Becoming a Tracking Intructor

[Hawkeye The Noo]

I am not yet a tracking instructor but I hope to get there. I am going to journal some of my experience of this journey so far.

I was given my introduction to tracking by Anthonio Akkermans at Wild Live Nature Awareness Tracking School. It was also my introduction to bushcraft or backwoods living.
I was with Anthonio for two weeks where the first week was a quality introduction to many skills; flint knapping, pottery, friction fire lighting, shelterbuilding, bird language, cordage, basketry, bowyer, trapping, camoflague, stalking and of course tracking. this was about six or so years ago.

The second week of the course four (and 2 girls for a couple of days, who were with us the first week) of us walked into the woods including Anthonio where we had nothing but our own clothing and lived for a week. I remember it took over six hours to get the fire going as the two guys had no knife to make the fire drill set so had to find any store which could be used, make the kit, make the cordage, find the tinder in the rain and build the fire.

It was here that my mind was woken up to tracking and awareness which floated my boat more than any other of the skills listed above or forgotten. I left that course with a good friend, Anthonio who has maintained the friendship to the extent of visiting me in my home in Scotland. I also left the coursewith a love of tracking.

I wanted to teke the tracking further and it was Anthonio who put me in touch with Ian Maxwell of Shadowhawk where I could further my skills.

I loved tracking so much that I sold my car to pay for the courses and the flights to them.

I went on my first tracking course with Shadowhawk about five years ago and went at tracking intensely. I was on my first back to back and was mentored on that course by Nick. The course was highly intensive and left me wanting more. From there I went to Portugal for two weeks with Shadowhawk. The first week was wildlife tracking where I came face to face with a wild boar and even learned to track over gravel where I tracked a cat across the gravel, onto a barbeque and up onto a wall. The hardest part of that course for me was dealing with the cats which I was exceptionally phobic about. They haunted me untill I loved them. The second week was a mantracking tactical week working with mantracks over 6k in 42 degree C temperatures. It was hard learning to operate outdoors for 12 hours in that heat having to manage your temperature and maintain your focus and concentration. The challenge there was learing to track over rock and not have to get stuck in the demoralising mire of too many lost track procedures.

I loved the tactical tracking so much that i went out again and repeated the course. The second time round it was great being able to get to the stage of being able to track at a jog and close the time distance gap. At this point I gained my advanced tracker in Arid conditions.

The journey from there was onto Glenmore lodge for six days full time intruction in first aid in the outdoors on snowcovered ski slopes with the Ski Patrollers.

At this point I had went onto my advanced course with shadowhawk which I have since repeated several times as well as the basic and intermediate courses. The challenge now is being able to stay on a track even when it is heavily contaminated by people and trafic, partially destroyed by weather and the law of entropy.

I was very encouraged when I achieved my silver feather status, which made me strive for further excellence in my chosen sphere. At this point I knew that I had gained the respect of other trackers which is worth its weight in platinum as they are the salt of the earth.

The point I am making is that in order to become a tracking instructor you need serious dirt time; but not only serius dirt time you need exposure to other competant trackers who will help you to hone your skills. You need to be able to use both inductive and deductive reasoning.

These are not boastings they are just plain facts. It is a long tough journey in becoming a tracking instructor and is not worth having if it is just given to me for attending a few courses.

My aim is to deserve my instructor status when I achieve it and would incourage other to follow an authentic path to know inside yourself that you are not an imposter and that you can do all of the things that you claim to be able to do.

However the journey is not ended when I achieve it; I have plenty of other skills that need to catch up with my tracking ability as I am the worst spoon maker in the planet. Thank goodness for chopsticks.

 

[Hawkeye The Noo]

After posting this, I did some soul searching in, I suppose, a purist search for authenticity in what I pursue. Tracking.

I came across this term that I had never heard before: Plastic Shamanism. I looked it up on wikipedia and below I have put their definition.

The phrase plastic shaman is a pejorative colloquialism used for individuals who are considered by those using the term to be attempting to pass themselves off as shamans, or other traditional spiritual leaders, but who may actually have no genuine connection to the traditions they claim to represent. Rather, "plastic shamans" are believed by their critics to use the mystique of these cultural traditions, and the legitimate curiosity of sincere seekers, for personal gain. In some cases, exploitation of students and traditional culture may involve the selling of fake "traditional" spiritual ceremonies, fake artifacts, fictional accounts in books, illegitimate tours of sacred sites, and often the chance to buy spiritual titles.

I can see from web sites, national and international that the tracking world is affected by this phenomenon. I have no plans on substantiating this opinion as it is just an opinion; I am also not pointing fingers at anyone or organisation.

I have no wish in my search for authenticity in the skill of tracking to fabricate a pedigree certificate linking me back to the cultures of the native american or bushman as I am proud of my Celtic heritage my hypothetical thought is that the ancient peoples of this island we live on had their skills in tracking and that it still runs through our veins. For us to pick up the skill of tracking is like reintroducing of sea eagles again to the west coast of Scotland. The native peoples of this island are tracking again through me and possibly you.

In summery the term of plastic shamandoes creep into not only the tracking but also the wider community of the bushcraft world. I just believe that at best it hinders the quest for an authentic skill and at worst it is possibly life threatning in SAR situations.

 

[OhCanada]

Tracking has nothing to do with shamans. Tracking is a skill used by every primitive culture to find animals for food.

No one makes you a tracker, there is no government Board of Certification for tracking. You take courses with money, learn from others for free or barter, or self-study. You pass on what you have learned to other interested persons and you continue to learn all you can until you die.

 

[Hawkeye The Noo]

Tracking has nothing to do with shamans.

This is your first point and on this I fully agree.

Tracking is a skill used by every primitive culture to find animals for food.

This is your second point and on this score I also agree but would add that it was used by primitive cultures as a part of warfare. Yes this in an assumption but I cannot imagine any self respecting hunter recognising the tracks of people that he did not recognise and at least scouting them out to investigate.

No one makes you a tracker, there is no government Board of Certification for tracking.

On this your third point I both agree and disagree.

On the agree front, it is you who makes yourself a tracker, with your own effort and intent.
On the disagree front, it depends upon your province in Canada as the UTS inc are alive and well in Alberta and BC.

You take courses with money, learn from others for free or barter, or self-study.

This is your fourth point and it is a long road to take to learn tracking. However you take what you can get according to what is available to you. I would take your point further and point out that not all sources of instruction are going to be beneficial and could cost you time, money and divert you along a path that is not where you wanted to go.

You pass on what you have learned to other interested persons and you continue to learn all you can until you die.

Your final point is a great point and on this I fully agree with you. You had a lot of wise words packed into a small post. :You_Rock_

 

[KIMBOKO]

Hawleye The Noo. Thankyou for posting.

When I read of the courses you attended with Anthonio in this post I was reminded of the simplicity in my first understanding of the term Bushcraft. Identifying resources, knowing and understanding how to use them to provide the essentials in life. Also reliance on your own physical and mental abilities. I then thought how far removed my understanding of the term is now. I usually say to my wife that Bushcraft is attending with rapt attention on the Forums and then buying the latest best kit. Or “In Extremis” when you have to leave the house it is large heavy rucksacs, hammocks, tarps or must have tent, fires, sharp knives and plenty of alcohol.
I must be able to keep in mind the first impression I had and not succumb to the latter.

I thought the point that you were making in the secomd post was that the term “plastic” from “plastic shaman” could similarly be applied to the tracking world.
I would also suggest the term could also has application in Bushcraft.

 

[Hawkeye The Noo]

KIMBOKO, you have hit the nail on the head, exactly square and I feeel completely understood. I am looking for purity almost a reformation in tracking; and as you have spotted, could also apply to bushcraft. In a sense going back to the first love of the craft rather than what it has become. I found that with Anthonio and have since found it with Shadowhawk. Anthonio however has kept it all very pure and I would completely endorse him for the purity of his bushcraft. I bet he hardly has any new kit from when i started with him but i know he will be a whole lot faster at flint knaping.

Thankyou for seeing my point.:You_Rock_

 

[Hawkeye The Noo]

Here is a very good article that would help peole decide where they want to learn there tracking skills; for those wanting to take it further:

http://http://www.centuriontraininggroup.org/site/images/stories/pdfs/visual_track_interpretation_misunderstood.pdf

Go to page 7 of 8 and if you can't be bothered reading the whole article, make sure you read the part on page 7 of 8 starting from the section heading of Developing The Skills

This article is nothing to do with UK tracking and bushcraft schools but points out the difference between the mystical and just plain practicle styles of tracking.

Hope it helps all those who are seeking.

 

[Toddy]

Interesting viewpoint.
I studied anthropology with my archaeology, and part of that was on the role of shamanic practices within cultures who though they did have farming ability also relied on the hunt to provide a large amount of their protein requirements.

This hunting is characteristically a seasonal occupation. The hunting parties would no more go unarmed than they would set out without first asking the advice of the shaman.

The Shaman, and the hunters, believe that the Shaman can spirtually travel to find the beasts they wish to hunt.
They firmly believe, and will follow, his/ her directions of where best to hunt, and what game will be found there.

Thoroughly modern research, and researchers, found the unexpected result that the shaman's advice was correct, on an average of hunts per year, of four out of five.

Even taking statistical analysis into account, and the assumption that experience of the land, the beasts, their foraging habits were understood, it is still critically a better result than chance would allow for.

Since the (attempted interpretation) analysis of the cave paintings in Europe and the translation of the Aboriginal, Inuit, and African ancestor stories closely corroborate the practice, one must wonder just how long this spiritual aspect of tracking and hunting has been considered an essential part of the human toolkit?


I don't hunt men. I do follow tracks; well, I try , I do look for the signs that indicate something moved there.
I wonder if the experience that must come with using those skills of necessity, leads one to a feeling of some kind of, 'knowing without being told' super ability that might be described as akin to the spiritual travelling of the Shaman.
We are capable of mentally remembering a journey in great detail, add on season, weather and growth conditions, animal movements...... yet those Shamans I spoke of earlier, some are reputed to never have actually ever seen the land where they sent the hunters, indeed some are so disabled they could never have walked there at all.

I suspect that Tracking is a multi faceted thing. Most here would like to recognise what they see, learn to follow and make the jump to the next spot when the trail disappears; to understand the behaviour that causes such action.

Hunting man, or tracking to hunt for necessity are unlikely to be something most of us would ever use. Though I understand that the Rangers and researchers do use the skills to track and record.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Justin Time]

Hiya
Your link has too much http to work. Here's the right one:
http://www.centuriontraininggroup.org/site/images/stories/pdfs/visual_track_interpretation_misunderstood.pdf

 

[Atesca]

I thought the point that you were making in the secomd post was that the term “plastic” from “plastic shaman” could similarly be applied to the tracking world.
I would also suggest the term could also has application in Bushcraft.

I think you'll find that it's "Titanium" Bushcrafting these days, not plastic

 

[combatblade1]

For us to pick up the skill of tracking is like reintroducing of sea eagles again to the west coast of Scotland.

I thought there were sea eagles on the west coast of scotland?

 

[Nagual]

For us to pick up the skill of tracking is like reintroducing of sea eagles again to the west coast of Scotland.

I thought there were sea eagles on the west coast of scotland?

Yeah , there's been a couple here for a few years now.

 

[combatblade1]

Yeah i thought i saw them on that bbc2 program with that chap who is living in a crofter cottage for a year.

 

[Nagual]

Been some on the west coast for awhile, but they were only reintroduced in to the East Coast last year, probably what he meant.

 

[Hawkeye The Noo]

I was not focused on the East or West but in that something that was lost (Indiginous tracking skills) had to be reintroduced.

 

[Toddy]

Been some on the west coast for awhile, but they were only reintroduced in to the East Coast last year, probably what he meant.

I've worked all over Highland region, Moray and Aberdeenshire these last few years, the number of these birds, and other raptors, I've seen is quite astonishing, as well as a great delight

cheers,
Toddy

 

[combatblade1]

I agree there Toddy its great to see them flourish, i didnt Know they were so big wing span of about 8 feet i think the chap on the program said.

 

[jay1]

Hello all

Thanks for starting this post Hawkeye the Noo., great name by the way.

I am a beginner in the world of tracking. Well I have fiddled around with it for a while but really it takes just what you have described, long diligent hours with an inquisitive mind with eyes work glued to the ground and an awareness of the clues above the ground too. Your words have been extremely encouraging to me to continue my journey of learning tracking.

i was interested in the plastic shamanism you mentioned and i absolutely agree with that comment.
I was wondering if you could apply that to not just "shamen", but any person who has great knowledge, wisdom and power... and loses their way?

Here, did you hear about the 70y old highly esteemed lawyer (queens counsel for decades) in australia who lied about not driving the car going 6mph over the speed limit as he didnt want to pay 36 dollars+/- lose his license. Here is a lawyer who committted perjury by saying a friend was driving who turned out to be dead a couple of years already. And then brought his mother into the web of untruths.

He had fought for aboriginal rights and campaigned for human rights and was still being brought into the most difficult cases as no-one came close to his wisdom and experience. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/views/a_point_of_view/)

My point is that there is a huge temptation for these great leaders, those highly skilled in their work and our inspirational thinkers to believe that they dont live in the real world with our rules. And my main point is that perhaps we the general public contribute to their elevation to high, unrealistic status with expectations which are difficult to live up to.

My point is it is not only that there are plastic leaders and shamen but that we contribute as a plastic public ready to do nothing when we see those in the spotlight being treated unrealistically.
How much do our expectations change someone with great skills to someone with mystical skills (with regard to a shaman)? How tempting is it for them to accept this?
Do the spiritual skills of a shaman exist or are they our need to believe in this? Toddy has brought in research which confirms that the ancient shamen were very often accurate at predicting hunts which refutes that last thought. 4 out of 5 is more than statistically significant. What do you all think?

Also Toddy, i thought you made a very wise comment about tracking being a multi faceted thing. I wonder if the dirt time that hawkeye talks of, that repeated exposure to tracks and patterns of track creates a network in our brains. Perhaps this is then unconsiously recalled on following those difficult tracks. For the truly dedicated and skilled, their intuition begins to look like the mystical?


Thanks again for a very interesting thread. Good luck on your path Hawkeye the nooo