Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/68594
S Young Outdoors By Gayne C. Young Scouting and Scoutmaster Greg Simmons instilled in me a spirit of independence, patience, thought, service and humanity. The 21 merit badges I earned on the road to Eagle Scout opened my eyes to a world of community service, pride in my country, the importance of preparedness and setting goals, and the social skills that I would need to be successful in life. Among my favorite merit badges were those that dealt with the outdoors. Badges such as Mammal Study, Reptile and Amphibian Study, Plant Study and Weather taught me about the natural world. Wilderness Survival, Orienteering and Camping taught me how to survive in that world. And Canoeing, Rowing and Fish and Wildlife Management helped me to become a better and more responsible angler. Unfortunately, the Boy Scouts of America did not, and still does not, offer a merit badge devoted to hunting. Sure, there's Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting merit badges, but no badge specifically tied to hunting. ome of my fondest memories come from my days in Boy Scout Troop 364 in Bryan, Texas. Volunteering to census a ranch's whitetails enabled these Boy Scouts to learn more about wildlife, while helping the owner manage his deer herd more efficiently. too much opposition. So for now, hunting is not an authorized Boy Scout activity. But that doesn't mean Scouts can't engage in helping hunters. Troop 137 in Fredericksburg, The Boy Scouts toyed with the idea of a hunting merit badge in 2004, but the idea was met with Texas, recently assisted the hunting community by performing a white- tailed deer census for a local rancher. The census was a service project and the Scouts received no payment for their work. "A service project is basically giving back to the community," explained Troop 137 Scoutmaster Gil Becker. "Donating hours to a nonprofit or community is one of the requirements to move up in rank. Also, Scouts are supposed to be active in their community and donating time is a great way to do that." In the past Troop 137 has performed flag retirement ceremonies, participated in food drives and carried out such conservation projects as brush clearing and erosion control. But the deer census they performed for rancher John Dittmar in September was a first for the troop. The census came about through Dittmar's involvement in Cave Creek Wildlife Management Association, a group of private landholders who SPOR TIN G CL ASSICS 205