When I was a kid growing up in Utah, we were told stories of people reaching down badger holes to pull out wounded badgers. Their pelts used to be of some value thus they were targets of opportunity. The stories go that when they reached into the hole the badger would bite onto them and not let go even in death. The hapless victim would lie there with their arm stuck in a badgers mouth which was in turn wedged in the hole. They would lay there until they also died. I doubt it was true but it ingrained a fear of badgers into us kids.