The Stalking Merit Badge was first offered in 1911 and discontinued in 1952.  It remained a popular activity and is discussed in earlier Scout Handbooks.  It was offered again in 2010 as one of 4 Historic Merit Badges.  

Although forgotten by most, Tracking and Stalking can be a very exciting Scout Activities. 

Former Second Class Requirement

Tracking was one of the original Second Class Scout Requirements introduced in 1910.  The Tracking Requirement evolved over the years to later include Stalking and Trailing.  In 1972, 12 Skill Awards in the form of brass belt loops were introduced and basic skills to include all outdoor scout skill requirements were eliminated and replaced with Merit Badge and Skill Award rank requirements.  When Skill Awards were eliminated in 1990 and replaced with an assortment of outdoor and basic skill rank requirements, Tracking, Trailing and Stalking were not among the requirements to return. 

1965 Second Class Requirement 8

Do two of the following:

(a) Follow for a half mile a trail made with trail signs or by a person wearing tracking irons or dragging a whifflepoof.

(b) Follow for a quarter mile the track of a person or animal in soft ground or snow, reading the main meaning of the track.

(c) Follow another Scout who knows that you are stalking him for a distance of a half mile, without being seen by him.

Stalking Games by the BSA

Deer Stalking

One Scout is the "deer" and takes up a position in a forest or a field. The other patrol members walk away from him 200 feet in different directions, where all fall down. On a signal the Scouts move toward the deer, using whatever cover is available. When the deer sees a Scout, he yells to him to stand. The Scout who comes closest without being seen wins and becomes the next deer.

Patrol Against Patrol

Two patrols line up 200 feet from each other with the Scouts about 30 feet apart. On a signal the Scouts fall flat to the ground and proceed to stalk toward the opposite team. If a Scout in one patrol gets near enough to a Scout in the other patrol to identify him, he calls out his name, and the Scout identified goes out of the game. The winning  patrol is the one that gets most Scouts through the opposite line in a given time.

Tracking Games by Sir Robert Baden-Powell

Note: Many of these games were first published in 1910 and "refined" over 16 years.  Many of these games will need more "refinement" to make appropriate for use in this day and age.  Some games by Sir Robert Baden-Powell are just unsuitable no matter how much you modify it for your Scouts.  Regardless, they are entertaining to read and will spark ideas on ways to have fun with your Troop.

Seeking The Scoutmaster

The Patrol-leaders of a troop are each handed a sealed envelope, and being told that the envelopes are important, are put upon their honor not to open them before a certain time. This waiting makes the game more exciting. 

When the moment for opening the envelopes arrives, they find inside a rough outline map of some particular district, and instructions stating that :--All are to meet at a certain point, the patrols will form themselves, and each patrol, proceeding by its special route, will make for the place depicted in the map where the Scoutmaster will be hiding. Naturally, the boundaries of the place must not be too confined, or the Scoutmaster's discovery will quickly take place. 

A reward is offered to the patrol which first finds their Scoutmaster, so each patrol should work together, searching the ground carefully in extended order. If the Scoutmaster is still concealed at the expiration Of half an hour--or some agreed upon time--after the troops' arrival at the spot, he blows a whistle and the game is at an end. Then the troop could go on with other Scouting work. 

The spot selected should contain undergrowth in plenty and should be physically suited for concealment.  In the envelope of each Patrol-leader would be placed a paper showing the route his men must follow to reach the spot, and these routes should be equal in length otherwise one patrol will have an advantage over another. This is done so that the patrols shall feel they are working on their own. 

The sealed orders would teach the Scouts to restrain their curiosity. 

This game can be played after dark if necessary.

The Treasure Hunt

The treasure hunt needs observation and skill in tracking, and practically any number can take part in it.

Several ways of playing the game are given below: 

1. The treasure is hidden and the Scouts know what the treasure is; they are given the first clue, and from that all the others can be traced.
   
   Such clues might be: (a) Written on a gatepost: "Go west and examine third gate on north side of stream "; (b) on that gate Scout's signs pointing to a notice-board on which is written "Strike south by south-east to telegraph post No. 22," and so on.
   
   The clues should be so worded as, to need some skill to understand, and the various points should be difficult of access from one another. 

This method might be used as a patrol-competition, starting off patrols at ten minutes intervals, and at one particular clue there might, be different orders for each patrol, to prevent the patrols behind following the first.

2. The clues may be bit of colored wool tied to gates, hedges, etc., at about three yards interval, leading in a certain direction, and when, these clues come to the end it should be known that the treasure is hidden within so many feet. 

To prevent this degenerating into a mere game of follow-my-leader, several tracks might be in working up to the same point, and false tracks could be laid, which only lead back again to the original track.

3. Each competitor or party might be given a description of the way--each perhaps going a slightly different way; the description should make it necessary to go to each spot in turn, and prevent any "cutting" in the following way: "Go to the tallest tree in a certain field, from there go 100 yards north, then walk straight towards a church tower which will be on your left," etc. 

All the descriptions should lead by an equal journey to a certain spot where the treasure is hidden. The first to arrive at that spot should not  let the others know it is the spot, but should search for the treasure in as casual a manner as possible.

The Torn Manuscript

A secret hiding-place is known to exist somewhere in the neighborhood, but the only clue to it is a torn piece of paper upon which the key to it was once written, (A description of the way to the spot could be written on a piece of paper, and then the paper torn down the middle roughly, and half given to each of two competing Patrols.) The key was torn in two purposely for safety, just as in a bank the two chief clerks each have a key, but it needs both keys together to open the safe. Two parties have got hold of this key, and each with the half are trying to find the spot, because some old, smuggled treasure is thought to be hidden there.

Lion-Hunting

A lion is represented-by one Scout, who goes out with tracking irons on his feet, and a pocketful of corn or peas and six tennis balls or rag balls. He is allowed half an hour's start, and then the patrol go after him, following his spoor, each armed with one tennis ball with which to shoot him when they find him.

The lion may hide or creep about or run, just as he feels inclined, but whenever the ground is hard or very greasy he must drop a few grains of corn every few yards to show the trail. 

If the hunters fail to come up to him neither wins the game. When they come near to the lair the lion fires at them with his tennis balls, and the moment a hunter is hit he must fall out dead and cannot throw his tennis ball. If the lion gets hit by a hunter's tennis ball he is wounded, and if he gets wounded three times he is killed. 

Tennis balls may only be fired once; they cannot be picked up and fired again in the same fight. 

Each Scout must collect and hand in his tennis balls after the game. 

In winter, if there is snow, this game can be played without tracking irons, and using snowballs instead of tennis-balls.

Wool Collection

 Cut up some skeins of wool into pieces about a foot long--the cheapest kind will do, but do not select very bright colors. With this lay the trail across country. It goes without saying that the permission of the farmers over whose land you travel is first obtained, and patrols are given strict orders to shut all gates after them, and not to break through fences. 

Do not put all the wool on the ground, but tie some of the pieces to gates and hedges, on low branches of trees, and so on, leaving about twenty yards between each piece. Then two or more patrols are started on the trail, the idea being to follow the trail as expeditiously as possible, and at the same time to collect all the pieces of wool. When a Scout sees a piece he gives his patrol-call loudly in order that the rest of the boys of both patrols may know where the trail was last sighted, and he at once hands over the wool he has found to his Patrol-leader.

While the scouting is in progress no boy may give his patrol-call except when he has hit off the trail.

The patrol wins whose leader has at the end of the run collected most pieces of wool. Marks will also be given for ingenuity displayed by the Scouts in spreading out and making the best use of their numbers. This game gives a good opportunity for the Scoutmaster to notice who are the best individual trackers. If the trail is ingeniously laid the resourcefulness of the Scouts will be put to a severe test. 

This form of scouting has one great advantage over the use of tracking irons. The signs to be found are not all on the ground, so Scouts learn to look upward for signs and not keep their noses always on the ground.

"Sharp- Nose"

One Scout goes off with half a raw onion. He lays a " scent" by rubbing the onion on gateposts, stones, tree trunks, telegraph poles, etc. 

The troop follow this trail blindfolded--the Scoutmaster, however, is not blindfolded, so that he may warn his boys of any danger (as when crossing roads). 

The Scout or patrol which arrives at the end of the trail first wins the game. 

The boy who lays the "scent" stays at the end of the trail till the first "scenter" arrives.

Stalking Games by Sir Robert Baden-Powell

Note: Many of these games were first published in 1910 and "refined" over 16 years.  Many of these games will need more "refinement" to make appropriate for use in this day and age.  Some games by Sir Robert Baden-Powell are just unsuitable no matter how much you modify it for your Scouts.  Regardless, they are entertaining to read and will spark ideas on ways to have fun with your Troop.

Deer-Stalking

The Scoutmaster acts as a deer, not hiding but standing, and moving occasionally now and then. 

The Scouts go out to find the deer, and each tries in his own way to get up to it unseen. 

Directly the Scoutmaster sees a Scout he directs him to stand up as having failed. After a certain time the Scoutmaster calls "Time," and all stand up at the spot which they have reached, and the nearest wins. 

The same game may be played to test the Scouts in stepping lightly--the umpire being blindfolded. The practice should preferably be carried out where there are dry twigs, stones, gravel and so on lying about. The Scout may start to stalk the blind enemy at one hundred yards distance, and he must do it fairly fast--say in one minute and a half--to touch the blind man before he hears him.

Stalking and Reporting

The umpire places himself out in the open and sends each Scout or pair of Scouts away in different directions about half a mile off. When he waves a flag, which is the signal to begin, they all hide, and then proceed to stalk him, creeping up and watching all he does.  When he waves the flag again, they rise, come in, and report each in turn all that he did, either in writing or verbally, as may be ordered.

The umpire meantime has kept a look-out in each direction, and every time he sees a Scout, he takes two It points off that Scout's score.  He, on his part, performs small actions, such as sitting down, kneeling up, an looking through glasses, using handkerchief, taking hat off for a bit, walking round in a circle a few times, to give Scouts something to note and report about him. 

Scouts are given three points for each act reported, correctly. It saves time if the umpire makes out a scoring card beforehand, giving the name of each Scout, and a number of columns showing each act of his, and what mark that Scout wins, also a column of deducted marks for exposing themselves.

Scout Hunting

One Scout is given time to go out and hide himself-- the remainder then start to find him. The object of the hidden Scout is to get back to the starting-place as soon as he can without being caught. The seekers advance from the starting-place in a circle, gradually expanding outwards--so the further the Scout goes from home to hide himself, the further apart the seekers will be when they reach his hiding-place, but he will then have a longer distance to go to reach home again.

Shadowing

A patrol is told off to shadow a party of the enemy, Who are advancing through the country (consisting another patrol or the rest of the troop). The patrol told off to shadow the rest must follow on as closely as possible, but it is. best to send on one or two Scouts ahead, to signal when it is safe to advance. 

As soon the enemy see a Scout shadowing them they can give chase, and if they overtake him he is a prisoner, and has to march with the main body. They can also split up into two parties and join again further on, or leave some behind in ambush. 

It is only necessary to touch the shadowers to make them prisoners. If they cannot throw them off their tracks within a certain distance (two miles or so), or else capture more than half of them, they must own themselves defeated; and then another patrol takes the place of the shadowers. (This can be practiced along a route march--it has the advantage of always covering fresh ground in the advance.)

Ambushing

The main body advances along a road, with Scouts thrown out on either side to prevent any danger of surprise. 

Two patrols (the enemy) are following them behind, and attempt to ambush them by one patrol getting in front and the other attacking in the rear. They shadow the main body as it advances until a suitable part of country is reached, when one patrol attempts to g ahead by going round in a semi-circle and joining the road again further on. 

If they can do it, they hide an ambush and attack the main body when it comes up ; the other patrol which has been following behind should then immediately attack in the rear. For to be a successful ambush the patrol in the rear should be able to attack immediately the ambush is reached and so, should follow closely behind. 

If the patrol making the semi-circle are seen, they should be followed and the ambush discovered; both they and the other patrol behind can be captured, just as in "Shadowing" by merely being touched.

Mimic Battle

For this game two sides are needed, the numbers being settled "among the players. 

The ammunition is a quantity of paper balls. 

Every Scout has a plate, and the parties take up positions within throwing distance of each other. If the ground isn't flat, toss up for the advantage of the slope 

Each Scout lies flat on his stomach, and just in front of him props up his plate by sticking the rim into the ground. 

At the word "go" each warrior aims a ball at an opponent's plate. When a plate is knocked down, the Scout to whom it belongs is "put out of action." 

The side which succeeds in "killing" most opponents in a given time wins.

Trailing, Tracking, and Stalking (1965 Second Class Skills)

From: 1967 Scout Handbook

About "Tracking" Merit Badge (2010)

NOTE: This merit badge was originally entitled Stalking. Because of what the term stalking means in today’s language, the original name has been changed to Tracking.

A hundred years ago, being able to track animals was very important in order to put food on the table.  How many animals will you be able to follow?  Think of how many animals you will see.

These are the original requirements as written in 1911. Think about how times have changed as you complete the requirements a Scout your age would have done a hundred years ago.

In 1910 many boys probably had farm animals or lived close to farm animals so they frequently saw tracks.  Also, many people hunted for food and trapped for extra income.  Can you imagine running a trap-line before going to school?

However, the ability to find a person is a very important skill still used by Search and Rescue teams all over the United States.

At the start of Scouting, Baden Powell wrote about the importance of the skill of tracking.  He invented many games to help boys learn this skill.  In general, these games consisted of a Scout leaving tracks, signs, and other objects that other boys would try to follow.  Sometimes the person setting the trail went to such detail as to create shoes that make animal tracks.  What kind of games can you invent to help others in your patrol learn the skill of tracking?

For this requirement it is really good to have an expert as a counselor.  There is nothing better than having someone who knows how to identify tracks teach you how to do this. 

Merit Badge Requirements

Here are the Merit Badge Requirements for those interested:

To obtain a Merit Badge for Stalking, a Scout must:

1. Demonstrate by means of a [tracking] game or otherwise, ability to [track] skillfully in shelter and wind, etc., showing how to proceed noiselessly and “freeze” when occasion demands.

2. Know and recognize the tracks of ten different kinds of animals or birds in his vicinity, three of which may be domestic.

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.

4. Submit satisfactory evidence that he has tracked a human being and deducted from the trail whether it was man or woman, young or old, the gait or speed, and also give any other information deduced.

5. Submit evidence that he has scored at least 30 points from the following groups:
   Group (f) and 4 of the 5 groups (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) must be represented in the score of 30 and at least 7 points must be scored from (a), (b), or (c). Make clear recognizable photographs of

   1. Live bird away from nest - 4 points each

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

   3. Live wild animal larger than woodchuck - 4 points each 

   4. Live bird on nest - 3 points each

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

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

Resources

• Stalking Merit Badge Pamphlet (Historical) 

• Tracking (2010) 

• scouting.org - 2010_mb_tracking (2010) 

• scoutwiki.scouts.org.za  Stalking and Tracking 

• Search and Rescue Merit Badge

• Special Forces Tracking and Countertracking