On the art of tracking
“If today I had a young mind to direct, to start on the journey of life, and I was faced with the duty of choosing between the natural way of my forefathers and that of the… present way of civilization, I would, for its welfare, unhesitatingly set that child’s feet in the path of my forefathers. I would raise him to be an Indian!“
– Tom Brown, Jr.
The word “Tracking” refers to the Art of of establishing, reading and chasing animals and men by focusing on their tracks.
It also can be treated as a Science, as it deals with clues of passage left in way different environments.
These clues are, tout court, human footprints, animal footprints or even tire tread evidence.
Discovered and developed in primitive era either for hunting, either for defensive purposes, the ability of interpreting tracks has been successfully handed down to nowadays.
In fact, no technology has been totally able to replace it.
The effectiveness of Tracking, along with the possibility to apply it anytime, anywhere, ensured her not only longevity, but it also conquered a special aura.
I often tell my Students how powerful this Art and Science is.
And how many benefits you can actually gain from it.
If you are accustomed to Off-grid living, you have already made thousands of encounters with wild life tracks.
In this article we will lift the lid on how you can successfully identify animal footprints and how to track animals.
Brief historical excursus and current fields of application of Tracking
“For me, tracking is an educational process that opens the door to an animal’s life – and to our own.”
– Paul Rezendes (“The Wild Within“, 1998)
When we think about deciphering the ground the first picture that comes to our mind is surely related to Native Americans as well as toTrappers. They both were outstanding Scouts. At that time, Tracking was successfully applied in charting new territories and gaining primordial intelligence.
The Old Frontier was, in fact, one of golden ages of this skill. The Indian Wars (1609 – 1924) was a clear example of how determinant were the scoutscraft of these individuals.
Latern on, the Art of Tracking has been displaced in the Vietnam war throughout a noticeable emplyoment of Combat Tracker Teams.
During the African Colonialism chasing humans by the tracks they left covered a remarkable role in the unceasing fight against the local guerrilla.
In fact, it unfolded into operations of Tracking, Antitracking and Countertraking, often including the use of IED (Improvised Explosive Devices).
Although Border Patrol Units as well Search and Rescue Teams never gave up on the application of this skill in order to locate illegal aliens or missing subjects, the Art of Tracking eventually ended up into a stage of darkness. This occurred mostly due to the recent technological rampage which involved GPS and locator devices.
Only in 2007 US Army considered to put Tracking back into the training programs, as it proved to be effective in detecting IED in specific scenarios like Afghanistan.
On the opposite side, British Army established a Jungle Warfare Training School (Jungle Warfare Division) in Seria, Brunei.
The school happened to be the result of the tactical lesson the British Army gained during the Malesia Emergency (1948 – 1960) and, later on, during the Borneo Confrontation (1962 – 1966).
Apart from a tactical perspective, Tracking is a skill which could save your life.
In fact, any Survivalist should be a practitioner.
Survival Specialists like Dave Canterbury from Pathfinder School, for example, have a tremendous respect for this Art. I had the honor to run a Tracking workshop during one of his Basic Class back to March 2019.
In a hectic world often overwhelmed by any sort of technology, some primitive abilities may appear time-wasting and uneffective to neophytes.
I often run into some Facebook groups discussions about this topic.
Nevertheless, we must learn and practice them if our purpose is to do bushcrafting.
In a SHTF scenario, reading and following tracks can come in handy to get out from an emergency situation, or it could be helpful to select the proper place where to set our camp.
We surely don’t want to face any potential threat by predators.
Additionally, Tracking skills can be paired to navigation, in the unfortunate case we run out of batteries, or when connection is pretty poor (or totally absent!) or.. when we don’t have any map with us.
Recently some Survival and Bushcraft Schools are effectivey favoring the teaching of this ability. Their activities are focused on how to make fire, how to settle a shelter resorting to natural materials or to debris and.. how to track animals.
What Animal Tracking is about
“Many tracking books use the analogy of the earth as paper, the animals as writers, and the tracks and trails as the letters and words left behind for those who are fluent in the language and willing to pause and read. Tracks and trails are truly a script for those with trained senses, and they tell many stories rich in drama, suspense, mystery, love and sometimes horror.” – Mark Elbroch (“Mammal Tracks and Sign“, 2001)
Beside the purposes of Mantracking – which are connected to human evidence of passage – this skill acquired a special resonance in Animal Tracking.
In this case, the practice of spotting, interpreting and following animal tracks finds two main fields of application: hunting and wildlife conservation.
This touches me in a deep manner.
In 2018, after attending to a two weeks course, I became Certified Antipoaching Ranger for Conservation Rangers Operations Worldwide, a NGO based in Colorado.
I couldn’t stress enough the importance of locating animal tracks in what we do.
Animals’ signs of passage, in fact, represent an essential source of informations on the habits of a specific species as well as the potential threat they need to handle due to the drastic reduction of their natural habitat.
Not to mention the fact that the terrain gives back the presence of poachers and their illegal activities, like the settlement of snares into the bushes.
Abreast of antipoaching activities, learning to track wildlife can also provide you several leads in a Prepping situation.
For instance, locating and coming a long wildlife tracks allows you to determine the proximity of stream where you can collect water.
As mentioned before, it can be also a remarkable aid in order to avoid to be too much close to predators.
Furthermore, by knowing the habits of animals from their footprints helps you to understand the more suitable places to set traps.
By discovering funnels, feeding and beding areas you have clues on where start hunting activities.
Think to long-time hunting enthusiasts.
They surely rely on their expertise to find and follow animal footprints.
They do it with or without the additional support of hound dogs.
Being capable to evaluate a species from another is not an easy expertise that anyone can gain and master in one day or two.
In fact, it takes even years to develop an extensive and accurate knowledge of the local fauna of a specific are.
Let’s now focus on the core of where, when and how to identify animal tracks.
On wildlife tracking
“Never forget the trail, look ever for the track in the snow; it is the priceless, unimpeachable record of the creature’s life and thought, in the oldest writing known on the earth.” – Ernest Thompson Seton (“Mammal Tracks and Sign“, 2001)
Despite her longevity, nothing really changed inside the Art ofTracking.
In fact, this skill mainly consists of observation, so she preserved her procedures and modus operandi throughout the centuries.
Observation is intrinsecally connected to the awareness of the Outdoor scenario you are in.
Starting from scanning properly the whole area, observation provides all the necessary aids to acquire informations about the presence of wildlife.
Movements, habits, reactions to threats, intentions: this huge amount of data can be pulled out from the groud as well as from the surrounding vegetation which can be damaged by their abrupt passage.
The purpose of Tracking is collecting pieces of info and combine them together matching a systematic scheme based on:
evidences
deductions
confirmations
Every contact leaves a trace, as Sir Edmund Locard stated back to 20th Century.
By that, Wildlife tracking can be pretty immediate and everyone’s reach in uncomplicated terrains like mud, sands,snow. We call them “track traps” in the Tracking terminology.
Needless to say that wildlife tracking happens to be very challenging on dead leaves or pine needles beds, rocky grou, dry and tough surfaces or bush hogged praires. You name it.
It makes sense that even the smallest detail you can spot on a determined terrain, especially with the ideal percentage of moisture, is quite impossible to see elsewhere.
The main challenges of tracking animals can be interpreted as a specific sequence of actions.
The first one is related to put all your care in obbserving what it is around you.
Then you can start to gather data on the current weath want to study and to follow. Don’t forget to interpret them paying extra attention! Misleading yourself with other species is a very common mistake.
Ultimately you can try to follow some trails.
How you can start to read animal footprints
“The ideal attitude of the tracker is that of a detective. One of the reasons I love to read Sherlock Holmes is that he thinks like a tracker. He lets nothing go unexamined. He is constantly observing, sifting through facts and evidence, piecing puzzles together, solving mysteries – Tom Brown Jr., (“Nature Observation and Tracking“, 1986)
The essential step related Wildlife Tracking is the deepened study of the local fauna and flora.
In a natural perspective, they are of mutual benefits to each other, as you can easily imagine.
related to the area you are in.
A Tracker needs very few tools in order to accomplish his/her tasks once in the Great Outdoors.
An ordinary Tracking Kit, in fact, usually contains
- measuring device, like a tape
- flashlight to enhance inner details of tracks. This could be helpful either in shady areas either for night-tracking
- tweezers. You can employ them to remove any debris fallen into the track while you are observing them
- notebook, pencil, pen, rubber
Wildlife Tracking is all about expertise and “, abudance or absence of moisture, different vegetation are the main factors, along with good or poor personal physical and mental performances.
Making mistakes is absolutely compulsory! Without them, you cannot grow and your endurance in wildlife tracking is compromised.
What we employ in track animals – senses
“We expend a tremendous amount of intellectual energy attempting to figure out why, the reasons for the way things are. When my students ask Why? I tell them to wait and watch and observe. I tell them to pay attention and remain open to what the forest is showing them.” – Paul Rezendes, “The Wild Within”, 1998)
In order to do effective trackin, we employ all our senses but taste.
Dectecting noises and smells are not important then knowing how and what to look for.
Clues of wildlife can show themselves in a variety of different manners and forms.
Animals’ noses and ears are much more developed than ours.
They use them to catch any potential dangers to themselves and their packs.
We should always consider this point when we approach them in a follow up, especially at short distance. That’s why you are probably familiar with the concept of “staying downwind”.
In relation to odors, you know you are on the right trail when your nose suddenly catches a strong smell of feces. Wildlife, in fact, has a distinctive one, more than any domestic animal’s.
What about touch? It can give you back a lot of valuable data.
If the ground has been interested by any passage, the substrate – defined “medium” by Trackers . results to be “altered” from the very own natural state.
In case of a fresh track, the soil will pop up darker, due to the moisture absorbed during the night.
This is called “color value” in Tracking, and it makes a huge difference when it comes to evaluate the approximate age of a track.
Interferences with the natural balance of an area
“If you track fast enough, you eventually reach the end and find a set of prints with the animal’s feet still in them.”- Tom Brown Jr., “Nature Observation and Tracking”, 1986)
When we come across into tracks, we know that an alteration of the natural balance of an area occurred.
If we bear in mind this crystal clear notion, our approach to wildlife tracking will be more fluid and proficient.
In fact, signs of passage are nothing but disturbances.
Trackers often use this word to indicate different forms of tracks.
The critical point is to never understimate the type of terrain they have been dropped on. Soft? Dry? Grassland or woodland? Moorland or desertic areas? Altitude? Suburban or wild context?
The most common tracks can turn out as leaves compressed, twigs broken, bent or ripped off vegetation, small pebbles disloged, grass flattened, or a transfer of sticky or liquid material (mud, smashed fruit, blood..).
Droppings are tracks too, along with food remains, blood staines, hair, saliva.
When and where to look for animal tracks
“The competent tracker is both scientist and storyteller. You must critically observe, collect good data, and avoid rash conclusions, as well as use your imagination to interpret and celebrate the signs you’ve discovered.” – Mark Elbroch, “Mammal Tracks and Sign“, 2001)
Early hours of the day are the most suitable time of the day to look for animal tracks.
In over populated areas, in fact, contamination occurred due to the massive presence of men and vehicle are the most negative issue to deal with.
As most of the animals are noctural, the moments across dawn happen to be the very best. Fresh tracks wait for you to detect and interpret them!
As introduced in the previous paragraph, track traps are the ideal dimension to start with.
River benches are the best option you may have to locate recent animal transitions and activities.
Be accustomed to be accurate and inquisitive. This attitude will serve you very well when you will dedicate yourself in tracking in more complicated terrains.
Never forget that animals are led by instinct!
By that, animal trails may be narrowed, winding, because they are moved by smells and behavioral patterns.
Keeping a journal or your findings is always a good way to go.
Record your successes by using a some footoprints chards can help you in creating a solid database, either mental either.. physical! Fill them in with date, informations of the terrain, typology and age of tracks and so on.
You can take advantage of the “Track Cards” I created and uploaded on my website.
They are for free, so feel comfortable in using and printing them whatenever yu may need.
They have been conceived to pave your way to become a better Tracker!
Conclusion
“Use your five senses and you’ll develop a sixth sense. Learn to hear voices in the wind, music in mountain streams and bird song. Fall asleep at night listening to the call of the owl or the whip-poor-will and dream dreams with the animals as your dream companions – dreams so vivid, so real, they will not be dreams, they will be visions.” – Jon Young
Experience is what makes the difference between a Novice and a Master Tracker.
To begin with wildlife tracking you can surely purchasing some remarkable manuals on the fauna of your area, and watch some videos on YouTube. Nevertheless, the only manner to become proficient is to go out and test yourself on the field, paired by a true professional, almost during your first steps in acquiring this Art.
For this reason I recommend to attend to several animal tracking classes.
Animal Tracking can trust on thousands of people who are truly passionate of this ancient but still valuable skill. Sharing knowledge, being patient and willing to learn is top notch if you want to succeed!
About The Author
Article by Kyt Lyn Walken. Official Representative and Instructor for Hull’s Tracking School and Certified Conservation Ranger for the NGO Conservation Rangers Operations Worldwide. Kyt will be in the UK running a workshop 18 – 20 February, 2022 Telford, Shropshire (U.K.) “The Art of Tracking Class” with FERAL YAMYAM BUSHCRAFT School.
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