Scouting, Volume 38, Number 1, January 1950 Page: 21
32 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Call at your local arms and ammunition store, or
fishing tackle dealers. Tell them what you want
and ask for the name of a local outdoorsman who
knows the lore of the woods. Few dyed-in-the-
wool sportsmen would refuse to give up a winter
Saturday morning or afternoon to take a Troop of
Scouts out in the woods. Show one the Second Class
Nature requirement as an idea of what you want,
and if you don't get him we'll be surprised. Now to
get back to our experience at camp.
The day that Niles Fairbairn came to camp, the
fellows were at a pretty low ebb. The day before
they had climbed to the mountaintop fire tower —
a fifteen mile hike. Now, they were pooped physi-
cally and mentally — but not for long. Our guide
squatted under a tree, pushed his cap back, and
squinted up at the mountain behind camp. "Mmm.
Looks like pretty good b'ar country up there. Might
be some cats too. Seen any signs of them?"
Every Scout's mind jumped to attention and
every night noise for the last week brought visions
of huge bears and stealthy bobcats. "What say we
scout around and see what we find in the way of
tracks. First I'll give you an idea of what to look
for."
With that, he duplicated deer and bear tracks
in the gravel of the road; showed what fox and
skunk diggings look like, and told about the other
animals that lived in the woods around camp. He
said that few of these animals would be seen but
that their tracks and signs told a good story of how
the animals lived. Some of the things we were to
look for included actual tracks, runways and trails,
matted down grass where animals slept, burrows or
nests, droppings, signs of feeding, feathers, bits of
fur or hair or claw marks on trees.
We started along a stream and had scarcely gone
ten feet when "Sherlock" had found 'coon tracks,
mink tracks, and a place where deer came to drink.
A hollow tree was examined and revealed that
sometime recently red squirrels, a 'coon, and a
woodchuck had crawled in and out. Hairs picked
from the rough wood were circumstantial evidence.
Walking across a field we found where a fox had
tried to dig out a family of field mice, where a
skunk had been "grubbing," and where a deer had
bedded down. An old orchard showed signs of
flickers, sapsuckers, and other hole-nesting birds,
as well as where grouse had eaten some early
apples. A stone wall revealed signs of chipmunks
and other small rodents, as well as a woodchuck
burrow. Smooth gray bark of beech revealed signs
of bears having scratched it, and a blackberry
patch fresh droppings proved more recent signs.
Closer to camp the presence of porcupines was
obvious, when some boards were examined for signs
of chewing. On the scouting trip we found feathers
that immediately marked crows, owls, great blue
herons and jays as other residents of the woods.
The interesting thing about this "nature hike"
was that it wasn't a hike and the Scouts learned
more woodslore than what we commonly call
nature. We just wandered around and stopped fre-
quently to listen to stories of b'ars and 'cats, fox
and coyotes, weasels and mink. That man was a
gold mine of yarns that were as interesting as any
we ever heard — but everyone gave a little more
insight into the lives of wild animals at home. It's
a pity indeed that his breed of woodsman is so hard
to find. Our Troop of city boys is still talking about
that one day. And it still has its application in our
"at home" program.
Our guide had no sooner left camp, than the fel-
lows started to collect "signs" of animals. Nearly
everything we found then, and have found since
has gone to make an exhibit for the Troop room.
And new Scouts as well as the fellows who didn't
get to camp have long since memorized the stories
told under the mountainside spruces and stream-
side birches until you would think they were there
themselves. The exhibit serves another function
too. It's the best kind of memento of a thrilling day
at camp — but it's a far better teaching aid to show
signs of animal tracks as well as other evidences
of birds and animals. With labels, it's a teaching
aid. With labels removed, and numbers substituted,
it's an observation game.
Our only conclusion is this — if you want to get
a b'ar by the tail, find an experienced woodsman
and get out in the woods. Don't go on a hike — just
go scouting around. The Scouts will have fun and
Will never forget it. And they will learn a lot about
the lore of the woods.
Partially chewed nuts and other
seeds are signs of squirrels, chip-
munks and other rodents.
Bird nests (clapper rail) are easy
to find and identify, being as dis-
tinctive as the birds themselves.
Casts of porcupine, beaver and
squirrel tracks help Scouts identify
the real thing.
fi
BOY SCOUT SECTION
JANUARY, 1950
21
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 38, Number 1, January 1950, periodical, January 1950; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313160/m1/23/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.