The Paul Bunyan Award is for Scouts who want to master woods tools. You'll go beyond basic safety, teach others, and put your skills to work on a conservation project. It's a great way to become the go-to tool expert in your troop.
Why it's worth it
The Paul Bunyan Award is for Scouts who want to be trusted with real woods tools, from an ax and bow saw to the Pulaski and McLeod that trail crews and wildland firefighters use. You'll learn to use and care for each one, teach Totin' Chip to younger Scouts, and put in real conservation work. Afterward you're the person your troop asks to run the woodpile and lead the tool crew on service projects.
Start this week
- Check that you have your Totin' Chip. If not, ask your Scoutmaster when the next session is.
- Look up pictures of a McLeod and a Pulaski and find out what jobs each one is built for.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for an adult with woods-tool experience who can coach you on sharpening and care.
- Ask your patrol leader if you can help teach at the troop's next Totin' Chip session.
Stay safe
- Use woods tools only with adult supervision, gloves, sturdy shoes, and eye protection, and clear a safety circle before every swing.
- Never carry a tool with an uncovered blade, and take breaks: accidents are more likely when you're tired.
Requirements · 7
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
Note: Study the Scouts BSA Handbook and the Camping merit badge pamphlet, then show each requirement to your Scoutmaster or another qualified person.
- Requirement 1
Explain the most likely hazards of using the woods tools in requirement 5 and how to anticipate, prevent, manage, and respond to them
Tip: List common hazards for each tool, like glancing blows or dull blades, and how to prevent them.
For example: For each tool, name a hazard and a fix: a dull ax glances off wood (keep it sharp), someone inside your swing (clear a safety circle), a saw binding in a cut (support the log so the cut opens). If someone gets hurt, stop work and start first aid.
- Requirement 2
Demonstrate first aid for injuries woods tools can cause
Tip: Practice first aid for cuts and other injuries with a buddy. Know when to call for help.
- Requirement 3
Earn the Totin' Chip
Tip: If you don't have it yet, earn the Totin' Chip first. It's the foundation for everything in this award.
- Requirement 4
Help a Scout or a patrol earn the Totin' Chip, showing them why using woods tools properly matters
Tip: Teach a younger Scout or patrol using clear steps and lots of hands-on practice. Show safe habits every time you handle a tool.
For example: Teach with EDGE at a patrol meeting: explain the safety circle, demonstrate passing a knife and handing off a saw, guide each Scout through practice cuts on a log, then watch them work on their own before signing off.
- Requirement 5
Know how to use, maintain, and store woods tools safely and properly: ax, hatchet, saw, loppers, McLeod, Pulaski, shovel, pick ax, and pry bar
Tip: Learn how each tool works, how to sharpen and care for it, and how to store it safely. An adult with tool experience can show you.
For example: Care and storage: sheath the ax and wipe it dry, keep saw blades covered, oil metal to stop rust, check handles for cracks or looseness, and store tools in a supervised spot away from where people walk.
- Requirement 6
Demonstrate the proper use of four tools from requirement 5
Tip: Pick four tools and practice with an experienced adult watching until you're confident.
For example: Pick four, like the bow saw, ax, loppers, and McLeod. Show the right stance, grip, and stroke for each on a real job: cutting firewood, trimming brush, or scraping a trail tread.
- Requirement 7
With your unit leader's approval and supervision, use woods tools for at least 2 hours on one conservation project: clear trails or fire lanes; trim a downed tree, cut it into 4-foot lengths, stack it, and pile the brush; or build an irrigation way or natural retaining wall to aid a planned conservation effort
Tip: Ask a park or forest office about trail work, brush clearing, or similar projects. Work with supervision and proper gear.
For example: Two supervised hours could be clearing brush from a trail corridor with loppers, shaping a drainage dip with a McLeod, or cutting a fallen tree off a trail with a bow saw, all with your crew leader watching.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A park or forest trail work day
Trail crews use McLeods, Pulaskis, and loppers on real projects, and many welcome Scout groups.
How: Have an adult contact the park or forest office and ask for the volunteer coordinator. Go with your patrol and an adult leader.
Ask yourself
- Which tool felt most intimidating at first, and what helped you get comfortable?
- How did teaching Totin' Chip change the way you use tools yourself?
- What did the conservation project change about the place you worked?
- What do you want younger Scouts to remember about tool safety?
Good questions to ask an experienced trail crew leader
- Which tool do new volunteers misuse most often?
- How do you decide which tool fits a job on the trail?
- How do you keep a crew safe when several people are swinging tools?
- What's your routine for caring for tools after a work day?
Helpful reads
For leaders & parents
- Partner with a local park or forest service for a supervised conservation project using woods tools.
- Let Paul Bunyan candidates teach the Totin' Chip to younger Scouts.
People & places that can help
- USDA Forest Service (opens in a new tab) — Trail and forest volunteer opportunities.
- Local park or trail crew — Can teach tool use and offer conservation projects.
- Scoutmaster and older Scouts — Can help with tool skills and Totin' Chip teaching.
- Paul Bunyan Award (opens in a new tab) — Scouting America's official requirements for the award.
- Forest Service Trails (opens in a new tab) — How national forest trails are built and maintained, and how volunteers help.
- Volunteer.gov (opens in a new tab) — Find trail and conservation work days on public lands near you.
- Guide to Safe Scouting (opens in a new tab) — Scouting America's safety rules, including woods tools.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.