What's this about Tom Brown being a fraud? Is his tracking book still accurate, though?
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Beginner Tracking - Tips?
- Thread starter THOaken
- Start date
I love your epic edits man
Wish I could help you out but I know nothing about the guy.
I'll be keeping an eye on this thread though and will probably buy the tracking book that is deemed to be the best for beginners...
That's just it... I can't figure what's the best book. The Bang and Dalhstrom book is a must have field guide, but doesn't teach you HOW to track, apparently. I'm going to it, however, but I'm still looking for a book that tells you how to track. This Tom person seems to be a fraud and I can't be bothered dealing with all the controversy. I just want a reliable book.I love your epic edits man
Wish I could help you out but I know nothing about the guy.
I'll be keeping an eye on this thread though and will probably buy the tracking book that is deemed to be the best for beginners...
Training in animal tracking control is better to start with the observation of pets outdoors.
Follow cat or dog. Look at their track. So you know what track leaves the animal when running, standing, creeps. After that it will be easier to move to tracking wildlife.
Sorry for my english.
Follow cat or dog. Look at their track. So you know what track leaves the animal when running, standing, creeps. After that it will be easier to move to tracking wildlife.
Sorry for my english.
Right sensible head on. Learning to track from a book is like learning to shoot a rifle from a book. Also Tom Brown is a very good tracker, too spiritual for my liking, but good. His background is a little misty, but that does not detract from what he can do.
Ivan...
Ivan...
Ivan, the mystical side to Tom Brown and the claims of his being fraudulent is what has halted me from purchasing his book on tracking. I have decided to buy Bob Carss' book as it seems more altogether grounded in reality and is genuine. I'm pleasantly surprised to read previews of it and see that it's also based towards nature enthusiasts as well as the military. Seems a very intelligent book.
Elen Sentier
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
A thought - our local wildlife trust does all sorts of 1-day courses in things like tracking, tree/plant ident etc as part of getting us volunteers up to scratch. They're very cheap and the money largely goes to the wildlife cause, and ours are fun too . If you have a look here at The Wildlife Trusts you may well find one near enough to you.
. If you have a look here at The Wildlife Trusts you may well find one near enough to you.
Elen Sentier
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Agree about learning from a book! Have gone to investigate Tom Brown though, Ivan, as that seemed to be a little fly to the pool where I was lying up ...
This thread has some great info. This one will give you a link to a YouTube vid of some animal gaits and this one has a piccy of the evolution of the foot from plantigrade-digitigrade-unguligrade.
I have a couple of the Tom Brown books and believe there's a lot of good stuff in there, particularly on pressure releases.
Observing your own tracks at different gaits on different substrates is also a useful thing to try. You can see pressure releases in action then.
Also watching the way people walk, even around town, is worthwhile. Ditto the pet dog and/or the neighbour's cat stalking/playing in the garden.
For me a key mantra is "common things happen commonly", e.g. I'd thought I'd found wolf tracks on the beach of a lake up in the Yukon Territory, even checked with my books. I happened to mention it to the Ranger and he said someone on the nearby campground had a couple of very large dogs, and that he hadn't seen wolf in the area for several years...
Going out (dirt time) with someone who knows their stuff is excellent, whether learning fungi, wildflowers or animal tracks.
I have a couple of the Tom Brown books and believe there's a lot of good stuff in there, particularly on pressure releases.
Observing your own tracks at different gaits on different substrates is also a useful thing to try. You can see pressure releases in action then.
Also watching the way people walk, even around town, is worthwhile. Ditto the pet dog and/or the neighbour's cat stalking/playing in the garden.
For me a key mantra is "common things happen commonly", e.g. I'd thought I'd found wolf tracks on the beach of a lake up in the Yukon Territory, even checked with my books. I happened to mention it to the Ranger and he said someone on the nearby campground had a couple of very large dogs, and that he hadn't seen wolf in the area for several years...
Going out (dirt time) with someone who knows their stuff is excellent, whether learning fungi, wildflowers or animal tracks.
I can advise Special Forces Tracking and Countertracking 2009 TC 31-34-4
It is easy to find for download online version, manual interesting not only how to recognize the trail, but more importantly, how to find a trace.
Very useful for search rescue situations.
It is easy to find for download online version, manual interesting not only how to recognize the trail, but more importantly, how to find a trace.
Very useful for search rescue situations.
go out very early in the morning at first light after a cold damp dewy night or frost, on such mornings tracks are very clearly seen burned into the grass, as the day warms up these obvious tracks soon disappear so you have to get out early. As an example of this take a torch on a cold damp night or frost and flick it on where you have walked, you will see your footprints as clear as day, and of course any other footprints that have passed that way, and they will remain there till morning. Its a good way to find rabbit runs for instance, if you have difficulty seeing them in the middle of the day then do what i suggested and you will see them as clear as day. Tracks after a cold damp dewy night or frost are nearly as clear as in snow for a short while only. If you see a clear sky at dusk with low temperatures and particularly if the wind turns to north at dusk then any wind will usually drop as well, these are the conditions that will show tracks at first light.
Forget my earlier advice THOaken, just get one of these: http://www.heinnie.com/Pro-Tracker/p--11681/
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