover.
When You Should Visit
Badgers are active all year. Late spring/early summer baby sessions may feature Badger cubs. Winter provides an opportunity to capture images on snow however the claws may be hidden by the snow. The claws are most visible when there is no snow. For a more intimate experience plan on attending April or November when there may be fewer photographers.
What To Expect
The Badger is all about attitude, and is not shy about letting you know. The badger moves through the filming site at a steady pace, occasionally flashing its attitude to give photographers a brief moment to capture snarls and views of its impressive teeth.
The activity is at ground level, and slightly below ground level at a denning site. You should be aware of the downward angle of your camera to avoid too steep of an angle.
What You Should Know
Basic skills with your camera to:
- Set exposures for various conditions ranging from bright sunlight to shade
- Using higher shutter speeds and continuous auto focus to photographic action
If you use a tripod or monopod you should know how to:
- Quickly change the height, especially important when transitioning between standing and kneeling or sitting (kneeling and sitting require trainer authorization);
- Rotate between horizontal and vertical compositions.
What You Should Bring
Badgers are usually the slowest of the Triple D weasels and slightly slower shutter speeds may be used. The distance to the badger is relatively constant, a prime lens or zoom lens can be used. A 70-200 f2.8 works well in all situations. A 100-400 (or 70- 200 with a teleconverter) will bring the Badger closer, allowing for some intimate portraits.
Extra batteries and memory cards as there is nothing worse than running out. Unlike searching in the wild, a Triple D Badger model is present throughout the entire photo session and many photographers take more photos in several minutes than they would in an entire day.
Whether you are a professional, advanced amateur or hobbyist, being comfortable and confident with your equipment is the key success. If you have recently acquired a camera, you should still bring your old camera as a backup. There is nothing worse than struggling to do something with a new camera that you easily accomplished with your old one.
Even if you’ve owned your equipment for years, bring the manual(s) in case there is a setting you rarely or have never used. Loading manuals on your smart device provides convenient access.
A second camera:
- Provides a backup should an equipment failure occur.
- Allows you to continue the session when a battery is depleted or a memory card is full
- Allows you to continue when your buffer is full
- Can be equipped with different lenses (macro and zoom)
- Can be set with a different exposure to easily transition between darker exposures and high-speed action
First time attendees are often surprised by the large number of photographs they capture. Secondary storage devices are recommended.
If you prefer using a tripod than a quick release system is recommended as you may want to handhold your camera to capture some of the action.
The west side of the Rocky Mountains can experience precipitation year-round, ranging from rain to sleet to wet snow. Rain protection for your equipment will reduce your anxiety in these situations.
What You Should Do
Bring everything you need, including memory cards and batteries, to the photo session. You cannot leave the shooting compound once filming begins.
We’ve all done it one time or another, we’ve all been guilty of chimping. Minimize chimping during the photo session as it decreases battery life and increases the likelihood of missing a great shot.
Remain standing unless the trainer permits the use of a low position. The trainer will specify whether kneeling or sitting is allowed.
Do not touch the Badger, the operating permits prohibit public contact with the Triple D animals.
Do not call out to the badger or make any noises in order to get its attention. A successful session is only possible when the badger is focused on the trainer.
Silence your phone and do not answer or make phone calls.
Participant covenants and agrees that it will not photograph nor distribute, publish or make public in any manner photographs of:
(1) Any of Providers facilities, including, without limitation, cages, pens, or exercise areas;
(2) Any of the Subject Models when on a leash or in cages or pens;
(3) The Trainers or any of Provider’s employees, either with or without the Subject Models without Providers prior written authorization.
