Hum. Homoeopathic stuff to cure our local fox of sarcoptic mange still hasn't turned up. Had to buy a new pot of honey for his sandwiches. At least he's getting some useful vitamins and stuff and getting accustomed to taking the bait which will eventually contain the treatment for his mange. Went to local large pet shop to see if it was purchasable - helpful staff but rather blank looks about sarcoptic mange.
I picked up a nice straight piece of hazel some weeks ago at a bushcraft camp. Stripped of bark it's been drying out in the back of my car. Judged it to be light enough now to need sealing.
For those of you who know nothing of tracking, it's helpful to measure the stride and width of tracks and, for humans, the size of their shoe. A nice long, light stick is used with some elastic bands on is used. the bands can be moved to mark stride lengths or any other measurement you wish to preserve. I'm also going to copy the tracks of rats, squirrels, weasels, hedgehogs - the ones I get confused between - onto a flat carved on the stick for reference.
For measuring I've sanded a band every foot down the pole, and squeezed some green leaf juice on the unsanded bit next to the band to accentuate it. I've carved a 'cartoon foxprint' onto the base end of the pole so I can leave my 'greyfox was here' print in soft ground. A quick sand down all over and a rather more meticulous treatment of the ends to get them looking nice and it's ready for finishing/sealing. Options are varnish, oiling or wax. I had some furniture polish in the cupboard so went with that. I only hope the scent wears off or the pole will be tracking only - it'll have to stay in the car when I'm stalking or otherwise trying to get near animals.
It's drying/hardening in the sun at the moment. I wonder if the smell will put scruff the fox off coming for his honey sandwich?
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