Cornio 0 Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 (edited) I'm not sure if I'm being blind or something, but I don't see a section on the subject of tracking animals. I have quite a big interest in it and find it an enjoyable pastime. Just wondering if anybody else practises this skill. Edited November 19, 2008 by Cornio Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thepriest 0 Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 I'm not sure if I'm being blind or something, but I don't see a section on the subject of tracking animals.I have quite a big interest in it and find it an enjoyable pastime. Just wondering if anybody else practises this skill. Cornio Theres a little bit of tracker in all of us. Its a fine art when its done properly. Anyone how hunts with dogs, ferrets, sets wires, or stalks deer Are following an acient instinct to observe their quarry and wereabouts. Whatever the end result is eg for food, fun or filming. Theres probaly isnt a section because it all ready covered anyway. Its just a matter of raising the point. And seeing how knowledgable all the others are on it really. We all know the basics, eg looking for fresh prints, runs. droppings and generally obsering our quarry. But real tracking goes a lot deeper than that. Most tracking is down to subtle things that most people miss. Even the most knowledgable fieldsporters. Ive been lucky enough to work with some really S@@t hot trackers in my time, Mainly in africa and the tropics. Mind you remember the easiest animal to track are humans, Their dead clumbsy lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cornio 0 Posted November 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Plenty of interest in this subject then. :search: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thepriest 0 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Plenty of interest in this subject then. :search: Nobody else has responded so we can put that down as another thread killer lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cornio 0 Posted November 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Seems as though it is, never mind! I'd have thought more people would have an interest in it. Not just looking for poo and footprints but proper tracking/stalking. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ghillies 209 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 (edited) it's some thing one person can stare at all day and not have a clue, the other just see's where it's going... i've shown people 'feilds of rat runs'..rediculous amounts of well used runns accross grass flats.. ''what you onabout'' they say..dohhhh it's there! lol.. or did you mean foot prints... nothing like recognising an old freinds boot from ten year ago lol. or seeing the fresh one on your route... like they traveling the same way as you? whose following who and how the hell they get passed without being notised? badger prints are the best about i recon.. big assed feet or what it's a bear i tell yu... or ''oh jeesus..seen the size of that pole cat foot print'' go scared and leave it at thet lol. end of the day the fabled Abbo tracking accros rock... i need at least a big clue to get started on... and... you have to put a lot of time in to get your eye in, can you imagine trying to photogragh or put into a one line article..'its a foot print' or see that sorta leaning grass, taint quite 'natural' think its a rabbit track from 2-3 minits ago... or worse...try depicting that 'feeling' yu get... Edited November 20, 2008 by ghillies Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coney 3 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Always interested in other peoples methods of tracking/stalking different types of quarry, especially air rifle quarry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kay 3,709 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Seems as though it is, never mind!I'd have thought more people would have an interest in it. Not just looking for poo and footprints but proper tracking/stalking. I am currently on the look out for the red deer by my house & thats what i am finding plenty of tracks & poo but no deer . so i am going to vary the times i go down where they are & hopefully get a pic of one Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waz 4,274 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 I'm not sure if I'm being blind or something, but I don't see a section on the subject of tracking animals.I have quite a big interest in it and find it an enjoyable pastime. Just wondering if anybody else practises this skill. Do a lot of tracking, most of the time its boar tracking so as we know what sector to hunt, also love to follow badger tracks. Theres a small herd of red deer not far from me, when I get time ill have a little scan round for tracks. Ive got a good little book with plenty of european mammal tracks in. Ill have a look for the authors name and the title in a bit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dogs-n-natives 1,182 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Ive tried proper tracking, of deer with the intention of shooting them, but if it goes on a long way i usually lose track of them!!! But whenever it snows i ALWAYS track foxes on the hills and usually with good results! But then its much easier in the snow like, and il have some decent scenting /running dogs out who will help out when we close in on him. Im talking about tracking an animal, following it by carefully looking for the tracks/fur/blood/ or any sign showing the animals path. I have a lot of respect for real trackers , people with the skills to see the almost invisible signs of the direction the hunted animal has gone, its not easy at all. Is this what you do Cornio? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
farlap 19 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Ive tried proper tracking, of deer with the intention of shooting them, but if it goes on a long way i usually lose track of them!!! But whenever it snows i ALWAYS track foxes on the hills and usually with good results! But then its much easier in the snow like, and il have some decent scenting /running dogs out who will help out when we close in on him. Im talking about tracking an animal, following it by carefully looking for the tracks/fur/blood/ or any sign showing the animals path. I have a lot of respect for real trackers , people with the skills to see the almost invisible signs of the direction the hunted animal has gone, its not easy at all. Is this what you do Cornio? My OH is like hiawatha everytime we go somewhere...anywhere.....hes always pointing and saying...oh look at that run or that snapped twig where a fox has ctrossed etc......and hes always out laying sand round holes and tripwires of straw just so he can see who and when has passed through his patch......its almost an obsession with him!!! so you are not alone mate! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scothunter 12,609 Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 Lot of tracking goes on in here.granted its mostly back tracking! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cornio 0 Posted November 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 Is this what you do Cornio? It's something I've had an interest in since I was a kid and it's followed me into my adulthood. A walk in the woods is a different experience for someone with a bit of tracking knowledge than it is for other people. It's not all about looking for poo and footprints - that's the easy part! If it was as easy as that, everybody could do it and you certainly don't go from footstep to footstep. You want to be catching up with what you're tracking, not spending 1/2 an hour looking for the next footprint when you've already got a general direction and will pick up the trail further ahead. You learn how the animal thinks, what its primary sense are, where it's likely to be or where it's likely to be heading. You notice things out of the ordinary - overturned leaf, mud on top of a leaf, a stone or pebble that's been moved, all the while you're in your mind zooming in and out on the environment. Sometimes you're up close and looking at microscopic things, the next you step back, look around and take in the area as a whole. Yeah, great fun and best of all, it doesn't cost any money whatsoever. You learn about your quarry and it certainly unlocks some sort of primeval instinct that's tucked away in all of us. I'm no expert by any means and make mistakes, but each time I do, it reinforces my knowledge base for next time and is very much a part of the learning process. As ghillie said earlier, some people can see it straight away and others just haven't got the eye. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ghillies 209 Posted November 21, 2008 Report Share Posted November 21, 2008 Seems as though it is, never mind!I'd have thought more people would have an interest in it. Not just looking for poo and footprints but proper tracking/stalking. I am currently on the look out for the red deer by my house & thats what i am finding plenty of tracks & poo but no deer . so i am going to vary the times i go down where they are & hopefully get a pic of one take wet wipes with you...pich up a poo see if its warm.. sounds like a joke but some times you'll get one 'still steaming' as they say, that means you probably alerted them/scared them off... the wet wipes are for the tulmerus and yellow fever and tb and and and etc.....washum handies pleases lol. another is use your nose for the scent...simlar like fox but smells delish lol.. or does to me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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