View Full Version : Tracking
Anonymous
30-09-2003, 13:52
Hi. I'm new to this forum, but am very pleased to see it and the website! Well done to those responsible for it.
I'd like to get a tracking thread going as I am becoming increasingly interested in this aspect of bushcraft. (I also use animal track and sign identification skills in my job, and I'm a volunteer with a Search & Rescue org).
So, to kick things off... has anyone attended a tracking (human or animal) course they can recommend? Most of the best stuff to read on the subject comes from the US and I am keen to find out who's doing it in this country. Someone on another topic mentioned a guy from Zambia who was at the Wilderness Gathering (which I missed unfortunately). Can anyone supply more details?
Thanks
Whoops! Forgot to log-in for my previous message. Sorry.
Tom Brown seems to be the most famous.
www.trackerschool.com
He's a yank though.
I'm planning to get over there one day.
Sorry can't help you this side of the pond.
The Zambian guy you refer to, is apparently Ian Maxwell. If I remember correctly he teaches some tracking as part of a college course in either Devon or Cornwall. More than this I cannot say at the moment but am in the process of "tracking" :wink: him down. I'm sure Roger Harrington from Bison Bushcraft and Dominic from Gone Native who organised the Wilderness Gathering should be able to put you in touch.
I went on an excellent tracking course in June with Woodcraft School based in West Sussex.
It was 'Discovering Wildlife - The Tracker'. We were all complete novices at the begining of the week but 5 days later we followed a trial for about 3 Km...I was amazed I could do this!
The course opened my eyes to all those details, human and animal, around us that we do not normally notice. It has certainaly raised my level of awareness, walks have taken on a whole new dimension now.
All I need to do now is to continue to practise and develop my skills. Woodcraft has put together an Advanced Tracker course; definately on my list of things to do next!
I have also done other courses with the Woodcraft School and can throughly recommend them. Their web address is:woodcraft-school.co.uk
Kev,
Do you know how I could get in contact with Ian Maxwell?
I've scoured the web, and there was a reference to him tracking cats on the Moors, but no contact details.
.
Kev,
Do you know how I could get in contact with Ian Maxwell?
I've scoured the web, and there was a reference to him tracking cats on the Moors, but no contact details.
.
If he was at the gathering then go to the wilderness gathering website, and ask Roger or Dominic if they know how to get hold of him.
I went on an excellent tracking course in June with Woodcraft School based in West Sussex.
Yes, I was booked to do the weekend version of this course but unfortunately John (Rhyder) had to cancel it. I was offered a place on the week's course you did but couldn't take it up. I was very disappointed :cry: as I have studied with John at 'Woodcraft' in the past and rate him highly.
Thanks for the course review, Helen. It's made me more determined to do it (next year??)
Cheers Tone.
have done :)
acw_akkermans
06-10-2003, 11:50
Ian maxwell was giving out his e-mail-address freely, so I'm sure he won't mind if I pass it on. Its Ianmaxwell@aerohawk.com I think. The note is lying at home, so I'll doublecheck tonight
Also, natural Pathways offer an excellent trackingcourse near kent.
Regards
Thanks Anthonio!
Unfortuneatly that email address doesnt seem to work :-(
Roving Rich
14-10-2003, 13:22
Hi Richard,
The Other Tracker doing talks at the Wilderness gathering was Tom Schorr Kon. He runs a school called trackways (web site doesn't seem to work) down in Sussex. He is trained by Tom brown himself out in the stares over the past 10 years or so.
He certainly opened my eyes on his introductory skills course.
You know, that "theres nothing there...." to " A large dog passed through here, looked to her left here and carried on in this direction..."
And that was just an intro, lord knows what his tracking intensive would let you see.
His details are all on the wilderness gathering links page if you want to get intouch.
http://www.wildernessgathering.co.uk/wsglink.htm
Enjoy
Rich
acw_akkermans
15-10-2003, 08:05
yeah, sorry guys, I forgot to send out Iam maxwells right e-mail address... here it is: Ian@aerohawk.co.uk
I can vouch for Thomas Shorr-kon. I was also a student under the "yank" Tom Brown Jr. and can truly say that Tom's method is most amazing! He even taught us a technique to find old tracks. he demonstrated this to us, by finding a 50 to 60 year-old track... I also know Thomas teaches in a very similar way to Tom Brown Jr.
jatherton
20-10-2003, 08:16
Hi everyone,
It's nice to see so many people interested. For tracking, I really recommend that you contact Natural Pathways at www.naturalpathways.co.uk they are based in Canterbury near London. Their courses have really opened my eyes!
They could also recommend most of the best tracking books,
Cheers,
Joel :shock:
PS
If anyone lives in Devon near Exeter then If you want to contact me because I live around their but sadly I know just a handful of interested people around here. :lol:
I'm probobly nearist you.
I'm up near Bude at the moment, Although I was living in Totnes untill last year.
Appledore in North Devon for me which is not too far from Exeter!!
cheers
John
,
Natural Pathways at www.naturalpathways.co.uk they are based in Canterbury near London. Their courses have really opened my eyes!
canterbury is about 15 miles from me ,closer to dover than london, are they any good? cant get into their site to have a gander and see what they run, cheers al :)
also jatherton, i spent 7 years in the royal marines so know your area quite well, you`re very lucky :-D
nameless
11-01-2004, 19:12
Ok has anyone ever heard of tom brown jr?? well he is proberly one of da best in da world :ekt: i think anthoino trained with him for 8 yrs so check him out his school is called wild live armagh or somthing and hes in northen ireland! ill say it again cheack him out :wink:
Tom brown JR has a very spiritual approch to tracking and was aparently taught by a native american (though i belive there is some contraversy about this), where as Ian Maxwell has a more hands on practical style
and worked in zambia as a tracker on game reserves before moving to the UK where he is currently employed by the police as a tracker
two very different styles so you need to decide which suits you
I believe Ian Maxwell is helping to run a course in Portugal with Woodcraft School and may run some UK courses this summer. Sounds interesting.
I missed the Wilderness Gathering. Did anyone attend Ian's tracking workshop?
Let's keep this tracking thread going!
Woodsmoke do a tracking course called The Tracker which is run over four days and Woodlore do a five day course called Tracking and Nature Awareness.
The Tom Brown courses you are looking at £700 including your flights for the standard course and you will get about a days tracking instruction the rest is survival skills. And there will be around 30-130 people on the same course.
After the standard you can go onto the Advanced Tracking, Search and Rescue courses which are more dedicated to soley teaching you tracking.
If you can afford it I think it would be definately worth a trip over there.
Regards
Richie
jamesdevine
03-03-2004, 13:46
Hi There,
An alternative to travelling to the USA maight be travelling to Norhtern Ireland and doing a course with the Wild-Live School www.wild-liveschool.com.
I now Anthonio hasn't mentioned it him self so I thought I might. I hope thats alright.
James
That's certainly something different!
http://www.uksurvivalschool.co.uk/lorgair.htm