trac:tracking

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trac:tracking [2025/12/23 12:03] – Dave Darbytrac:tracking [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-# Tracking+This topic is part of [[gt:bushcraft|Bushcraft & Nature]]. 
 +====== Tracking ======
  
  
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-## What is tracking?+===== What is tracking? =====
  
 Tracking is the art and science of detecting, identifying and following signs left by animals. A ‘sign’ is anything that indicates that an animal is or has been in the area, or tells you about its behaviour. Some examples of signs (or 'spoors') are: tracks (footprints); trails or runs (pathways made by animals); scat (poo) or urine; beds (resting or sleeping places); calls or cries; burrows or dens (living or breeding areas); rubs (fur, hair or feathers left by intentional or accidental rubbing against objects such as trees); shed skins; evidence of feeding; and scratches or bite marks on trees or vegetation, among many others. The animal being tracked is sometimes referred to as the ‘quarry’, particularly when hunted. Expert trackers are able to ‘read’ the ground in front of them like a newspaper - to identify a specific animal, get information about its activities, hypothesise about its movements and follow its trail for several days - all from the signs it leaves behind. Tracking is used in hunting, conservation or research - or simply for the sheer pleasure of finding and observing animals in their natural habitat. Tracking is the art and science of detecting, identifying and following signs left by animals. A ‘sign’ is anything that indicates that an animal is or has been in the area, or tells you about its behaviour. Some examples of signs (or 'spoors') are: tracks (footprints); trails or runs (pathways made by animals); scat (poo) or urine; beds (resting or sleeping places); calls or cries; burrows or dens (living or breeding areas); rubs (fur, hair or feathers left by intentional or accidental rubbing against objects such as trees); shed skins; evidence of feeding; and scratches or bite marks on trees or vegetation, among many others. The animal being tracked is sometimes referred to as the ‘quarry’, particularly when hunted. Expert trackers are able to ‘read’ the ground in front of them like a newspaper - to identify a specific animal, get information about its activities, hypothesise about its movements and follow its trail for several days - all from the signs it leaves behind. Tracking is used in hunting, conservation or research - or simply for the sheer pleasure of finding and observing animals in their natural habitat.
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-### History+==== History ====
  
 Humans have been tracking since prehistoric times. For early hunter-gatherer societies, the ability to find food or detect threats to the community literally meant the difference between life and death, and the development of tracking skills would have increased the chances of a successful hunt. Tracking was necessary not just to find the quarry in the first place, but also to follow the trail of a wounded animal if it wasn’t immediately killed. Over the intervening millennia, tracking skills have gradually been lost by most cultures as tools and technology have allowed us to evolve past subsistence living, culminating in the near-total disconnection from our food sources experienced by many in the developed world today. While many cultures still practice different forms of hunting, technologies such as telescopic rifle scopes have removed the need to get close to the quarry, and today only very few indigenous cultures still use tracking for survival. Humans have been tracking since prehistoric times. For early hunter-gatherer societies, the ability to find food or detect threats to the community literally meant the difference between life and death, and the development of tracking skills would have increased the chances of a successful hunt. Tracking was necessary not just to find the quarry in the first place, but also to follow the trail of a wounded animal if it wasn’t immediately killed. Over the intervening millennia, tracking skills have gradually been lost by most cultures as tools and technology have allowed us to evolve past subsistence living, culminating in the near-total disconnection from our food sources experienced by many in the developed world today. While many cultures still practice different forms of hunting, technologies such as telescopic rifle scopes have removed the need to get close to the quarry, and today only very few indigenous cultures still use tracking for survival.
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-## What are the benefits of tracking?+===== What are the benefits of tracking? =====
  
-### Self-provisioning / personal+==== Self-provisioning / personal ====
  
 Along with other bushcraft skills, the ability to track and hunt provides you with the means to survive from the land. Gaining any skills around harvesting food from the wild can help meet your you and your family’s needs (especially in times of food shortages) for free, in a way that can bring a lot of satisfaction. Tracking piques an ancient interest and primal connection to the Earth and to our ancestors; we're here today largely because of their ability to use these same skills. Along with other bushcraft skills, the ability to track and hunt provides you with the means to survive from the land. Gaining any skills around harvesting food from the wild can help meet your you and your family’s needs (especially in times of food shortages) for free, in a way that can bring a lot of satisfaction. Tracking piques an ancient interest and primal connection to the Earth and to our ancestors; we're here today largely because of their ability to use these same skills.
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 Like any outdoor pursuit, tracking is great for getting you up and moving and keeping you in shape. It teaches you discipline and patience and provides great mental stimulation. Humans are puzzle-solvers by nature and few riddles are more enjoyable than trying to decipher the ground in front of you and delve into the recent past to figure out what an animal has been up to. Like any outdoor pursuit, tracking is great for getting you up and moving and keeping you in shape. It teaches you discipline and patience and provides great mental stimulation. Humans are puzzle-solvers by nature and few riddles are more enjoyable than trying to decipher the ground in front of you and delve into the recent past to figure out what an animal has been up to.
  
-### Decentralising power away from corporations+==== Decentralising power away from corporations ====
  
 Providing things for ourselves helps prevent extraction, which decentralises power away from corporations (which makes it more difficult for them to corrupt democracy). With tracking skills for hunting, we can help provide ourselves and our communities with wild meat, without having to give money to corporate supermarkets. Providing things for ourselves helps prevent extraction, which decentralises power away from corporations (which makes it more difficult for them to corrupt democracy). With tracking skills for hunting, we can help provide ourselves and our communities with wild meat, without having to give money to corporate supermarkets.
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-### Building community and preparing for any potential collapse scenarios+==== Building community and preparing for any potential collapse scenarios ====
  
 In case of any kind of collapse scenario (broken supply chains, environmental destruction, financial crash, war, civil unrest etc.), we're going to have to look after ourselves in our communities, and so the more people with useful skills the better. If broken supply chains mean food shortages, the ability to track and hunt wild game such as deer, rabbits, pigeons etc. might mean the difference between life and death. In case of any kind of collapse scenario (broken supply chains, environmental destruction, financial crash, war, civil unrest etc.), we're going to have to look after ourselves in our communities, and so the more people with useful skills the better. If broken supply chains mean food shortages, the ability to track and hunt wild game such as deer, rabbits, pigeons etc. might mean the difference between life and death.
  
-### Environmental+==== Environmental ====
  
 Understanding animals can help conquer the innate fear and ignorance that sometimes leads to them being needlessly killed, harmed or otherwise interfered with. Tracking is an important part of sustainable hunting practices, not only to find the animal in the first place, but also to follow it and finish it off if wounded. and is potentially lower impact than other methods of hunting such as baiting (since artificially providing a source of food alters the behaviour of other animals in the vicinity). Understanding animals can help conquer the innate fear and ignorance that sometimes leads to them being needlessly killed, harmed or otherwise interfered with. Tracking is an important part of sustainable hunting practices, not only to find the animal in the first place, but also to follow it and finish it off if wounded. and is potentially lower impact than other methods of hunting such as baiting (since artificially providing a source of food alters the behaviour of other animals in the vicinity).
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 To be a good tracker you need patience, determination, perseverance, keen observation skills and the ability to stay still and quiet, to keep motivated when the trail gets hard to follow and, most importantly, to keep an open mind and be able to put yourself in the animal’s position to extrapolate about its activity and intentions. You need to develop a heightened “540° awareness” of what’s going on around you (i.e. all around and up above; some animals like to get up trees). Trackers also need to cultivate an encyclopaedic knowledge of animal species and behaviours, the sounds they make and the environments they live in, including types of vegetation and seasonal changes. To be a good tracker you need patience, determination, perseverance, keen observation skills and the ability to stay still and quiet, to keep motivated when the trail gets hard to follow and, most importantly, to keep an open mind and be able to put yourself in the animal’s position to extrapolate about its activity and intentions. You need to develop a heightened “540° awareness” of what’s going on around you (i.e. all around and up above; some animals like to get up trees). Trackers also need to cultivate an encyclopaedic knowledge of animal species and behaviours, the sounds they make and the environments they live in, including types of vegetation and seasonal changes.
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 Tracking isn’t a particularly dangerous activity in the UK, which has few large predators or poisonous animals. However, it’s still important to be aware of what can harm you in nature (stinging plants or insects, or snakes like adders, for example). Some trackers recommend not handling scat with your bare hands, though its contents do yield a lot of information (definitely wash your hands well before handling food either way). As with any outdoor activity, a little common sense goes a long way: take plenty of food, water, a map or GPS, appropriate clothing and footwear, check the weather forecast, keep your phone fully charged and let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be back. Tracking isn’t a particularly dangerous activity in the UK, which has few large predators or poisonous animals. However, it’s still important to be aware of what can harm you in nature (stinging plants or insects, or snakes like adders, for example). Some trackers recommend not handling scat with your bare hands, though its contents do yield a lot of information (definitely wash your hands well before handling food either way). As with any outdoor activity, a little common sense goes a long way: take plenty of food, water, a map or GPS, appropriate clothing and footwear, check the weather forecast, keep your phone fully charged and let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be back.
  
 +===== Forum =====
  
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:bushcraft|Bushcraft & Nature]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/bushcraft).
  
-## Further resources+===== Further resources =====
  
 - [the Stalking Directory](https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/) - deer stalking forum - [the Stalking Directory](https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/) - deer stalking forum
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 - [Tracker certification (N America)](https://trackercertification.com/) - [Tracker certification (N America)](https://trackercertification.com/)
 - [CyberTracker](https://cybertracker.org/) - combining indigenous tracking skills with new tech - [CyberTracker](https://cybertracker.org/) - combining indigenous tracking skills with new tech
-- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_(hunting)) 
 - [Nature Tracking](https://naturetracking.com/) - identify animal tracks - [Nature Tracking](https://naturetracking.com/) - identify animal tracks
 +- [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_(hunting)|Wikipedia on tracking]]
  
  
  
-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Related topics ===== 
 + 
 +- [[ntaw:Nature awareness]] 
 +- [[skin:Skins|Skins & hides]] 
 +- [[game:Game|Game / wild meat]] 
 +- [[bowm:bow_making|Bow making]] 
 +- [[bush:bushcraft|Bushcraft]] 
 +- [[navi:Navigation]] 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 +===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
  • trac/tracking.1766491410.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2025/12/23 12:03
  • by Dave Darby