I had wanted a good badger photo for years. This Black Mesa badger gave me that chance while I camped at Black Mesa State Park in Oklahoma. I found it during a morning search for Burrowing Owls.
Finding a Black Mesa Badger While Looking for Owls
A Facebook friend told me he had seen Burrowing Owls at the prairie dog town south of the camping area. He suggested looking in the morning, so I drove over at sunrise.
Black-tailed Prairie Dogs were out, and I saw plenty of them as I searched. The owls were another matter. I kept looking but could not find one.
By around 9:00 a.m., I was driving slowly through the area, watching for any sign of the owls. That was when I spotted a badger. It appeared to be sleeping in the grass.
I stopped the truck and took a few photos. After years of wanting this opportunity, I had a badger in front of me and my camera ready.
Photographing From the Roadside
My first shots required me to photograph across the truck cab. I decided to take a chance and step outside. The badger showed no obvious reaction, and I sat on the edge of the road to photograph it.
From there, I photographed its striped face above the grass. In the resting photo, much of its body disappears into the vegetation.
After a while, the badger stood and walked behind a cactus. It began scratching there, but the cactus blocked my view. I could not get photos of that part of the encounter.
Once it finished scratching, it walked a short distance and entered a burrow. That ended my time photographing it.
My First Badger Photos After Years of Waiting
I never located the Burrowing Owls that morning, but I came away with my first badger photos. For me, that made this encounter even better than the sighting I had set out to find.
I had left camp hoping to photograph owls. By the time the badger entered its burrow, I had photographs I had wanted for years. What a morning at Black Mesa.
Nice capture Buddy! Good work!
Thank you!