Fresh sign of a badger digging out its den hole under several feet of snow along Boultbee Road is a welcome site to full-time residents. In the past few years, several of these hungry critters have managed to practically eradicate the ground squirrels (gophers) that do so much damage to yards and gardens. Thankfully there have been no reported aggressive encounters with people or pets so residents are still cautiously welcoming these critters to the neighbourhood for another busy spring and summer.