Students snag ferocious beast as BFHS mascot

One reader sent us a story about the possible legend behind  Bonners Ferry High School acquiring a Badger as the school’s mascot.

Jim Mowreader read last week’s Seen and Heard about the Herald trying to find out how the Badger became the BFHS mascot.

Mowreader said his mother graduated from BFHS in the 1950’s. She told him how some fellow students went on a quest to find a mascot for the football games.

Mowreader said they didn’t supply the fluffy, furry, costumes they make today, so the students apparently went into the woods and caught a badger.

“You can pretty much figure out how well that went,” Mowreader said.

The students put the badger in a cage. No one could go near it.

He said they fed the badger by putting food on a stick and the badger would attack it and end up eating the stick with the food.

They had to use a long hose to give the animal water. 

Since the badger was so upset, they would move the cage by sticking a long piece of metal pipe through the cage wires. Two students would lift the pipe and move the cage. 

Mowreader said the badger also attacked the metal pipe.

When the students could finally get their hands close enough to the cage to open it without being bitten, they let the badger go. 

The badger ran the students out of the woods.

This is how the idea for the cute and fuzzy mascot Badger came about, Mowreader said.

The Herald would like to hear from anyone who can elaborate upon or confirm this story or may have another version. Call Julie Golder with details, 267-5521.