Learn How To Track

“For me, tracking is an educational process that opens the door to an animal’s life – and to our own.”  — Paul Rezendes, The Wild Within

Invariably, you’ll have to find a moving target in your life. Inanimate objects don’t move on their own, but people and animals do. Whether this is searching for animals in nature for photography or trying to locate a missing person, finding your objective requires skills in tracking.

Excelling in life takes skill. Tracking an animal or person starts with the simple step of observation¹. All of you senses come into play while looking and listening for signs. Be patient and look around for any and all clues of disturbance. Understanding the environment will help give you a starting point. Animals frequent transition areas of the landscape². Think forest to field or field to stream areas. Look around these locations for paw prints in dirt or mud, chew marks or scratches, or scat. These rules often hold true when tracking a person. Humans eventually need food and water. Any actions towards this will leave signs behind to follow.

In learning how to track, start small. Practice your observation skills in your own backyard. Try and figure out what animals (or people) have passed through your area. If you live by the beach, practice identifying footprints and walking styles in the sand with friends. This can also be done in muddy locations. Experiment and play games during the process, think adult hide and seek. Remember, the only way to get better at it is to spend time in the dirt.

Action: Practice your tracking this week.

Further Reading:

1. Tips from a Military Combat Tracker to Jumpstart your Tracking Knowledge
2. Outdoor Action Guide to Animal Tracking