Tracking One anyone? ? ?

[bambodoggy]

Hey All,

Just finished packing as I'm off early in the morning down to Kent for Natural Pathways: Tracking One course.

I'm really looking forward to it and have been for some time, Geoff and Hannah who run Natural Pathways are both top people and I know I'm going to learn heaps from them!!!

Just wondered if there's anyone else from here going to be there?

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[spamel]

Unfortunatley not Bam. I'm starting to get a bit depressed what with folk going away on great looking courses!!

My tracking skills are basic to nothing, but I have ventured into it and find it an exciting time trying to follow an animal or person by the sign they leave behind. My daughter can tell which way an animal was walking when it left footprints, and she is only 5! She learnt ny looking at horse shoe prints in sandy tracks, once I'd explained it she knew what to look for. She can tell the same for cats, dogs, wild boar and deer! We watched some birds in winter that were flying down to feed on some dropped food in thick snow. We discovered where they had landed and taken off by the little sweeps of the wing tips on the snow.

Hope you have a good time!!

 

[bambodoggy]

Thanks Mate

(Nice to hear your littlun's getting the bug too ).

Bam.

 

[Marts]

I would definitely be interested in hearing how you get on Bam.

I am booked on a flintknapping course next month with natural pathways and have been looking with interest at tracking 1 which next march. It would be great to hear what you think of it.

 

[bambodoggy]

It was very very very good... I'm going to have a go at writing a mini-review on it shortly but in the meantime...go for it, you won't regret it one bit.

Enjoy your flint knapping with them, you'll like Will, he's one of the nicest people I've met and very good at his flint work, I did a session with him a couple of weekends ago and learned heaps!

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[Millbilly]

Hiya mate,
Glad you had a good time on the tracking course, and glad to hear you learned loads. Taking a course in tracking is something i did consider a while back, but as you know, weekends are a bit tough for me, time-wise.
Maybe next time, you can chuck me a few tips..
Were you told of any good books for newcomers to the subject?

Simon

 

[bambodoggy]

Maybe next time, you can chuck me a few tips..
Were you told of any good books for newcomers to the subject?

Hey Simon,

Be happy to give you a few hints and tips but I'm still no expert myself. I was told about a few good books but having tried myself I'd say it's very hard to learn tracking from a book....and certainly the spirt tracking side simply cannot come from a book. I'm going to do a few games when we next all go camping in Jan (as you know I'm away in Nov), so we can chat about it then.

If you can sort out a weekend then as I said below I just can't recomend this course and this school enough

I laid some sandtraps yesterday evening so off out shortly to go see what tracks I caught in them

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[Millbilly]

Cheers mate, Ill take you up on that...
I'll not be there till jan myself what with work and all, but am looking forward to learning a few bits. Been out for a night here and there since we last spoke, and the bow drillings coming along fine, and the spoons are miles better! Planning a three dayer toward the end of my half term break from college in a couple of weeks, and trying to think of some new skills to get my head around while away, any ideas?
Should really put this on the meeting up thread and see if anyones interested...

Simon

Looking forward to hearing all about it mate. nice one! :You_Rock_

 

[bambodoggy]

Looking forward to hearing all about it mate. nice one! :You_Rock_

I went to check my sandtraps yesterday, got a couple of different foxes and a deer in them which was a good result although the prints weren't that clear as it had rained so hard over night. I then tracked a landrover for about 1/2 mile and then the foot prints from it. Ended up at an army exercise and got pretty close before allowing them to see me . I chatted to their officer for a little while and he was very suprised to know that I'd tracked the landy that far, that I knew there were two people in it, both male, both right handed, one went straight into the woods and then waited at the edge for his mate to catch up and the other got something from the back and then ran to catch up...and then he was really impressed when I showed him where that person caught up and stopped running lol (turns out it was him and a cpl that were in the landy). It was very basic stuff to be honest. I also mentioned how easy it was to track his whole company due to the amount of rubbish they left...and he was astonished when I pointed out a small fire from the night before and told him that not only was there a smoker with them but that he was left handed (turns out it was his capt...he was an LT). He actually said sorry about the mess and vowed to make sure they didn't leave any litter on this exercise lol Think I spooked him with just how much I knew about what they'd been up too lol

Still, all good fun

Bam.

 

[Millbilly]

I went to check my sandtraps yesterday, got a couple of different foxes and a deer in them which was a good result although the prints weren't that clear as it had rained so hard over night. I then tracked a landrover for about 1/2 mile and then the foot prints from it. Ended up at an army exercise and got pretty close before allowing them to see me . I chatted to their officer for a little while and he was very suprised to know that I'd tracked the landy that far, that I knew there were two people in it, both male, both right handed, one went straight into the woods and then waited at the edge for his mate to catch up and the other got something from the back and then ran to catch up...and then he was really impressed when I showed him where that person caught up and stopped running lol (turns out it was him and a cpl that were in the landy). It was very basic stuff to be honest. I also mentioned how easy it was to track his whole company due to the amount of rubbish they left...and he was astonished when I pointed out a small fire from the night before and told him that not only was there a smoker with them but that he was left handed (turns out it was his capt...he was an LT). He actually said sorry about the mess and vowed to make sure they didn't leave any litter on this exercise lol Think I spooked him with just how much I knew about what they'd been up too lol

Still, all good fun

Bam.

Bloody hell thats incredible! And this was basic stuff you say?

 

[Steve K]

Hi Bam,

I've just been reviewing this thread. Now I have a question. Just how did you know that these guys were right handed males?

The difference between left and right stride length to tell they were right handed?

Cheers
Steve

 

[bambodoggy]

Hi Bam,

I've just been reviewing this thread. Now I have a question. Just how did you know that these guys were right handed males?

The difference between left and right stride length to tell they were right handed?

Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve,

Yep, spot on...that's exactly how I know they were both right handed (or in fact right footed lol). And Males tend to have massive feet like these two did, I don't know many women with size 10 to 12 feet! lol

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[Steve K]

Bam,

It did cross my mind that that might be the answer, I guess I just thought it was just to obvious.

If my memory servers me correctly the dominant foot has a shorter stride length?

Just getting started with this, so my understanding is mostly thery based.

Intriguing though isn't it!

Cheers
Steve

 

[bambodoggy]

Natural Pathways have another of these excellant courses on this coming weekend I believe.

Anybody here booked on it? If so get ready for a blindingly good weekend

Bam.

 

[2blackcat]

I know a couple of people going .... me being one of them

If I remember rightly, it was listening to you at Waynes that really got my juices flowing

Meeting Geoffrey and Hannah the other week was another plus


...... and to top it all, they're letting the pup go so I get a fully trained tracking dog as well (though how he'll get on with the drum stalk could be intresting)

 

[Lithril]

Have a good time Bam, I'm gagging to get out again at the moment and definately envious, trouble is I'm stuck in at the moment preparing lessons.. .oh well 6 weeks off soon to get to the woods... if I can last that long have a good one.

Matt

 

[bambodoggy]

If I remember rightly, it was listening to you at Waynes that really got my juices flowing

Meeting Geoffrey and Hannah the other week was another plus

Wow...somebody actually listens to me talking to myself! lol

Where did you meet Geoff and Hannah? they're both top people aren't they

Hope you have a good weekend and get as much out of it as I did Matey

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[2blackcat]

Hiya, Bam

I sneaked up behind you so as not to disturb the flow of conversation. You looked to be enjoying your own company though

I met Geoff and Hannah at Mad Mikes' meet down at the Pinetum
They were good enough to spend a couple of hours with us

Had a great time then. They do come across as good people

This time tomorrow we'll be in the midst of it! Woohoo!
Still think the pup will outshine me though

I'll let you know how we get on