Trailing Game Minute

This Minute is meant for Scouts BSA.

Stick to your goals, especially when tempting easy ways out come along.

There was once a mountain man that had a dog he used to trail bear so he could shoot them. This dog had a great nose and could pick up the faintest of scent and follow a trail anywhere.

One day, while following a fresh trail, the dog came to a spot where a mountain lion had crossed the bear's trail. The dog, knowing that mountain lions were easier to hunt down than bears and put up less of a fight, started following the mountain lion trail.

A while later, a fox trail crossed over the mountain lion's. Obviously, a fox would be a good catch and much less trouble than a mountain lion, thought the dog and he headed down the fox trail.

Soon, he picked up a new scent - a rabbit had crossed the fox's trail. Well, a rabbit can't run as far and is much easier than a fox - so once again the dog changed course and took off after the rabbit.

By the time the mountain man caught up with his dog, it was barking at a small hole in the ground under some hay. He had brought a fieldmouse to bay!

From the grand ambition of catching a bear, he had been sidetracked by lesser, easier things until he wound up with nothing to show for his efforts.