View Full Version : Tracking...
PhilParry
18-06-2006, 20:36
Hi all...
I'd like to expand my knowledge of tracking by starting with a book on the subject. The question is, what would you recommend?
Phil
Hi Phil, just moved you to the tracking part of the forum, as far as identification of tracks is concerned try
Animal tracks and signs (Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstrom). ISBN 0-19-850796-8 RRP £14.99.
As far as skills themselves there are quite a few books, but I would suggest that courses may be the way to go as some things have to be shown, if you know what I mean.
I would also suggest getting along to a meet as there are normally a number of people that have done courses by one school or another. Speak to a few of the other guys and get a feel as to the school or course you may want to attend. Keep an open mind as to styles and be inquisitive:D
C_Claycomb
18-06-2006, 21:31
Come to the Bushmoot, its not so very far for us over this side of the country ;)
Even if there aren't any official tracking demos (and there is meant to be one!), the sand dunes at Merthyr are a great place to learn. There is even a good selection of interesting critters to track.
Book wise, I like the
Hamlyn Guide, Animals - Tracks, Trails & Signs. ISBN 0 7537 0955 4
personally think it better than the Bang and Dahlstrom book,
I also like the Scott-Donelan book, Tactical Tracking Operations, which though directed at military tracking (including a section on sellecting weapons), has a lot of good info.
Lots of people like the Tom Brown Jr books, I have his Science and Art of Tracking, which discusses what he calls "pressure releases". There is debate about the usefulness of these, but the book is a good at opening the subject, and will give you some tools even if you don't swallow all of Mr. Browns tall tales.
C_Claycomb
18-06-2006, 21:32
One other thought. Do you ever get to go to Stock Grove Country Park? Its just a bit north of Leighton Buzzard. Large area sandy soil, not a bade place to practice.
Come to the Bushmoot, its not so very far for us over this side of the country ;)
Even if there aren't any official tracking demos (and there is meant to be one!), the sand dunes at Merthyr are a great place to learn. There is even a good selection of interesting critters to track.
I'm doing a couple of workshops at the bushmoot (saturday and sunday as far as I know). I'm sure we'll find loads of interesting tracks there and the sand dunes make a great location for beginners to learn the basics!
As for books the hamlyn guide is great, there are loads of different books around. I'd say don't just stick to one, read a selection and take what you'll find useful from them.
I agree though (and not just because its my job) courses are the best way to learn.
Good luck! :)
Phil,
I've got the same book as leon-1, it's very good, I've also got Tracking and the art of seeing by Paul Rezendes, ISBN 0-06-273524-1. Another good read, but I learnt a lot more on my Primitive Living course with Wild Live, being shown the tracks on the ground was great and a real eye opener. Try and get a course as soon as you can mate, you'll learn lots more. :D
Brian
PhilParry
18-06-2006, 22:08
One other thought. Do you ever get to go to Stock Grove Country Park? Its just a bit north of Leighton Buzzard. Large area sandy soil, not a bade place to practice.
Hey Chris..it's been a while - usually I go up to the woods adjacent to Woburn gold course...also quite sandy, but covered in 2 usual tracks...horse and man!! :red: :red: :red: :D
Also thinking about the bushmoot...did my bushcraft fundamental course almost a month ago after almost a year of waiting, and I've officially got the bug (and a Shing knife!WOW! :Wow: )
Phil
Ranger Bob
19-06-2006, 07:28
Animal tracks and signs (Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstrom). ISBN 0-19-850796-8 RRP £14.99.
Second that! Great book.
Hawkeye The Noo
19-06-2006, 11:33
I have cut and pasted a short review on a book that I left on another thread.
After having reread the book, I am of the same opinion as to its usefulness in the area of mantracking, tactical or SAR.
David Diaz, Tracking book
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rather than start a new thread I thought | would add this to this one. I have just bought and read "Tracking, signs of man signs of hope. By David Diaz. It is interesting to note the books he recomends at the end: Louis Liebenberg, Tom Brown, David Scott Donelan (Tac tracking), and Betser, Moshe/Robert Rosenberg. Secret Soldier. A lot of people here will recognise these names. This book was strongly aimed at tac tracking with a few mentions on SAR applications. What I discovered in this book was an area of weakness in my tracking. The paperwork write up. I recognised that this can be a great tool to help you to realise what you have actually learned. Recognising your own learning is a great tool to building strong foundations for later learning. The book was also a good read with case a major case study and how to write up the report on the case study. In tracking i have heard a lot of people mention Sherlock Holmes, but is it Sherlock we learn from or is it the write up and explanations of Dr Watson. they both go hand in hand. This is one of those books that I am glad to get on the shelf. ( Tracking book number 12) it seems like tracking is fast gaining recognition in the world with more and more books appearing on a fast basis. I am looking forward to when there will be more ways to make a living from this craft. Sorry in advance to those of you who have already topped your budget for this month.
Jamie
pothunter
19-06-2006, 13:42
Can I sugest another book, a bit dry but very good 'A Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America' by James Halfpenny, forget the location its the skills you need to aquire. ISBN 0-933472-98-6
Also don't be put off by man and horse tracks in sand these are interesting to follow, its suprising how quickly you can build up an immage of the person who the tracks belong to, is he/she alone do they have a dog are they carrying a stick where have they stopped and why, was it to look at the view or wildlife. Its interesting to meet someone whos tracks you know and see if your impressions were correct.
Nothing like grubbing about in the dirt, have fun.
I have cut and pasted a short review on a book that I left on another thread.
After having reread the book, I am of the same opinion as to its usefulness in the area of mantracking, tactical or SAR.
David Diaz, Tracking book
<stuff snipped>
The advice given in this thread are all good!
I'm 3/4 of the way through this book myself, and I am finding it a really good read. I actually started tarcking after doing my Tracker Level 1 course last summer. The book they based the course on was called: "Tracking: A Blueprint for Learning How" by Jack Kearney (Sorry, I couldn't find an ISBN # anywhere). It's mostly about his life as a Border Patrol Agent in the States
I've found if you go with others that have similar tracking skills as yourself or better, you can point out stuff to each other that the other may have missed.
Animal tracking or mantracking have many similar traits and can be fun to follow either sign. I am more into the mantracking through my local SAR group, but plan on more animal tracking to help in my picture taking closeups :) ...
Practice, pratice, practice, and have fun!
~mike
You can order Tracking: A blueprint for learning how from www.pathways-press.com
Another book title that hasn't been mentioned yet is The Complete Guide to Tracking by Bob Carss
There are a lot of books on tracking when you start to look for them. Some very good, some very bad. Some are very general in their content others specialise in one aspect of tracking eg feathers or skulls. I would reccommend getting one or two general tracking books and then look at some of the more specialised books.
I just tried to come up with a list of the 3 books I wouldn't do without and its very hard. All the books mentioned so far have their merits (and their faults).
I would go for
i) Hamlyn guide to Animals, tracks, trails & signs
ii) Tactical, Tracking Operations
iii) either Tom Brown's Nature Observation and Tracking or The Complete guide to tracking by Bob Carss
Yes I know that's 4 but tough! Ask me this again in a few months and I would probably come up with a different list
Tracking can be a very personal thing. A style of tracking may appeal to one person and yet be hated by another. Some tracking styles are based on military training, some from a Search and Rescue outlook, some are very spiritual and some aimed more at the naturalist. I suggest that you go to your local library and see what they have got there. If there aren't any books on tracking put in a request to order one of the titles mentioned. That way you can see whether you like the content before you buy it.
Good luck!
C_Claycomb
21-06-2006, 13:32
I have the Bob Carss book, but rate the Scott-Donelan one as better. Could just be personal preference. The other thing, at the time I got the Carss book a couple of years back, they were out of print and it was a little bit of a hunt to find a good one second hand.
I know that just seeing horse and people tracks could be a bit boring, but equally, up at Ashridge, there are so many deer that trying to track just one over the leaf litter is a pain. I got quite a kick at Merthyr Mawr from tracking people for as far as I gould. The hard part was finding an area where my pathetic lack of ability in time stamping a track wasn't a total liability :rolleyes: :lmao:
I have the Bob Carss book, but rate the Scott-Donelan one as better. Could just be personal preference. The other thing, at the time I got the Carss book a couple of years back, they were out of print and it was a little bit of a hunt to find a good one second hand.
I know that just seeing horse and people tracks could be a bit boring, but equally, up at Ashridge, there are so many deer that trying to track just one over the leaf litter is a pain. I got quite a kick at Merthyr Mawr from tracking people for as far as I gould. The hard part was finding an area where my pathetic lack of ability in time stamping a track wasn't a total liability :rolleyes: :lmao:
I agree that the Tactical Tracking Operations is probably a better book overall than the Bob Carss but as you say this is just a personal preference.
I've heard that the TTOS book is getting hard to come by so it may be worth getting a copy now whilst you can.
Just had a look on amazon and saw that the Bob Carss book is now fetching nearly £90!! :eek: There is however a book called the SAS guide to tracking by the same author that looks the same for about £10.
The thing that I have noticed about many tracking books is the poor quality of illustrations and (especially) the photographs. I think what is needed (especially for man tracking and Search and Rescue) is a well written book with the quality of illustrations that this subject matter deserves. (Please feel free to correct me if there is a book in print that people think does this already !)
Wolfie,
I've just realised that I've got the Bob Carss book that is now £90 :lmao:
Cost me about a tenner, it's not bad for a tenner but I certainly wouldn't pay £90 for it :eek: The TTOSbook looks quite good though, it's £20 on Amazon at the moment.
Brian
Wolfie,
I've just realised that I've got the Bob Carss book that is now £90 :lmao:
Cost me about a tenner, it's not bad for a tenner but I certainly wouldn't pay £90 for it :eek:
Brian
My thoughts exactly. They can ask as much as they want but whether anyone is prepared to pay that much is a different matter :)
pothunter
22-06-2006, 17:33
Woolfie
Agree with you re. illustrations, for my own records I tried taking a few pictures but could not get the detail in a photograph. Have thought since that a line drawing alongside the photograph would be one way of recording info. and usefull for instructors.
Woolfie
Agree with you re. illustrations, for my own records I tried taking a few pictures but could not get the detail in a photograph. Have thought since that a line drawing alongside the photograph would be one way of recording info. and usefull for instructors.
The rise of high definition digital cameras with the ability to zoom has made taking photos of tracks a lot easier these days. The photos can even be altered on a pc to highlight detail.
I suppose that one problem is that when you take the photo you know what it is that you're trying to show. Other people may have difficulty seeing the detail in the photo. An annotated clear photo or a line drawing next to the photo is a good idea.
This is why going on a course is better than trying to learn everything from a book. The instructors can make sure you can see and understand the detail in the track.
Tell me and I may listen, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will learn.......or something like that :)
Are there any good online tracking sites that could teach of this mystic art? I have done a bit around here tracking deer, wild boar and where birds were moving about, landing and taking off, in the snow in winter. There are some sandy areas around here that make it easy, but once I get into the woodline........
It's addictive, I have shown my daughter basic stuff that I have figured out myself, but this is basically which way an animal was travelling by recognising the front of it's foot / horseshoe! She seems to enjoy it and is good at knowing which way they were going. I am going to have a look in one of the infantry training pams, though I don't expect to get much out of it!!
my local woods usually have hard ground so it is difficult to track, i will wait untill it has rained alot and then give tracking a go, i no what a deer track looks like, and i understand that a fox track looks like a big dog, my question is how do you tell the difference between a big dogs track and a fox's track
p.s any tips on tracking ?
leon
Leon-B
I think you'll find that a fox print has much more narrow profile. The interdigital pad (the rear pad) is much smaller as well. Of course much will depend on the breed of the dog you're comparing it with.
The trail could also be an identifying feature and could give you a clue. Foxes tend to walk and trot in straight lines while dogs wander.
Pablo.
Edit: I believe a fox print might be the size of a medium sized dog as opposed to a large dog.
And if im not remembering wrong, the few dog breeds that may trot like a fox doesn't have a print that looks as narrow and pointy as a fox.
Please correct me if my memory fails me :)
To answer my own question, here is a site which you can download tracking information from. Nothing spectacular, but I like the crib cards you can download and print off. Back them onto some card and fablon them to make them waterproof and you will have a small aide memoire set to go out with.
http://www.princeton.edu/%7Eoa/nature/tracking.shtml
Next one has mega cheesy music when you pen the page but has some info more related to tracking the enemy! I haven't had a real good look through this site yet, so make no promises for how good it is or it's complete contents, but it looked OK to start with.
http://members.tripod.com/selousscouts/home_page.htm
If anyone knows of other informative sites, please share the knowledge!
Another thing to remember about fox tracks is that they are usually harder to see than a dog.
IIRC The soles of a fox paw have hair on them which cushions the print. In very clear prints this will be clear i.e you can make out the imprint of the hairs.
thanks guys for the help
spamel thanks the links where great especially the tracking cards, i have saved some and i will soon be printing them off
leon
crazydave
26-08-2006, 18:53
collins gem do a range of books and one of them happens to be tracking for the uk/europe if thats any use :)
2blackcat
30-08-2006, 07:55
Crazydave do you happen to have the isbn number for it?
Just been on the Collins website but they don't have it listed
Discontinued maybe?
Crazydave do you happen to have the isbn number for it?
Just been on the Collins website but they don't have it listed
Discontinued maybe?
The closest as far as I can see would be the "SAS Survival Guide
How to survive anywhere, on land or at sea" Gem book. Although I haven't actually seen it myself - its the only one I can see that might have anything tracking related in it.
:)
I have bought the SAS guide to tracking by Bob Carss. I may aswell review it quickly as I finished it the other night.
At first, I thought that this could be a book aimed mainly at the military person wishing to learn tracking. Straight away though, Bob says that this book is not about the SAS, although a few stories from his days as a Trooper are thrown in thoughout the book. Also, no mystical powers will be revealed, but techniques to enable the uninitiated to grow into a decent tracker.
I continued to plow through the book absorbing as much of the information as possible. A lesson is split down and then recapped at the end of the chapter. The book does not start with tracking info though until a good way into the book.
A lot of the first third of the book looks at how the tracker needs to heighten his awareness of what goes on around him, how the 5 senses work and to take notice of what ALL of his senses are telling him, factors that attract attention, and how the tracker needs to strengthen his memory so that he remembers every minute detail he sees. This is improved by the use of Kims game and the Greek storage room, and it is these sort of chapters that makes you want to skip that particular part of the book and start looking at the track pictures of animals!! Persevere though, it must be important!
Once the book gets going you will learn the Track Pursuit Drill and the Lost Track Drill, everything in the army is a drill!!! They help remember how to deal with following sign, what to do if you cannot see the next sign and how to cast for the next sign without destroying any other sign. I don't know if this is what the trackers here on the forum do, as I have not had the benefit of their tuition or experience, but it sounds quite sensible to me.
The book also covers how sign can be aged by the weather, how false spoor (deception tactics) can be laid by an enemy soldier (military again) or how sign can be fouled by other animals/people moving across and over the sign you are following. Also covered is stalking techniques, the ability to move silently through woodland both by day and night.
Map reading is covered at the end of the book, along with human and animal prints. I found the animal prints to be fairly scant, there weren't many but it broke the groups of different types of tracks down into the various groups of walkers, ie. sole walkers or plantigrades, toe walkers or digitigrades and nail walkers or ungulates (this taken from the book!). These are then broken down again by the method of locomotion, ie. equal length limbs (horses), unequal length limbs (rabbit) short legs long body (pine marten) and short legs large body (badger).
Also covered is how some animals register, how an animal such as a cat places its' rear paws onto the ground where its' front paws were. The book covers tracking vehicles aswell, although I expect you'd have to be a quick runner to keep up!! Don't try this on the M25!!
All in all, not a bad book to get somebody on the road to becoming a tracker. It is the first book devoted to the subject that I have read, and I learnt a few things. The thing is, I think the book could have had a lot of the pages ripped out and still got the same info across. The book is the same size as the original version of the Lofty Wiseman book, so it won't fit in your pocket!!
If anyone knows of another decent book to get to build up my knowledge of the subject I would be grateful. I see there is a book on amazon with a foreword from Mr Mears that has a lot of good pictures of prints and "deposits" from various animals to be found in europe, I'm thinking that it may be my next purchase.
Animal Tracks and Signs by Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstrom, Foreword by Ray Mears (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animal-Tracks-Signs-Pocket-Nature-Guide-S-/dp/0199299978/sr=1-5/qid=1156958581/ref=sr_1_5/026-8377823-1790029?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Oh, and if you want the Bob Carss book, got to Abebook as it is a bit cheaper than Amazon, as I found out two days after ordering from Amazon! :rolleyes:
beachlover
30-08-2006, 18:43
Nice review.
I have dropped you a PM.
Cheers Kev, PM back at ya!
I see there is a book on amazon with a foreword from Mr Mears that has a lot of good pictures of prints and "deposits" from various animals to be found in europe, I'm thinking that it may be my next purchase.
Animal Tracks and Signs by Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstrom, Foreword by Ray Mears (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animal-Tracks-Signs-Pocket-Nature-Guide-S-/dp/0199299978/sr=1-5/qid=1156958581/ref=sr_1_5/026-8377823-1790029?ie=UTF8&s=books)
Yeah mate. This is an excellent reference book. I took it away on a tracking course with me and found myself dipping into it all the time - and not just for the animals we were looking at on the course. Fascinating stuff if you're into tracks. Get it! :)
2blackcat
31-08-2006, 08:54
Hey, Marts
I saw the SAS one in Millets a little while ago but not what I wanted although a young lad I know kept his copy in his hands for weeks
Crazydave seemed to say it was exclusive for tracking which would make it a lot more portable than the others I have
It was just a memory jog book in a pocket I was after
If anyone knows of another decent book to get to build up my knowledge of the subject I would be grateful. I see there is a book on amazon with a foreword from Mr Mears that has a lot of good pictures of prints and "deposits" from various animals to be found in europe, I'm thinking that it may be my next purchase.
Animal Tracks and Signs by Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstrom, Foreword by Ray Mears (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animal-Tracks-Signs-Pocket-Nature-Guide-S-/dp/0199299978/sr=1-5/qid=1156958581/ref=sr_1_5/026-8377823-1790029?ie=UTF8&s=books)
This is a really useful book - even before Ray got on the cover - and will help anyone interested in getting into tracking
Book wise, I like the
Hamlyn Guide, Animals - Tracks, Trails & Signs. ISBN 0 7537 0955 4
personally think it better than the Bang and Dahlstrom book,
burn the heretic! :cussing:
uh, no, on second thoughts, don't :bluThinki . i actually agree with him.
the hamlyn book has a bit more info on actual tracking, and a fair bit more about the animals and their habitats. very good indeed. :cool:
cheers, and.
Just looking back through this thread, and saw the question on fox tracks.
A foxes print will differ from a dogs in shape and size, but another tip is to draw a line from the front tip of the two outer pads on the print. The line may just touch the two central pads (front) or there will be a distinct gap, if the line cuts into the front pads then it belongs to a dog. The foxes central pad is also a lot further away from the front pads, and the print is pretty much symmetrical.
Hope that helps!
good tip there spamel i didnt know that
leon
hammock monkey
11-12-2006, 17:20
i'm no expert, but i found the bob carss sas guide to tracking absolutely excellent, goes to show that its different strokes for different folks!
The Animal tracks and signs book is also great, but for different reasons. its more factual 'this is a fox print etc' but the carss book will more likely get you into the mode of seeing the bigger picture.
reading both, then going out (prob take the At&s book for id'ing) then re-read the carss book at home and you'll learn pretty quick i'd expect. you need both aspects i think.
i was lucky enough to go on the woodlore tracking and awareness course a while ago and i learnt tons. the mearsmeister's words: "Honesty with yourself and those around you at all times" are the best tracking (actually - life) advice i've heard...and 'dont be afraid to get down on the floor and sniff!' :)
sharpening your senses is the best thing, and its free! just need to sit under a tree an chill for a few hours, you'll learn more than you'd expect, and if you're still you'll almost certainly see all manner of things that you've not seen before. i can see how people liken it to meditation, it probably is, but when you realise how sharp youre senses actually are (or can be) its mind blowing.
one of the woodlore instructors recommended me the sas book, i already had several others and i just wasnt quite getting it - hence the course - and the book was a real help... after the course it i now watch peoples tracks whenever i can (street, woods - where ever) and i see knew things all the time. sign is absolutely everywhere, all the time. its just a case of tuning into it.
i find it an amazing topic that just gets bigger and bigger.
animal behaviour is an awesome subject, tracking is kind of one and the same.
i think tracking is the greatest part of bushcraft, it's got everything. awareness and knowledge i guess are the ultimate goal, is for me anyway...and i can honestly say the more i know, the more i realise i dont know. whenever i go for a walk i find myself walking more and more slowly because there is just so much sign everywhere. love it!
if you can find a course and pay a deposit, then send a cheque when you've saved a bit more it's worth it...cant recommend it highly enough!
all the best.
p.s i watched an episode of 'the life of birds' at the weekend, and found out that a kestrel can see a wider part of the colour spectrum than us - urine has phosphorus in it and therefore glows under sunlight...which the kestrel can see and therefore knows where to hunt. hows that for sharp senses!