I was elk hunting along Taneum Ridge in Eastern Washington when I came eye to eye [less than 15 inches] with a mature Badger basking on a pile of timber logs. We must have each seen each other at around the same time. He started growling at me and started fiercely knashing his SHARP teeth and growling at me. Since I was too close to shoot and didn' t dare move lest he attack, all I could think to do was knash my teeth and growl back at him.

We hissed and growled at each other for nearly ten minutes before he tired of the challenge, turned and waddled off the logs and out of sight.

WHEW!