The influence of public access and sett visibility on badger (Meles meles)sett disturbance and persistence

The impact of public rights of way on badger setts was examined in the Brad ford area of West Yorkshire using comparisons of 38 setts surveyed in 1985- 1996 and again in 1992-1993. Badger setts were compared on the basis of whe ther they were still in use or not, and on the number of illegal disturbanc e events recorded over the study period. The number of, and distance from, public accesses did not influence sett persistence, and the least frequentl y disturbed setts (i.e. those with an average of one or less disturbance in cidents every 2 years) were closer to a larger number of accesses. Frequenc y of poaching was high near to heavily disturbed setts and those no longer occupied at the later survey. Less frequently disturbed setts were associat ed with landowners who were unsupportive of badger conservation: it is poss ible that such landowners are highly protective of their land and thus inci dentally reduce the frequency of poaching and other forms of disturbance. S etts in areas with formal authorized shooting were less disturbed. Setts st ill in use tended to be: in open habitats and visible from roads and nearby dwellings. Setts in open areas were less often disturbed than those in woo ded sites. Since public access may not reduce sett persistence and may even be beneficial in an area of high wilful persecution, there are implication s for the management of public access.