What does a sett look like from the outside?
Look for entrances wider than they are tall, like a letter D on its side, about 20–30 cm across. Outside each one is a spoil heap of dug-out earth, sometimes with old bedding mixed in. A lived-in sett has neat, clean entrances, often with piles of used bedding nearby, and broad, well-worn paths leading to it. Not sure whose hole it is? See Badger, fox or rabbit: whose hole is it?
What is inside a sett?
- Tunnels linking the entrances and chambers, sometimes on several levels
- Sleeping chambers lined with dry grass, leaves and bracken, which badgers drag in as bedding
- A breeding chamber where cubs are born in late winter
What is the difference between a main sett and an outlying sett?
Each clan's territory has a main sett, where the group spends most of its time and raises its young. Smaller outlying setts elsewhere in the territory are used as retreats while foraging. A main sett may be used and extended by generations of the same clan.
Where do badgers dig their setts?
Usually in woodland cover or at the edge of woods, in sloping, well-drained ground that is easy to dig and stays dry. Hedgerows, banks and scrub are also used, and badgers increasingly live near towns and gardens.
Are badger setts protected?
Yes. Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 it is an offence to damage, destroy or block access to a sett, to send a dog into one, or to disturb a badger while it is occupying a sett. Work that could affect a sett may need a licence from Natural England in England. Read our full guide to badger law.
Can I visit a badger sett?
Watching from a distance, on public paths or with a guided group, is fine. Never block, dig into or put anything inside a sett, and don't share the exact location of an active sett online.