SECOND CLASS SCOUT

HOW TO FIND EVIDENCE OF ANIMALS

Looking

Slow down and give your eyes time to notice what is all around you. Rather than glancing around quickly in a forest or in your front yard, carefully examine one tree, or get down on your hands and knees and inspect a square foot of earth. What meets the eye will often be far more than you expected. Watch for animal footprints, tufts of fur caught on twigs, overturned stones, shells on a shore, or a feather on the ground. Be alert to movement in the brush, in the water, and in the sky.

Listening

Sit quietly for a while, listen carefully, and you will discover that the outdoors is full of sounds. The buzz of insects and the croaking of frogs can be mating calls. Some birds use their songs to claim their territory. The chatter of a squirrel and the slap of a beaver's tail are often warnings. Sometimes it is the absence of sount that is important. When birds suddenly stop singing, it could be because they have noticed a cat nearby, or maybe they've seen you.

The ears of many animals are shaped to scoop up sounds. Increase your own hearing by cupping your hands behind your ears. Turning your head from side to side might help you locate the source of a noise.

Smelling

A keen sense of smell is as important to some animals as hearing and sight are to others. Ants lay down scent trails to lead them back to their nests. Wolves sniff the wind for signs of prey. Elk are startled by the smell of predators nearing them. Mountain lions mark their domains with the scent of their urine.

Even though humans in the outdoors are less dependent on smell, your nose can provide a few clues as to what's going on. Notice the aromas of flowers, trees, earth, and moss. Stagnant water smells different from a fresh stream. The stench of an animal carcass can reveal its location.