Honey badgers are quadrupedal, terrestrial creatures that can reach lengths of up to 70 cm for their cylindrical bodies. Their long, broad forefeet contain strong claws that are utilised for climbing and digging.
The claws on the back legs are smaller and more restrained. They are roughly 25–30 cm tall at the shoulders.
The crown of the head (the exterior’s head) and the tail’s tip are covered in a rough, dorsal grey mantle patch of fur. The black ventral fur is separated from the white coarse mantle on each side of the body by a thin white line.
From the forehead, which is about 12 to 15 mm above the corner of the eyes, to the upper margins of the ears, the white margins at the base of the head form a concave line that spans the base of the skull. Honey badgers have small, long-sighted, deep-set black eyes that typically reflect light at night.
The small limbs and lengthy foreclaws of honey badgers prevent them from running quickly. Their sluggish behaviour and swinging gait are comparable to that of bears.
Foraging honey badgers typically run with their tails lifted and their noses held a few centimetres off the ground to use their sense of smell to explore their surroundings. Females forage differently than males, covering an area of about 10 kilometres per day, which is comparatively less.
Digging up to 10 holes every kilometre, they move from one bush to another while foraging in a zigzag style. While travelling across great distances, males only dig about two holes per kilometre and traverse an average of 27 km per day.
Honey badgers can be found in a wide range of environments, however they tend to avoid the more central and open areas of the grassland and Nama Karoo biomes. Although they can be found in meadows and woodlands, their preferred habitat is primarily in dry places.
They can dig burrows up to 3 metres long and 1.5 metres deep using their strong fore claws. The honey badgers use these tunnels or chambers as resting places.
Because they can construct dwellings out of anything that is easily available, such as exposed tree roots, rock crevices, and abandoned termite mounds, honey badgers are habitat generalists.
They occasionally take over the tunnels carved out by yellow mongoose, springhares, Cape foxes, and bat-eared foxes since they are fearless animals.
It’s crucial to inform your outfitter that you intend to hunt a honey badger in any country where the animal is legal to hunt. There may be a set quota and special permits needed in some countries to hunt this species.
In South Africa, the honey badger is a TOPS species that is subject to particular protection, hence anyone wishing to hunt one must have a permission in their possession. Do not be lured into shooting a honey badger with the promise of receiving a permission later because it is entirely unlawful to hunt a honey badger in South Africa without a TOPS permit.
Although honey badgers are mostly nocturnal creatures, they do occasionally venture outside during the day where there is little human disturbance.
Honey badger hunting in Africa can be done with a rifle of a small calibre, making it an ideal game for a young hunter due to the minimal recoil.
A rifle with a .243 calibre is plenty powerful. It’s critical to aim for the honey badger’s vital organs, as any other shot would just hurt it and send it scurrying back into the underbrush. It’s not a smart idea to walk up to a wounded honey badger unless you’re very certain it’s out for the count.
The standard technique is to construct a blind or stand in front of a bait pile. Even though other animals may be drawn to the bait, a trail camera is useful for hunting honey badger in Africa since it can be used to determine which animal is feeding on the bait. Trail cameras often capture honey badgers climbing trees in an attempt to reach leopard baits.
Honey badgers are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, even attacking lions and buffalo when they feel threatened. Hunt24 offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go honey badger hunting in South Africa. Our expert guides will lead you through every stage of the honey badger hunting process, drawing on their many years of experience in the field.
