Article Presented by:
William 'Cole' Doggett
Let Me Qualify My Experience Before We Dig Into The Good Stuff.
I've spent many hours in the very hot sun and in very tough environments tracking human beings through some of the roughest terrain I believe has ever been tromped across by man. There is nothing more exciting than the chase and nothing better than succeeding in finding what or who you are looking for.
I spent 4 years in the U.S. Army on an intelligence gathering team, also known as an Army sniper team. I've tracked men through some nasty desert terrain in the Middle East in an attempt to determine their intentions or to simply gather intelligence.
I also spent 5 years with the United States Border Patrol. I've been on search and rescue teams as well as involved in tracking folks who enter the country illegally for their own reasons or who are here smuggling narcotics to distribute to those within our borders.
Whatever the reason, tracking is sort of an acquired craft that I have honed over time. It must be applied repeatedly be learned and there is nothing more exciting than learning. I'm not going to claim that it is brain surgery, but I will tell you that it requires quite a bit of patience and fortitude.
The Traits Of The Tracker.
To begin with, there are no stereotypes that make a good tracker. Anyone can do it given the right mindset and a grasp on what needs to be observed.
Be patient. I've followed 'sign' or tracks that I thought was a few hours old to find out that these folks were already a day ahead of me or in the next state over, but I won't admit that often. I've also pursued tracks that gave me a gut feeling that I was on the heels of my evaders and wound up tripping over them as they relaxed while taking a breather.
My advice here is to never allow your emotions to dictate your situation or progress. Tracking is mostly an instinctive skill that is based on attention and 'gut feeling'. You will hone both as you practice.
Shake hands with Mother Nature. One fault I see in a lot of trackers is that they ignore their surroundings and lock their eyes onto the tracks about their feet and just drive on with their nose in the dirt. They don't look up and they don't pay attention to what's going on around them. This can even be dangerous in different environments. It also can allow the tracker to fall for deception.
A lot of the folks that are evading the tracker are aware they are being pursued. With that in mind, they'll throw out little tricks to throw off the tracker like brushing out tracks with weeds and limbs. They may even walk in a double pair of socks to distort the print. I've seen them stroll to another set of tracks to attempt to blend in.
If you're not careful, you'll miss where they departed the old set of tracks and wondered off in another direction. Listen to what nature is telling you. Are the animals out and about? Are the birds singing? Do you see stepped on brush or broken twigs? Pay attention.
Time of day can be very important to your success. I will tell you now that there is nothing more difficult than attempting to follow 'sign' at noon when the sun is straight up above your head. It is extremely difficult to see the sign much less, judge how fresh it is. My advice, wait a few hours before pursuing or my next tip, try the 'cut ahead'.
The cut ahead is also something that is gut instinct. Nobody can teach you how to cut ahead of sign. You simply must open your eyes, relax, get rid of the frustration and emotion and then scan your surroundings. Don't over think it, just look. Where would you go? Pick out a direction or a trail that appears to be the easiest and most natural route of travel.
Think about your evader. Have they been moving cautiously, or have they been kicking over everything in their path like an old lazy cow? Are they heading in a particular direction? Is there a land mark out there that they've been following such as a windmill, a tower, a hill or maybe a tree line?
You've got to take all of this in. There's so much more available to you than the tracks in the dirt.
Relax. If you haven't picked up on it by now, I emphasize relaxation. Enjoy your surroundings and pay attention to them. You may think I'm a fruit loop, but I believe that you can separate yourself from nature by your emotional frustrations or whatever you're feeling. When you do this, you're on your own.
Nature is not like your trusty buddy or side-kick. Nature owns it all, including you. Either you harmonize, call me what you will, or you lose.
The Signs To Heed.
The track, of course, is the first clue. Look at the indentation. Get down and dirty. Lie on your belly and take a close look at the track. Are the edges of the track sharp? Is the wind blowing? Take it all in. Commonly, the heel will dig in before the toe. The majority of the pressure in a step is on the heel, so this will be a bit deeper.
The sharpness of the edges of the track will give you an accurate reading of how fresh the tracks are. Take into consideration how the wind has been blowing or not blowing. Has there been any dew or condensation in the morning, this actually will preserve a track a bit.
Early morning tracking is where it's at. You can see the trail kind of glow at this time of day. I've seen it 100' above the ground in a helicopter. Look for the trail to be a different color than the surroundings. Let your eyes study this for a bit and it will pop out like you wouldn't believe.
Look for arrows pointing the way. When someone steps on a twig or a blade of grass, it will break of course. The pressure of the foot will actually shove the twig forward snapping it at the point of impact. This will form a rough arrow. The point of the arrow is the direction your evader is going. Brain surgery, right?
Wrapping It All Up.
That's it. As I've said, it's not brain surgery. Practice patience and persistence. Even when failing to locate your evader, you've succeeded in sharpening your instincts. Learn to love nature and become a part of it. Good luck on your tracking adventures!
About the Author:
William "Cole" Doggett, Owner - Knife & Supply Company, LLC.
Great prices and super-fast shipping on a massive selection of knives, swords, law enforcement, military and camping gear. Good personal service. Come visit my shop and drop an email.
http://www.KnifeSupplyCompany.com
mailto:KnifeSupplyCo@yahoo.com
