Tracking for Search and Rescue
Last year, Ian “Max” Maxwell’s Tracking course at UKLSI, got me thinking about how to integrate Tracking into the management of a vulnerable missing person search. Whilst I had some initial thoughts these were based entirely in ignorance – I’d never done any tracking, nor watched it. So I set out to learn more about it.
I bought a copy of books to start with;
- Bob Carss – The Complete Guide to Tracking
- Tom Brown – The Science and Art of Tracking
- and Bang and Dahlstrom’s – Animal Tracks and Signs
I also went out a few times with the children into the woods, looking for “sign”. I was amazed at how much I could see, with so little instruction and practice. I had suddenly become a convert to the importance of, at the very least, Track Awareness for all searchers!
A few months ago I watched a Discovery Science TV program entitled “The Science of Tracking” which re-inspired me to look again at Tracking and I went out and purchased another Tracking book, this time more Search and Rescue based, Jack Kearney’s – Tracking: A Blueprint for Learning How.
And again it reinforced the usefulness of this skill in Search and Rescue. I have to say at this point that I do not believe in the use of Tracking Teams in lowland search in the UK for all searches – although there are some which obviously cry out for Tracking Teams! More that Search and Rescue Volunteers understand more about Tracking and Sign, and that those with sufficient time to practice [the most important feature of a good tracker by far!] do so.
I’m very tempted to write some more on Tracking, Tracking Skills and maybe even set up some aging stands or similar and photograph the effects on sign of time and weather.
December 10, 2009
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Robert Bradley · 
One Comment
Tags: Animal Tracks and Sign, Bang and Dahlstrom, Bob Carss, Complete Guide to Tracking, Jack Kearney, Mantracking, Science and Art of Tracking, Search and Rescue Tracking, Search and Rescue Volunteers, Sign, Sign Cutting, Tom Brown, Track Aware, Tracking, Tracking A Blueprint for Learning How, Tracking Team, Vulnerable Missing Person Search · Posted in: Search Books, Search Thoughts, Search Training
One Response
Greetings I am a tracker living in British Columbia Canada. I have trained with JHPTS tracking services for nearly 30 years, Contact me by e mail and I can send you lots of info..
K Deckert ,Journeyman tracker
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