[Ads-l] scratch - territorial mark

[Benjamin Barrett]

The Oxford Dictionary says about “scratch”: A mark or wound made by scratching: the scratches on her arm were throbbing
(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/scratch <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/scratch>)

Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scratch <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scratch>) says: A disruption, mark or shallow cut on a surface made by scratching.

Neither of these seem to quite do it for the meaning of a mark made with claws to indicate territory.

1. Jojoba - 12 June 2014
http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/49591-2014-az-archery-lion/ <http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/49591-2014-az-archery-lion/>
Wade found a scratch and called his dogs over and we were off again.

2. Trip Advisor - [I’m too lazy to sign up to figure out who wrote this]
http://bit.ly/1Ub7vSN <http://bit.ly/1Ub7vSN>

Photo: “A bear scratch encountered on the walk--we were chatting and reciting poetry loud enough to be 

3. Radical Bear Hunter by Dick Scorzafava
http://bit.ly/1Ub7IVZ <http://bit.ly/1Ub7IVZ>

Find a bear scratch tree, which indicates where mature boars’ territories overlap, and you’ve just doubled your odds for success.

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org