View Full Version : Tracking books
Elliott_skinner
13-02-2009, 21:57
Hi all,
I'm New to the forum (and bushcraft/tracking) but thought id get a post going.
What tracking books do you have?
i have just purchased animal tracks and signs by Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstorm from Amazon. its a great book! it is a hardback A5 book so great size to put in a bag or large pocket, and it goes over all the signs like tracks, scat and feeding signs.
Elliott
rancid badger
13-02-2009, 23:26
Hello there Elliot,
I have a copy of "Mammals of Britain" "their tracks, trails and signs by M.J.Lawrence & R.W.Brown.
It's pretty comprehensive, as it has details of not just the animals tracks but their skeletal structure, teeth, droppings, diet and for the smaller mammals; details of owl pellet id, enabling you to collect the pellets and identify both the species of owl and what they have been feeding on.
Welcome to the site by the way:)
good to have you along.
all the best
Steve
hammock monkey
14-02-2009, 07:48
I've got a good few tracking books,
to me there is a clear distinction between books designed for ID'ing sign, and actual tracking. The preben book is great for ID'ing, there are plenty around that are good although there's yet to be the definitive bible.
I'd like much more info on each animal with several photos, its behaviour etc - the bigger the better.
in terms of tracking there are 2 that stand out, Bob Carss SAS tracking and the old scouting manual 'Training in Tracking'....both are amazing, cant recommend them enough!
Elliott_skinner
14-02-2009, 13:26
That sounds like a great idea for a book. have one halve dedicated to identifying sign and the other halve having a good amount of information on the animals. especially on habits, location, feeding etc.
I will look up those books. esp if they are as good as you say they are!!
ES
I've got a good few tracking books,
to me there is a clear distinction between books designed for ID'ing sign, and actual tracking. The preben book is great for ID'ing, there are plenty around that are good although there's yet to be the definitive bible.
I'd like much more info on each animal with several photos, its behaviour etc - the bigger the better.
in terms of tracking there are 2 that stand out, Bob Carss SAS tracking and the old scouting manual 'Training in Tracking'....both are amazing, cant recommend them enough!
VirusKiller
14-02-2009, 14:30
Elliot, there are a couple of books linked to at the bottom of this course page.
http://www.woodsmoke.uk.com/p/v//Courses/Tracker+Course/
Edit: I see you've got the Bang and Dahlstrom.
hammock monkey
15-02-2009, 09:32
That sounds like a great idea for a book. have one halve dedicated to identifying sign and the other halve having a good amount of information on the animals. especially on habits, location, feeding etc.
I will look up those books. esp if they are as good as you say they are!!
ES
A gigantic 'keep at home tome' with prints in all the likely environments and all the other types of sign with photo's of teeth, all food eaten, different behaviour at different times of year, mating behaviour, pregnant behaviour, with and without young etc etc would be fantastic.
Animal behaviour is fascinating to me, each animal has a different character and personality. It'd be almost impossible to assemble a book like this but its achievable on a forum. The Wild About Britain Forum (http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/mammal-forums/29095-tracks-and-signs-images-needed.html) is attempting it - and doing very well. Its the closest thing there is to what we're talking about in the world that I know of.
Imagine it in 20 yrs!
I think the Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstorm book is very good for track ID. It's got some good quality pics.
The Lawrence and Brown book goes a few steps further and helps you identify gaits.
You might want to consider Ian "Max" Mawell's book Animal tracks ID and Techniques. This one has the benefit of being pocket sized.
Of course there's the Tom Brown Jnr books that goes more into the spititual side of tracking.
You have to be aware that each and every one of these books has got some sort or error somewhere, so be a little aware of this.
At Woodlife (http://www.woodlife.ning.com) we're trying to build a Tracks and Signs Library (http://woodlife.ning.com/photo/album/show?id=2085662%3AAlbum%3A7421 ) as well. You may have to log in to see the page.
Elliott_skinner
19-02-2009, 21:04
I've got a good few tracking books,
to me there is a clear distinction between books designed for ID'ing sign, and actual tracking. The preben book is great for ID'ing, there are plenty around that are good although there's yet to be the definitive bible.
I'd like much more info on each animal with several photos, its behaviour etc - the bigger the better.
in terms of tracking there are 2 that stand out, Bob Carss SAS tracking and the old scouting manual 'Training in Tracking'....both are amazing, cant recommend them enough!
Thanks for this. Just got the Bob crass book and its great. its exactly what i was looking for.
thanks again
ES
robadams
22-02-2009, 17:20
Hi,
Are all the books mentioned specific to Europe? I only ask because I am off to Ghana for a couple of years and want to get some good books to aid myself and my family in identifying the wildlife, especially the ones that may want to sting, bite or eat us,
Regards
hammock monkey
23-02-2009, 21:15
Hi,
Are all the books mentioned specific to Europe? I only ask because I am off to Ghana for a couple of years and want to get some good books to aid myself and my family in identifying the wildlife, especially the ones that may want to sting, bite or eat us,
Regards
Hi,
As far as actual tracking goes, yes, they're relevant - but not for ID'ing - you'll definately want region specific knowledge :)
FYI
Complete Guide to Tracking: Concealment, Night Movement, and All Forms of Pursuit Following Tracks, Trails and Signs, Using 22 SAS Techniques (Paperback)
The complete guide to tracking any living thing in any environment.
by Bob Carss (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books-uk&field-author=Bob%20Carss) (Author)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Right Way (26 Mar 2009)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0716022052
ISBN-13: 978-0716022053
£6.74 on Amazon.co.uk
Trackerman
06-03-2009, 07:08
FYI
Complete Guide to Tracking: Concealment, Night Movement, and All Forms of Pursuit Following Tracks, Trails and Signs, Using 22 SAS Techniques (Paperback)
Hello V8Mondo!
Do you have that book?
Trackerman, I don't think that book is out yet. I have just placed a pre-order with Amazon for it. Will PM you once i have got it and give you a heads up to tell you if its worth getting.
Trackerman
07-03-2009, 07:43
Trackerman, Will PM you once i have got it and give you a heads up to tell you if its worth getting.
Oh,please do that! Thank you, very kind of you.
I have "The SAS Guide to Tracking" by Bob Carss, and I really like that book. It would be interesting to compare these books, to see if there is more information about tracking.
Right , Have recieved the above book now and will study it further , but on 1st glance it would appear to be just a reprint of his 1st book in a handy A5 format.
Little bit disappointed , but as i said 1st glanc so far , if i get the chance i will cross ref with the original to see if anything new is in there.
Would'nt at this point recommend as an additional purchase , but if you have neither may be worth picking up as handy size , but i think some pictures have been omitted.
superc0ntra
23-03-2009, 21:18
I got Preben & Prebens book in swedish and I think it's outstanding for animal tracking. I also got the SAS book by Carss which seems allright but I haven't really put tracking humans into practice. It makes sense though.
superc0ntra
24-03-2009, 14:11
Does anyone have or have read Tactical Tracking Ops by David Scott-Donelan. Don't think I'll ever put it to practical use but I'm considering buying it for fun and information and just want a second opinion.
Edit: I bought it myself and it's a very good book focusing on tracking people. Several of the chapters don't apply to me, weapons, counter ambush etc. but are a fun read anyway, and there are several anecdotes from the writers days in the Rhodesian bush war. I can definitely recommend it if you are interested in man-tracking.