Chapter 48: Tracking and Stalking
“The first track is the end of a string. At the far end, a being is moving; a mystery, dropping a hint about itself every so many feet, telling you more about itself until you can almost see it, even before you come to it. The mystery reveals itself slowly, track by track, giving its genealogy early to coax you in. Further on, it will tell you the intimate details of its life and work, until you know the maker of the track like a lifelong friend.” Tom Brown Jr., The Tracker
I first read Tom Brown Jr. the second summer of my summer camp career. Tom Brown Jr. Field Guide Wilderness Survival, was the first of his many books that I had the pleasure of reading. I liked how he taught in his book almost like I would imagine he would teach in a physical class. It made me dream of attending one of his classes. I have yet to take one of his courses, but I have self-taught from his book work. I especially enjoy shelter building and my children enjoy trap and snare building. Both of these skills require you to notice what is around you and what may be coming or going on certain paths to allow you to catch your dinner, if need be. Tracking and stalking almost takes more skill, in a way. To build a shelter you must know which direction to orient it, how to properly insulate it against the weather, and most importantly, how to make sure it won’t fall down on you in the night. To trap and snare an animal, you must study where it is going or where it has been and figure out the best method for catching it. To track and stalk, however, you must be able to study the animal and where it is going or where it has been, but you must also be able to move slowly and silently to follow it. For this skill you are not setting a trap and leaving it, but you are trying to sneak up on the animal while it may be on the move.
I have yet to actually need to track and stalk an animal for the sole purpose of food. More often than not it is for the sole purpose of knowledge attained. I love to see where an animal may be heading and follow its game trail to the edge of the water or a nice feeding ground. There is so much that can be learned by taking the path of an animal and gaining wisdom about its habits as well as its habitat. When you hike with children, you should encourage the thrill of “going down the rabbit holes” to discover new and different wonders.
Our family went on a few little hikes this weekend. One was on our own property, another at a state park. The one on our property we were searching for different plants to identify and found an animal’s path to water and a beautiful garden spider. The kids were first captivated by the intricate and strong web and then they were fascinated by watching this bright yellow spider hurry over to an insect stuck in the web. They took the time to watch it spin its web all around the insect and take it back to the center of the web for future eating. We weren’t tracking this animal down a path, but we were taking the time to observe its patterns and behavior. Our hike at the state park took us down a few different “rabbit holes”. We decided to find as many fungi as possible. With three extra little pairs of eyes we found a multitude of fungi, some high up in trees and some way down low on the ground under plants. The fun part was seeing and hearing their excitement when they realized that they were observant enough to have found a different species than before. It made us all realize how many different decomposers God created that are beautiful and rich in color. It also helped remind us to take the time to observe and look on a hike. Reaching a destination is fun, but getting there and learning along the way is even more exciting.
Oftentimes in life and in the camping world, you will lose the ability to track and stalk an animal. Life becomes so hurried that you almost don’t see the forest for the trees, much less the set of racoon prints leading you down the trail. Learning and teaching our campers and children how to be quiet in the woods, to listen to nature and look to see what all is visible, smell the different plants and decomposers, and feel the different textures of leaves and plants, will allow them to become skilled observers who may one day use those lessons to successfully track and stalk an animal; or at least learn all they can about it so they can teach others the art of stillness and observation.
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