In the past, we told you about the discontinued Master-at-Arms Badge. On a similar note is the Stalking merit badge which was one of the original 57 merit badges issued by the Boy Scouts of America in 1911. It replaced the 1910 Stalker “Badge of Merit”. The term “Stalking” should be familiar to SSD readers, a technique that I also referred to as tracking. The badge was temporarily reissued as “Tracking” under the 2010 Historic Merit Badge Program. Unfortunately it, along with the handful of other 2010 badges were only temporary.
These are the Stalking merit badge requirements from 1938 until it was discontinued in 1952.
-Demonstrate by means of a stalking game or otherwise, ability to stalk skillfully in shelter and wind, etc., showing how to proceed noiselessly and “freeze” when occasion demands.
-Know and recognize the tracks of ten different kinds of animals or birds in his vicinity, three of which may be domestic.
-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 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 in which they were going, and their gait or speed. Give names of animals or birds, their direction of travel, and describe gait and speed.
-Submit satisfactory evidence that he has tracked a human being and deduced from the trail whether it was a man or woman, young or old, the gait or speed, and also give any other information deduced.
-Submit evidence the 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 a clear recognizable photograph 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
(d) Live bird on nest 3 points each
(e) Tracks of live wild animal or bird 2 points each
(f) Make satisfactory plaster cast of wild animal or bird tracks with identification imprint on back of cast 2 points each
Tags: BSA
I wish this badge was around when I was involved. Wilderness Survival, Pioneering, and Orienteering were great badges to earn and the knowledge gained put me in positions of teaching peers in the military. Stalking/tracking would have been a great addition.
I wonder if stalking and observing rival troops at camp would have qualified? LOL.
Was there ever a Raiding Party merit badge? Becouse generally that what befell the other rival troops after the stalking and observing. Hah hah hah….arrr.
I’d have gotten that along with trapping & catching stuff merit badge.
The only stalking done these days are on Facebook
Some straight up Tom Brown and David Donlean stuff there.
Unfortunately, Scouting in the last 15 years has drifted from masculine life and survival skills to lots of Girl Scoutish “cyber safety” and analogues for mothering.
On a positive note:
I found the Pioneering merit badge book to be among the most useful things to include in a commo kit. Amazing the sort of antennae you can rig with camo poles lashed with WF-16 wire…..
Always look for the black and white books with the red border on the top; they’re better than the full color books that came out post 2000.
Nothing about lurking outside of workplaces and apartments, or making hangup phone calls at 0400? How many points for a successful stealth entry and panty theft?
This is why there’s no stalking merit badges.
This is why we can’t have nice things!
Very cool. I’ll get teaching my Scout this. We discuss This frequently when camping. Is it a dog or a wolf? Is the rabbit running or walking? Is the bear alone? I think we’ll formalize this. I like these, keep it up. SSD my internet home.
Good stuff. My son did the revival Tracking merit badge back in 2010, as well as a signaling badge that taught him semaphore. Unique elective badges to have.