For me there is 'track and sign' and 'trailing'. Together they are I suppose termed as tracking. I want to observe and 'track' wildlife for the pleasure of watching and getting close to it.
I like to go out and look at the track and sign of certain animals and birds; this is done just for pleasure and gaining knowledge of what is in an area and puzzling out what they are doing, going and seasonal changes of habit and behaviour. When I visit the same areas regularly I can learn the best times and locations to go and observe wildlife. I don't hunt but like to spend time sitting and looking. The sitting, sometimes for an hour or two is rewarding because the woodland, heathland etc settles down and returns to its more natural state. This is both rewarding because the animals and birds come to you or return to a normal state of behaviour. Also the sitting is a very relaxing and 'mindful' activity. I try and use those times to switch everything off and sit, sometimes sketching or making notes or just watching and listening.
One piece of knowledge leads to another. You see some flora and fauna, geology or maybe landscape feature; then that takes you to another subject area of interest, or study to learn how those things fit together and influence each other.
I have not tried to make plaster casts but I could see that being good fun and addictive. I record, measure and maybe sketch things I see.
Trailing is about following the tracks and sign to identify where animal are going to, and from. This also leads on from the sit spot because once the woods etc have settled down you can be more immersed within it and the trailing becomes more rewarding because you are attuned to what going on. Learning how all the elements of tracks, sign, bird behaviour, weather, habitats and animal behaviour fits together is great fun, rewarding and good for the brain and soul!
I'm not tracking to hunt but challenge myself to get close to the animals to watch and observe. It is exciting to move slowly through the woods trailing and then be rewarded with being a few metres of deer. Equally I have had as much fun watching squirrels playing within a couple of metres of me as I sit and the occasional fox emerge and look at me before going on it's way.
The tracking course online gave me the additional tools to explore ideas around bird behaviour, sitting and observation. I brought years of outdoor experience and 'field craft' and the course helped to consolidate and mesh that together. When I signed up we were in a long lockdown so being able to incorporate some sitting and looking on my daily exercise was positive.
What I learnt on the trailing course were the finer nuances and subtleties that I could not have discovered on my own or from a book. I will spend some of the winter practising those skills with more confidence.
mastertracker.co.uk
