The Badger Whisperer - Face to Face with the American Badger!

I'm Coyote Peterson. Now we all know that the honey badger doesn't give a you know what, but let me tell you who does. His feisty cousin, the American badger. Get ready, it's badger time. Ah! Montana is famous for its epic landscapes. From towering mountains to vast prairies, there isn't a direction you can turn without a breathtaking view. Today we are headed into the back country of Bozeman to work with a resident of the grasslands and a subterranean power predator that has become famous for its cranky attitude and resilience toward any foe foolish enough to cross its path. And while this American badger, who was born in captivity and raised by humans to be an ambassador for her species, is used to being in front of the cameras, she still sits proudly atop her mammalian throne and is going to command a great deal of respect. That is the American badger. This is one of my absolute favorites. Since childhood, I have wanted to be this close to a badger. I've only ever seen one one other time in my life running across a freeway in Wyoming and now here I am just inches from that face. This is one of the members of the weasel family related to skunks, wolverines, otters, and of course everybody's favorite, the honey badger. In North America, this one does give a you know what. You can see she's digging down there. She's got a little meat snack that we hid for her in the dirt. And you would never want to get this close to a badger. And the only reason I'm able to do this today is because Moxie here has actually been raised in captivity and she's used for educational purposes and the promotion of conservation of this species. However, just because she's used to being around people does not mean she's lost any of that wild instinct. She's got claws and she's got teeth that prove she's one of the most ferocious mammals here in North America. And one of the most distinguishing features about the American badger are those famous claws. These mustelids are incredible diggers and as you can see, Moxie has already broken up a lot of this soil. So you're digging down there, what they'll do is sniff around in the ground for grubs. They can sniff out prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and they will just burrow down, dive into the dirt like this. Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig. You wanna dig with me? She says, no, you dig. I'm not gonna dig. Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig with me until she finds that ground squirrel or that prairie dog and then she's got her meal. They may have named the X-Men character Wolverine after this guy's big cousin. The true claws in the mustelid family belong to the American badger. Whoa, I hear ya. I hear ya, Moxie. The badger is not the fastest member of the weasel family but I will tell you what, you do not need to be quick when you have these defensive abilities. Let me see if I can get Moxie to show us some of those classic feisty badger antics of hers. Now let's say I'm a predator like a coyote and I come in and I think, okay, I might make a meal of this badger. Let me show you what she will do. That, right there. See that? Hiss with the nose. She put her butt up in the air. They show you their claws, they show you the teeth and they hiss and what you guys can't smell is she's releasing a musk which is an odor that all members of the weasel family have and that basically says if I'm a predator, back up. I don't smell good, I probably don't taste good and if you think you're gonna get a bite on me, you're gonna get a face full of teeth. I have to be incredibly careful here. Moxie is used to working with humans but you can obviously see she still shows me those famous badger defensive traits. I don't want her to lunge me. Those sharp teeth get a hold of my fingers. It's gonna be a bad situation. It's just so cool being this close with a badger getting to film literally in the strike zone. Don't bite my finger though. I'm like right in her snout as she's chomping away. That is such a cool shot. What an incredible experience being this close to the American badger. Moxie truly is queen of the claws. Do you guys know an animal that rivals a badger when it comes to claw size? Tell me about it in the comments section below. I'm Coyote Peterson. Be brave, stay wild. We'll see you on the next adventure. If you thought that was one wild adventure, check out these other animal encounters and don't forget, subscribe to follow me and the crew on this season of Breaking Trail. This episode of Breaking Trail was brought to you by the Buy Power Card from Capital One. Every purchase brings you closer to a new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac vehicle.