Cougar Stalks Deer

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Requirements

• Age 5+
• Players 8-16
• Time 5-10 min rounds
• Location Forest or Cover
• Energy Medium (walking, stalking)
• Materials NONE
• Lead by Cloak
• Guide 2

Story

Our culture misunderstands why cougars hunt deer. They do not want to kill; they simply are hungry. The cougar knows the most efficient way to stop the empty feeling in the belly is to stalk up without being seen. The deer does not resent the cougar either. Bot the cougar and deer want to avoid running because they could injure themselves. And in the wild, injury means death. To the cougar and the deer, survival is simply about flowing where you are safest. Safe from hunger, safe from hunters.

Many humans fear life and death differently than animals experience it. We fear what could happen or what did. Animals concern themselves with the moment or season they are in. A Tracker tries to see the world through the animal's eyes. In order to do that, we must think how the cougar and deer think.

Action Call

Can you truly embody these animals? Can you get over your assumptions about how you think they act? Can you stalk as carefully as the cougar? Can you watch for movement like the deer?

Game

Safety

• Scout playing area for hazards: tripping objects, stinging insects, trash.
• Cougars must stalk, NOT rush or tackle the deer when they get close.

Mission

One player shifts into a deer browsing in the forest. All other players shift to cougars. The cougars start in a big circle around the deer, at least twenty LARGE strides away. When a Pathfinder says "go", all the cougars stalk towards the deer, with the goal of tagging the deer without being "busted".

It's important to STALK in this game, not RUN. Cougars must have at least one foot on the ground at all times. For this game, the deer only recognizes MOVEMENT as a threat. The deer won't recognize cougars who stay totally still or are behind cover where their movement cannot be seen. Cougars are "busted" when:

• The deer sees a cougar moving, or
• The deer makes eye contact with the cougar (cougars can only look at the deer with their Whiskers).

When the deer "busts" a cougar, the deer claps its hands once to get everyone's attention, then immediately points at the "busted" cougar. Busted cougars need to take ten LARGE steps away from the deer, then can resume game play.

Successful cougars stalk close enough to gently tag the deer on the shoulder. Cougars should NOT rush towards or tackle the deer. Once a deer has been successfully tagged, the cougar that tagged the deer becomes the new deer.

Shift Remember, the deer's goal is to make the game fun for everyone, NOT to completely avoid getting caught. It's important that play is fair. Ask who believes they can role model this for others. A Guide can also serve in this role. The deer should act as much like a deer as possible:

• Shift to all fours and lower their head pretending to browse for food.
• Frequently and suddenly, look up and examine the forest around them—especially when there is an obvious noise or movement (deer looks up, cougars freeze).
• The deer can rove throughout within boundaries set by the Guide or Cloak. Even seeking cover if needed.
• If cougars are making the deer suspicious—snort and stomp their feet on the ground. This can serve as a warning. Laughing at this might get a cougar "busted".

Modify

Cougar Crawl Use cougar crawl for the ground game. All players must have at least one hand and foot on the ground at all times.

Other Animals Replace the cougar with other animals such as lynx, wolves, or coyotes. Replace the deer with snowshoe hare, marmots, and brush rabbits.