Reading the signs of a track in mud.
Years ago a childhood friend lent me his copy of The Tracker, by Tom Brown Jr., and I only had to read a few lines before knowing that Brown’s teachings would have a lasting impact on my life. While not compelled to start spending hours leaning over a track to learn what every ridge, trough, and pressure release had to teach me about animal behavior—Brown calls this dirt time—I did take the wider message of respect and wilderness awareness to heart.
As Brown would say,
The art of tracking is not merely the following of footprints in the ground, it is the all-encompassing ability to be aware and to understand why the landscape is the way it is.
The author getting some Dirt Time
Brown writes that most visitors to the wilderness focus on the goal of going from point A to point B, and because they are driven by this need to remain kinetic, they miss most of the activity offered by Mother Nature in between departure and arrival. In other words, Brown believes that the common person’s experiences in the outdoors aren’t much different than their approach to daily routines in the modern world—being focused on a fixed destination or goal and only vaguely realizing what they bypassed on the journey.
While much of my time in the backcountry is often focused on getting from point A to point B—whether on skis, a bike, or while backpacking—the times I find that have the most lasting impact are the calmer moments when I stop for an hour or two and just observe how nature around me is carrying on with its business.
Tom Brown’s mentor, Stalking Wolf would probably agree:
Before you can hear the voices of Earth Mother and her animals, you first must listen to the voice of the tracks. It is in the tracks that we first learn to communicate with the animals, not only in a broad sense, but even in intimate detail. To ignore the track is to ignore the first faint voice of creation, and thus we can never hear or fully understand the grander messages of wilderness. So then, we first must learn the simple language of the tracks, which teaches us to hear the voice of the animal, and soon, through the voice of the animal, we begin to hear the voice of the Earth.
At the heart of the scientific aspect of tracking is the pressure release. Pressure releases are disturbances in and around the soil of a track. Brown writes,
It is best to imagine the track as being a miniature landscape, full of tiny hills, valleys, pocks, domes, ridges, waves, crests, crevasses, cracks, and many other features. You read the pressure releases of the track the same way that you would read a topographical map. In a way, the same forces that create our grander landscapes also work on a the miniature landscapes of the track.
Applying the science of tracking
As practical advice, Brown suggests building a tracking box filled with soft dirt to practice recreating and then studying the pressure releases that occur in animal tracks in the wild. Whether a tracker is on the trail of a silver fox, a Roosevelt elk, or a black bear, the pressure releases in their respective tracks reveal the same types of information: direction, intention, health, size, emotional state, gender, and over five thousand other indicators. The pressure releases are often so minute that years of experience are needed to read them. It’s clear that animal tracking is a lifelong meditation, and that trackers, by slowing down to read the signs of life around them, can experience a profound awareness and connectivity with the Dharma.
Tom Brown Jr. teaching tracking
While this seems like a daunting discipline, I recommend finding one of Mr. Brown’s books and slowing down to discover a more profound connection with your local wilderness area. Like me, you may not feel compelled to dedicate the lifetime it takes to become a master tracker, but a brief foray into the work of this amazing skill can lend benefits that most of us probably seek to find in the outdoors, but may only brush briefly against like mink hair against an autumn branch.
Tom Brown Jr. had an extraordinary upbringing, and his desire to share the knowledge of his tracking ancestors is tenacious. However, Brown’s goal seems not to profit from his skill, but to show us a way to communicate with and honor the natural world and to pass on ancient knowledge that can give us a spiritual insight into the lives of animals and the natural world. As pressure in an animal’s step is indicated in the marks of a track, so does the pressure we exert on the wilderness leave an indelible mark affecting the future of our collective path.
Gear to bring tracking
When you head out into the wilderness to find and follow a track that intruigues you, consider that you’ll be outdoors for a while and will absolutely want to bring essential gear with you. Here are some simple suggestions.
Gear for a quick day trip
Rain Jacket & appropriate layering (Men’s / Women’s)
Trekking poles; helpful on steep terrain and useful as pointers
Maps of the area
Related Links
Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracker School & Philosophy
Books by Tom Brown Jr.
I have grown up immersing myself in nature. Anyone who spends time with me observing nature is astounded by what they would normally miss for the reason stated in this article, they are too focused on going from A to B. This article has spurred me to expound my knowledge of nature into the world of tracking. I can’t wait to pick up one of Browns tracking books. Any recommendation as to a specific book to start with?
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If you really want to learn tracking, go to the source. Go to Tom Brown Jr.’s school. No where else will you learn what Tom can teach. Tom has been teaching what he knows for over 30 years now. He is the man, the legend. Tom’s perspective on the outdoors is truly unique. He’ll not only teach you tracking but he will teach you awareness, ancient survival skills, and a philosophy that is in complete tune with the earth. If you want to read up on Tom, start with the first book, The Tracker. Then go on to his other books. Include his field guides too. If you invest the time to actually go to his school, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. There is no one else like Tom.
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His school is awesome! There are different phases, but all are very good. He will amaze even those with experience in the field.
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