Thursday, July 14, 2005

David Harcombe's Book on Badger Digging



Badger Digging with Terriers by David Harcombe -- £19.95 from Read Country Books


Hardback, 129 pages, black and white photographs throughout.

"This little book has been produced in an attempt to impart a sense of balance to the hysterical atmosphere which surrounds the badger. The animal is now virtually untouchable, yet any farmer will testify that there are times when brock is an even greater nuisance than the fox.

The flaw prohibits humane capture and removal of the badger (at least, by terrier men) though 'naturalists' are quite often guilty and appear to place themselves above the law, even keeping them as pets, a role to which the badger is particularly unsuited.

Badgers thrive now as never before and it is hoped that the level will not cause unacceptable difficulties for those who earn their living from the countryside, whose views are usually completely opposite to the 'nature lovers' who are so often seen to be completely out of touch with reality.

David Harcombe is best known for his 'Working Terrier Year Book' which first saw the light of day in 1978 an proved to be very popular with terrier men. The Year Book is now in its fourth volume.

He is simply a worker of terriers, having a great enthusiasm for the worker and an equally great aversion to the working show scene as it exists today.

He is a campaigner for all that is best in terrier sport and seeks to counteract the unfortunate publicity which has often been attached by the actions of a certain sadistic, and untypical, minority."

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