Beginner Tracking - Tips?

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Will_

Nomad
Feb 21, 2013
446
3
Dorset
What's this about Tom Brown being a fraud? Is his tracking book still accurate, though?
I love your epic edits man :D
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...
 

THOaken

Native
Jan 21, 2013
1,299
1
30
England(Scottish Native)
I love your epic edits man :D
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.
 

Ivan...

Ex member
Jul 28, 2011
1,771
0
Dartmoor
Once you have decided upon a book or books read them then send them your edited version, see if everyone can keep up.

Ivan...

Oh i said i wasn't gunna do that, never mind, now i might stop.
 
Last edited:
Jan 8, 2014
8
0
Moscow
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.
 

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
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.

That's really good advice :)
 

Stringmaker

Native
Sep 6, 2010
1,891
1
UK
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.

Very good suggestion.

Your English is very good :)
 

Ivan...

Ex member
Jul 28, 2011
1,771
0
Dartmoor
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...
 

THOaken

Native
Jan 21, 2013
1,299
1
30
England(Scottish Native)
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, 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!)
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...

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 ... :D
 

bearbait

Full Member
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.
 

tamoko

Full Member
Jun 28, 2009
281
16
Zuerich
bushcraftru.com
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.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
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.
 

Mouse040

Full Member
Apr 26, 2013
533
0
Radstock
I would look back at a former members posts called Bushwacker he done some great posts tracking has been quite quiet since he was shafted



Regards Dave (caps lock )
@mouseinthewood
 

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