THE THIEF AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. Etching, 5 x 7 inch

Raven is a "trickster" in Native American stories and myths, especially in the Northwest region of North America. He's sometimes a hero, a troublemaker, a glutton, a buffoon, a destroyer, or a creator. The Trickster loves to humiliate humans.

If you play a round of golf at the North Star Golf Club in Fairbanks, Alaska you will notice a unique local rule:
“When a raven or fox steals a golf ball, a replacement may be dropped without penalty at the scene of the crime.”
Raven takes pleasure in tormenting golfers. In 1968 ravens repeatedly swooped down and stole golf balls during the Yellowknife Golf Course “Round the Clock” tournament. In the late 1990s, ravens took turns stealing golf balls at the final hole at a northern Minnesota golf course. The ravens watched with apparent glee as the frustrated golfers tried to find their lost balls. This past year in Ireland, Northern England, and Wales ravens have been busy stealing so many balls that they are considered a natural hazard, resulting in a free ball drop!
One British Golf official said, “I’m going to start using Ravens as an excuse for any lost balls.”

Watch ravens steal golf balls:
http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/12/raven-steals-golfball-1523452

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/ravens/video-getting-a-birdie/1556/