Tracking MB = Impossible Task

[Engineer61]

So, somebody in the troup decided that it would be a grand idea to have the boys do the Tracking MB. I guess it has been resurrected for the 100th anniversary.

 

It should have been obvious, or made to be obvious, that this MB is practically impossible to achieve in our geographic area, the Central Desert of Arizona.

 

There are exactly three non-bird animals indigenious to the area, that are in any numbers; one of which I don't plan to look for.

 

1) Rattlesnake (Nope not gonna look for it)

 

2) Havelina

 

3) Coyote

 

2 and 3 are nocturnal, unless you happen to flush one out in the day. Given the current issues with drug and human smuggling in the area, I'm not inclined to go out in the middle of the night looking for wildlife.

 

As my Scout would say, "Epic fail!"

[Stosh]

How do you measure the speed and gait of a snake? or a bird?

 

Doing a historical MB in a contemporary world is quite a challenge. It's too bad that the MB can't be done in Central Park, desert SW, or any place else for that matter, we have troops in all these places. I'm lucky enough to live in an area where it would be quite easy to do the MB, but I don't have a downtown Chicago troop either.

 

Stosh

[perdidochas]

I'm guessing you are neglecting the existence of rodents and lizards.

[perdidochas]

Not sure where exactly you are, but the Saguaro National Park has some tips about the animals you can possibly see.

 

Foxes are more common there than coyotes, for example, and I would categorize them as larger than a woodchuck.

[JoeBob]

You failed to include the 'North-bound Bi-pedal Border Crosser'. I hear they're quite common in Arizona and leave an easily distinguished trail of trash.

 

Sorry. I couldn't help myself...

[Beavah]

Yah, I imagine Climbing MB is hard for a lad in da rural plains states. Nothing to climb on within a day's drive, and no artificial climbing gyms close by either. Sailing MB is probably hard in da desert, too . Sometimes, some areas have more resources than others.

 

Still, I'm surprised by da notion of not having anything worth tracking in an area. Reading the requirements, yeh have to track two wild animals for some distance. Birds are allowed/included. That doesn't seem hard. In fact, it's a lot easier in the desert than tryin' to track birds in da Eastern forests.

 

Then yeh have to manage to get a photograph of a bunch of critters totaling 30 points based on the point system. There is no requirement to get a photograph of an animal bigger than a woodchuck, since yeh can total the points out of 4 of the 5 categories. So even if there were only a few nocturnal big critters that E61's son didn't have the gumption to try to catch on film, he could still earn the badge on smaller critters.

 

If there are coyotes and Havelina and rattlesnake, then there are going to be lots of smaller prey animals around, eh? Kangaroo rats, jackrabbit, etc. Also some bigger herd animals on the arid periphery like pronghorn antelope and mule deer. Then there are all da other reptile species. Da southwest deserts are far from da lifeless sand dunes of the Sahara. Pick up a field book for the area and have at it! The challenge is part of the fun for the boys.

 

Beavah

[perdidochas]

Beavah,

 

Good points. I will also add that sand is a fairly good tracking medium. Working with some tenderfoot/scouts on the second class animal evidence requirements, we found 4 of our 10 as footprints on sandy patches in the woods. I will admit, around here the Tracking would be fairly easy, and I may just recommend my son ask his Scoutmaster for a blue card for tracking.

[ScoutNut]

Engineer, just because the MB does not interest you, does not mean that the Scouts in the Troop are not interested. Since the SCOUTS decided to earn this badge I would say that they must be at least a little interested in it.

 

As others have noted, the Tracking MB is NOT "practically impossible" in your area. It might take a bit more work, and research, on the BOYS part (YOU are not the one looking for any of these animals) but it is possible.

 

The entire point of these MB's is to experience a bit of what a Scout would have done 100 years ago, and to see how it translates into the present.

 

It is meant to be a CHALLENGE to the boys.

[Engineer61]

I just learned from a coworker that there are two other species now available in the north east end of the desert...

 

Bobcat

 

Mountain Lion

 

Both have been pushed out of their normal habitat by urban growth in a nearby mountain range.

 

Hereeee kitty kitty!

[gcnphkr]

are you kidding?

we have deer, racoon, fox, rabbits, hares, bear, antelope, squirrels and burros. If you look real hard you can find bighorn sheep, lion and wolf. That's just some of the mammals.

 

A few of the troop's scouts earned it this summer. It took them multiple trips from Tucson to Flagstaff but they did it.

[Engineer61]

If I read the requirements correctly, one of two "animal" classification (bigger vs. smaller than a woodchuck) is required.

 

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.

 

I completely forgot about JackRabbit...haven't seen one of those in 10 years. Rodents...another point....gotta feed those rattlers something...

 

Most of the local Coyote population are living off of the local domestic and feral cat populations.

 

Actually, that sailing MB would be quite easy...several lakes (urban and remote) available.

 

My boy has a camping trip next weekend, perhaps he'll come up with something there.

 

Saguaro National Park is about 100 miles away...it is not a safe place at the current time.

[shortridge]

Like Beavah said ... it's animals or birds ...

 

3.Submit satisfactory evidence that he has trailed two different kinds of wild animals or birds on ordinary ground far enough to determine the direction in which they were going, and their gait or speed. Give the names of animals or birds trailed, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed; or submit satisfactory evidence that he has trailed six different kinds of wild animal or birds in snow, sand, dust, or mud, far enough to determine the direction they were going and their gait or speed. Give names of animals or birds, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed.

[BDPT00]

It should have been obvious, or made to be obvious, that this MB is practically impossible to achieve in our geographic area, the Central Desert of Arizona.

As my Scout would say, "Epic fail!"

 

*** Oh well ... then just tell the kids to give up. Try something else.

BDPT00

[BadenP]

It really frosts me to hear a SM give up on something his boys want to do before doing any real research. As others have put it so plainly there are plenty of birds and wildlife to track in the desert. I lived in the open desert for five years and there was plenty of wildlife for tracking visible right outside my back door. What about quail, roadrunners, non poisonous reptiles. You can also try your local natural history museum or university for ideas.

[gcnphkr]

You live in Phoenix don't you? There are mule deer just about everywhere in the state. About the only place you can't find mule deer are up on the plateau in the Navajo reservation. You can probably find them on South Mountain if you look. They are in the White Tanks and the McDowells, 45 minutes from downtown Phoenix. They are even in the low deserts.

 

There multiple species of skunks in Phoenix, no need to so out of the city.

 

Go up to Lake Pleasant, plenty of wild burros and mule deer to track. You are still in the Peoria City limits an hour from downtown Phoenix.

 

Here is a link to Game and Fish's website with maps showing the animals' ranges. http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/biggame_species.shtml

 

Our troop camped at Parker Canyon lake last year, less than 4 miles from the border. We saw about 20 border patrol agents but not a single sign of an illegal. Saguaro National Park is some 60 miles north of the border. By that time any illegals are in the back of a truck on I-10 heading for Chandler and and Goodyear. The last place they are going to go is to the Park, hard to hide in a park, no jobs in a park can't even get to where you are going through the Park. You are more likely to have a house full of illegals next door than encountering one at the Park.