Tracking Test
- Thread starter troyski2
- Start date
Spitzer said:A good start would be to get yourself some tracking books. I recommend Tracking & the Art of Seeing - (How to Read Animal Tracks & Sign) by Paul Rezendes. This book is great for beginner trackers and as has great color pictures which really help.
Here are some other books I recommend.
-Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival
-Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking
-Tom Brown's Science and Art of Tracking
-Animal Tracking Basics by Jon Young
-Peterson Field to Animal Tracks by by Olaus J. Murie
Once you read some books, take one with you as a guide and get out in the woods, gravel pit, or sandy beach. There are tracks everywhere, you just have to learn how to see them, which takes alot of dirt time. The more signs you begin to recognize, the more tracks will appear.
Track yourself, your dog, your friend etc., etc. in various places. The first thing you'll realize in the woods is that most of the time you'll just see track compressions, toe/s,claw marks, scuffs, and other subtle sign. Finding pristine full tracks like in the mud or sand are far and few between.
Go slow, go low. Find every track the animal makes by measuring their stride and use your books as a reference. Track into the sun so the track shadows betray them. Morning and evening are best because the shadows are longer.
Good luck, have fun, and take a kid with you.
Thanks for the in depth answer. I am sure that will help out lots of people and myself as I did very poor in the test! I will see if next time I can do alot better!
