Trailing Workshop with Nate Harvey

Tracker Certification North America

Introductory Trailing Workshop

Evaluators with Tracker Certification North America (TCNA) now conduct Introductory Trailing Workshops for participants to understand the skills that are assessed at CyberTracker’s Trailing Evaluations and to learn basic practices for following and viewing animals undisturbed.

Clear directions about how to move efficiently on a trail and what to practice will help students avoid common pitfalls that stall our progress. We review the scoresheet that Evaluators use at Trailing Evaluations so folks know what to expect when attending one.

The Certification system is separated into two aspects: 1) Track & Sign Identification; and 2) Trailing. Together, they represent the holistic skill of Tracking.

As an example of the intricate relationship between the two skill sets, a tracker on trail is constantly assessing how the tracks and signs they are identifying along the way might also relate to the trail they are following. At a recent Trailing Evaluation, the tracker was following a white-tailed buck who was courting a doe. As the trail passed a tamarack sapling showing signs of antler rubbing, the tracker indicated to the Evaluator that the rub was made by an animal whose tracks were both bigger and a day or two older than the tracks she was following. Being able to identify tracks and sign accurately is critically important to successful trailing.

Participants at the Introductory Trailing Workshop can expect to deepen their appreciation of how the two modules of CyberTracker Evaluations represent the single skill set of Trackers and how the practices of Trailing are important in a tracker’s development.

Structure:

The Introductory Trailing Workshop occurs over two days. Each day consists of both conceptual discussions and field exercises. Topics include:

• Where to go trailing and how to cut for tracks to follow
• Aging spoor and what a fresh track looks like
• Following a trail with proper form
• How to relocate a trail after losing it
• Stealth, alarm calls and animal communication, and wind movement
• Hazards of the landscape
• The history of CyberTracker and what to expect at a Trailing Evaluation

Both days will be outside in the field, so bring appropriate clothing for the weather, food, and water for the day. The class will run from approximately 9 am to 4 pm including a lunch break. The nature of this workshop is introductory; therefore, we can accommodate up to eight participants and provide a rich learning experience. Each student will have the opportunity to be lead tracker and practice the mechanics of trailing with guided instruction from a CyberTracker Evaluator & Senior Tracker.

Logistics:

The maximum number of participants for this course is eight people. 

The Introductory Trailing Workshop is designed to happen in almost any conditions. You do not need a vast wilderness with exotic large animals to host this event. Primarily we require a natural landscape where it is legal to walk off-trail. In the absence of hoofed animals we will use pre-laid human trails for practice (and it is likely we will start the first day with human trails, and may run the entire workshop using human trails for practice and to elucidate techniques).