Tracking MB = Impossible Task

[Beavah]

Outside of Havelina (in spite of what any field manuals might state) there are no other herd animals in the central desert. Antelope, deer and elk are exclusively limited to the mountains to the north, about 75 miles.

 

Yah, a whole 75 miles, eh? That's nuthin' more than an average day trip distance around here. What are yeh doin' this Saturday? Bet your son would love to take a ride to go try to track some burros.

 

Even in your local area, yeh say that you have cougar, coyote, etc. Yeh can't have big predator animals without prey. It's one of those biology things your son can tell you about when he's done with tracking and environmental science. And yeh need to re-read da requirements anyways.

 

# Submit evidence that he has scored at least 30 points from the following groups:

Group (f) and 4 of the 5 groups (a), (b), ©, (d), (e) must be represented in the score of 30 and at least 7 points must be scored from (a), (b), or ©. Make clear recognizable photographs of

 

a. Live bird away from nest - 4 points each

b. Live woodchuck or smaller wild animal - 3 points each

c. Live wild animal larger than woodchuck - 4 points each can be the group that is dropped

d. Live bird on nest - 3 points each

e. Tracks of live wild animal or bird - 2 points each

AND

f. Make satisfactory plaster cast of wild animal or bird tracks with identification imprint on back of cast - 2 points each

 

Most intrepid youngsters with just a bit of coaching can take on this challenge. Don't sell your son and his friends short. This can be a great badge that really appeals to "boyishness" and adventure, while teaching patience and grit.

 

B(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[qwazse]

We have resources galore (human and environment), but no scout has earned the MB for lack of interest.

 

You have a boy who has an interest. From my perspective, you've a tenfold advantage.

 

(Of course we temperate clime folks don't have a clue and maybe that's your point ...)

[CalicoPenn]

The last time I was in Arizona, I saw Pronghorn (aka Antelope) in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. I suspect that's well south of the northern mountains.

 

As for Saguaro being unsafe, my understanding that Phoenix is the least safe area in the entire state of Arizona. For an urban national park, there is less crime in Saguaro than in Yellowstone or Yosemite.

[The Blancmange]

BadenP wrote:

 

It really frosts me to hear a SM give up on something his boys want to do before doing any real research.

Note that the original post is not from a SM, or a Scouter of any form. It is from a disgruntled parent, the majority of whose posts seek to find fault with the BSA, his son's unit, or his wife. Doesn't really warrant much of a frosting.

[ScoutBox]

Something I did at Summer camp was too have everyone take their shoes off and walk around. Then have them make casts of the prints they found. Tracking humans is also possible. There aren't many wild animals in the middle of a Scout Camp in the Alps.. Take pictures, and make copies of animal sounds. Then try to learn to make these sounds yourself. I say you have to make the best of the MB while you can.. Sadly, no one from my troop wanted to take any of the Historical MBs..

[Engineer61]

Blanc,

 

Glad to see the parents don't matter to you.

 

You earn iggy.

[Beavah]

Not what Blanc was saying, eh?

 

Just that we hold a Scoutmaster or other scouter to a higher standard, and would be more "frosted" by someone in such a position who didn't "get" the program.

 

Are yeh goin' to take the lad out for a day this weekend to try some tracking? Only a short 75 mile drive. That's da sort of support where parents matter the most to the boys, eh? Support 'em in pursuing their challenges and dreams, and support da program.

 

Beavah

 

[The Blancmange]

Engineer61 wrote:

 

You earn iggy.

No idea what that means. I assume it is not complimentary. Beavah correctly interprets my earlier post. I am not sure where I suggested anything about ignoring parents; I am a parent first and Scouter second.

Regardless of Scouting's objective merits, which I think are numerous and well-documented, one would think that a parent who finds as much fault with the program as does Engineer61 would simply remove his child from the program. Why would a parent allow their child to continue in a program that is perceived to be poorly run and which teaches poor decision-making? Instead that parent spends 6 months and in excess of 200 posts venting to strangers about this foolish, irresponsible program that his son is being exposed to on a weekly basis.

[Gunny2862]

Yeah some places are challenges, we could usually knock out those requirements in about two hours starting at 4 or 5 am on our Scout reservation. Of course it's best done on a weekend where it has rained overnight and when few or no other Troops are there and might require stalking one's way across about half of it.

 

I did have one Scout just walk the campsite trail on one side of the camp and without ever leaving the trail had multiple species from including but not exhaustively listing: snakes, turkeys, deer, bluejays(verified by observation), coyote and possibly a wolf - indistinguishable track could have been a local dog(didn't count it).

 

On the other hand unless we count up/downs it's a travel opportunity for us to find a continuous 1000 ft elevation change.

 

Unless I miss my guess AND am improperly informed an "iggy" is a press of the ignore this poster button.

[Beavah]

Yah, Gunny, thanks for that. I tried to google "you earn iggy" and all I got were a bunch of ugly pictures of a now very old Iggy Pop.

 

B

 

[The Blancmange]

 

I tried to google "you earn iggy" and all I got were a bunch of ugly pictures of a now very old Iggy Pop.

I did the same thing. Watch, it will probably make the list of new dictionary words next year.

[perdidochas]

From my brief research on Google, (i.e. I typed in "iggy slang" in the search box), the proper slang is "put (one) on iggy."

 

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/put+%28one%29+on+iggy