animal tracks 1

8/7/2019 animal tracks 1

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Anatomy of a Break

Joseph Longshore II

Part of sign tracking is finding and analyzing breaks in vegetation. These are good evidence ofthe passing of an animal or person. Careful analysis of the break can show when it was broken,

from which direction, how fast the animal/person was moving, etc.

Track Compression Basics

Joe Longshore II

Here are some basic factors about track and debris compressions.


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The size of track left behind by the animal will is affected by the hardness of the substrate of the

track. At the extreme end of the scale towards softness is snow - tracks left in snow can be quitea bit larger than those made on regular soil.


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Each type of animal leaves behind its own distinct "compression shape" on the ground or debris.

This may be enough to identify what type of animal it is that's making the tracks.

Here is an overview of the more common compression shapes.

Pressure Releases

Joe Longshore II

Characteristics of the track walls can reveal changes of direction and speed in the animal's

motion. Here is an overview, along with some terminology.


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Tom Brown Jr has developed terminology to refer to the signs left behind by changes in direction

and speed as revealed in the track.


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Here is an overview of Tom Brown's system of analysis and terminology with respect tochanging or maintaining forward motion.

Some more terminology...


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According to Tom Brown, aspects of the animal's behavior as subtle as which direction it islooking are revealed in the pressure releases it leaves behind.

And also the position of its head.


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1 Box. Each soil has its own unique quality, which is the way the soil holds together whencrushed. Some soils have loose adhesive quality when dry out while others become like cement.

Crushed when they dry out while others become like cement. Crushed sand and sandcombinations seem to have the highest crust factors. Water content of the soil increases adhesive

quality, while over saturation decreases adhesive quality.2. Box: Zone 1 (Crust zone) is very subject to the influence of dew and weather. This zone showsthe highest adhesive quality. Most times these adhesive characters are apparent in all soils to

some degree. However if a track is made when the soil is dry then adhesive quality is minimized

we should read the edge of the crust zone.3. Box: Zone 2 (Center or wall zone) shows the most weathering especially when the adhesive

qualities are at their highest. Track depth is a factor. Sometimes wall degradation will actuallyundercut Zone 1.

4. Box: Zone 3 (Floor zone) is where most weathering debris is collected. The debris that hasfallen to the floor will have little or no adhesive quality. The natural floor will have the most

adhesive quality because it is the area of highest track pressure. Pressure releases here arepreserved due to the high adhesive quality and are protected by the loose weather debris.


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Tracking Stick Use

Joe Longshore II

A tracking stick is a very useful tool to use while tracking. Its main value lies in assisting you

with finding the next track in a series that you have been following.

In its most basic use, you mark out, on the stick, the length of the stride of the animal you have

been following. Of course, the stride will vary, but you will obtain an average as you follow the

trail. When you reach a point where the trail "disappears", you can place the end of your trackingstick at the tip of the last known track, and then sweep it in an arc while carefully looking for the

next track of the series, which could be located under one of the stride length marks you placedon your stick. Of course, you should sweep your stick in an arc above the ground so as to not

disturb and tracks or signs that are present on the ground itself!

The graphic below outlines this technique in more detail.


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Important Track Measurements

Joe Longshore II

Measuring tracks and trails is an important part of tracking. But what and how do you measure?

The following graphic outlines the more important of these measurements.


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Tom Brown's Foot Mapping Technique

Foot mapping is a technique to convey exacting pressure release information using a coordinatesystem. Each track should be labeled whether it is a left or right foot, front or back foot (if

applicable), and the length and width of the foot. Next draw the track to scale. Very small tracks

may need to be scaled up to more easily identify pressure releases in the track.

Next divide the track into quarters with a horizontal and a vertical axis. Label the top leftQuadrant 1, the top right Quadrant 2, the bottom left Quadrant 3, and the bottom right Quadrant

4.

Now, divide each quadrant with 20 evenly spaced horizontal lines, numbering them from top tobottom.

Next, divide each quadrant, individually, into 8 evenly space vertical lines. Letter them from A

through H, starting with the line next to the vertical axis and working towards the outside of the

track.

So, finally, if you were to tell Tom that you have a track of a man's right foot with a rolling,negative pitched spiralling pock pressure release covering Quadrant 1, numbers 2, 3, and 4, and

letters F, G, and H, he would know exactly where in the track you are talking about. Then hewould tell you that it indicates that the person stopped to pick up a coin, or some small object.

But, if the pressure release was found an inch back, it would have meant they had just bent over.


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Now, we must complete the grid by putting in the vertical lettered lines and this is where mostpeople have a little trouble. Starting from the outermost part of the track in each quadrant and

working to the vertical axis there will be equally spaced lines. The outermost part of the trackwill be the letter H and run to line A which lies next to the vertical line (see illustration).

Of course, with very small tracks, you must scale up the track so that you can fit in all the gridsystems. For instance, if you have a track that is only an inch long, you would draw the track a.foot long, then fill in the grid. Later, in future editions of the newsletter, I will be covering how

to grid out the various smaller animal tracks, but this basic one will suffice for now.

The beauty of this tracking technique is he way in which intricate pressure release systems andindicators can be conveyed over the phone or onto paper without any mistakes. Remember, that

there are 85 external pressure releases, 85 internal pressure releases, and 65 indicator pressurereleases that one can read from a track. The 65 indicator pressure release systems are the ones

that you will want to convey to other trackers or into your notebook and this foot mapping is theonly way to do it precisely.

For instance, using the sample illustration, if I have a man with a rolling, negative pitchedspiraling pock pressure release covering Quadrant 2, number2, 3 & 4, letters F, G & H, you can,

easily see where it belongs on the chart. This, of course, means that the person has stopped topick up a coin or small object, but if the pressure release was found an inch back, it would have

meant he had just bent over. That is why this mapping technique is so important in theexchanging of information. Doubly important when we find ourselves tracking lost people.

Basic Gait Patterns

Joseph Longshore IISimilar animals tend to walk in similar ways. This is of course a generalization, but is a usefulstarting point to study gait patterns.

Here is an overview of the normal gaits of four groups of animals.


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Limb Dominance discussion

Is step length the only way to determine this within yourself? On others? < It is also a"choice" thing. Given 2 equally good routes, a person will normally go in the dominant direction.

Tracker students often take the non dominant path just to stay out of a rut. Another way to tell isto stand on the 50 yard line of a football field on a cloudy day. Close your eyes and walk

normally to the end zone. You will end up "out of bounds" by the 20 yard line on the dominantside. This is from one of Tom's books, but I did try it myself and it was true for me. This is also

the reason a lost person almost always walks in a large circle as he tries to find his way. This is abig issue for me as a tracker on a search and rescue team, statements that use the word

ALWAYS have caused many problems during searches.

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