The other is another Scout Camp story. We had just grown the troop to a third patrol: a bunch of Webelos we had crossed over a few weeks earlier. We warned them about cleaning up after supper and securing all the food and cook gear since we knew skunks and/or raccoons were likely to visit. Naturally, they listened attentively - and promptly decided that going to play Frisbee was more important. An hour or so later, we scoutmasters heard a big hubbub down in the new patrol's campsite; we quick-stepped down to see, though we knew what had happened. I arrived just as one boy raised a shovel over his head and said, "Let's klong that skunk with this." I grabbed the shovel handle and said, "Let's not." Again, the skunks were habituated; they ate their fill and left (I swear one looked back and smirked.) For the rest of the week, that patrol had a shipshape patrol site.
My scout story's almost identical, but a bit different. We took canoes to an island in a lake, I knew
the site, and had suggested it. On the largest place our troop set up, and I proceeded to tell huge tall tales about bears on the island (there are no bears anywhere around it). Needless to say, everyone in the troop hung their food - with one exception..
Our two college age troop leaders decided to camp in a somewhat separated spot about 100 meters away down the shore. They didn't clean up so good after supper, and left their food bag out.
Four skunks came sauntering into their camp with them in their tent, leaving them cowering in their tent while they proceeded to lick their dishes clean, eat their dishrag, their food bag, and everything in the food bag. No amount of hooting and hollering would chase them off. One of them had to canoe back for replacement supplies for the two of them.
No, we didn't let them live it down very easy <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Previous Topic
Index
