50 Day Instructor and Wilderness Immersion Program
May 10, 20205 Day Outdoor Survival Basics 101
May 11, 2020Introduction to Animal Tracking
$250.00
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This course will teach the basic skills of tracking in application to animal tracking. The skills covered in this course will cover finding signs that go missed by most people, as well as the difference between canine and feline tracks, a common mistake. We will cover track identification, aging the track, measuring the gait of the track pattern and scat identification. We will show you how to build track traps to make spotting tracks easier. We will cover the tools of the trade, methods for different terrain, making field expedient tools, different recording methods, and use of light, both natural and artificial.
Course Description
Do you remember back to when you were a child? Perhaps it was a chilly day with 6 inches of fresh fallen snow on the ground. You spotted some rabbit tracks and I decided to follow them. The edges of the track were crisp and you could still see small particles of snow falling off the edge of the print. You didn’t know what a gait was but the distance between prints told you where it hopped and where it leapt. You watched this story unfold before your eyes and maybe for brief moments, you felt like you were the rabbit. You followed the tracks to a clearing where you saw it sitting beneath a log. It was soon joined by another rabbit which was a good thing.
Every tracking experience is a lesson and something is always sure to be learned. The important thing to take away is the things we all teach in common are the things worth remembering. The things we teach differently are up to your discretion.
This class was developed for all ages, from hunters to hikers to wildlife aficionados.
What will you learn?
Welcome to the Animal Tracking Course! This course is designed to teach you the basic skills of tracking in application to animal tracking. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a wildlife biologist or simply want to learn how to identify and track animals, this course is perfect for you.
In this course, you will learn how to find signs that go unnoticed by most people, such as scat, hair, and other physical evidence. You will also learn the difference between canine and feline tracks, which is a common mistake. We will cover track identification, aging the track, measuring the gait of the track pattern, and scat identification.
We will show you how to build track traps to make spotting tracks easier, and cover the necessary tools of the trade for animal tracking, such as plaster casts and calipers. You will learn how to use different methods for tracking animals in different terrain, and how to make field expedient tools to assist in your tracking.
Additionally, we will cover different recording methods, such as sketching and photography, to ensure accurate and comprehensive documentation of the animal tracks. We will also discuss the use of light, both natural and artificial, and how it can aid in tracking.
Our experienced instructors will guide you through hands-on exercises, field trips, and lectures to provide you with a thorough understanding of animal tracking. By the end of this course, you will have the necessary skills to track and identify animals in the wild. Join us for this exciting and educational course!
Length:
2 days/ 1 Overnight
ACCOMMODATIONS
If students do not wish to camp with us, the town of Cripple Creek is a short 15 minute drive from our location and Woodland Park is 30 minutes away. Students will be responsible for making their own reservations with nearby hotels. We do have a central community campfire location with a few designated campsites but mostly offer dispersed camping. Students will be able to drive their car within 100 feet of the main camp and will not have to hike gear in for long distances.
- Shelter Lodging: Students can stay in one of our 20 person GP Medium tents when not running field exercises or may stay in their own tents, campers, vehicles or a primitive shelter. Our tents are complete with wood burning stoves for cold weather conditions. This is a shared tent for all students that wish to use it.
- Sanitation/Hygiene: A portable restroom and potable water will be provided at main camp.
Food and Water Required
Water will be provided but students will need to bring their own food. We recommend quick field expedient meals such as freeze dried hiking meals or MRE’s. They can quickly be made at our primitive camps and won’t slow down the learning process. However, students may bring any food that they wish to cook over the campfire or on their own personal camp stove.
Food can be purchased locally at nearby facilities. Walmart and several local eateries are within a reasonable driving distance.
Suggested Gear List
We do not provide students with gear unless they have purchased it from us ahead of time. Not much gear is needed for our courses, though good equipment does speed the learning process up greatly! Gear does not have to be purchased from our store to attend the course, but we recommend survival gear of equivalent quality.
- Fixed blade knife (Preferably a full tang bushcraft style knife WITHOUT a serrated edge)
- Measuring device (cloth tape measurer)
- Knee pads (optional)
- Ferrocerium rod
- Poncho or Rain Gear
- Outdoor Clothing and appropriate footwear
- Folding hand saw
- Overnight Camping Gear: Tent, sleeping bag, ground pad, etc
- 100’of 550 Paracord
- Headlamp
- Cooking pot and eating utensils
- Single walled metal canteen
- Notepad and pencil
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Binoculars (opotional)
- Small Backpack
Clothing Required
Warm outdoor clothing, warm gloves and hat, outdoor boots and wool socks. Cotton clothing is highly discouraged in the mountains! Wool will keep you warm even when wet and synthetics will dry faster. Layers are important in Colorado. You will want a water wicking base layer, an insulating mid layer, and a waterproof breathable outer shell. Check out our Clothes Layering Basics if you are unsure of what to wear.
Check Recommended Items List for more details!
If it is still not clear what gear is needed for our survival courses, then we have assembled a complete kit that is still high quality but for a budget friendly price. All the items in this kit were hand selected by our instructors to be the best bushcraft tools on a budget. This survival kit is a useful starter kit that can be used in all of our courses. These are all must have tools at a good price. It’s a great survival kit, bug out kit, go bag, or use it as a solid foundation to build a kit that perfectly fits your needs. With this kit and our training anybody can survive like a king in almost any environment!
Note
Due to the different levels of prior experience and knowledge among students in each class, individual outcomes may vary. Weather conditions can also be a factor in changing class content slightly. Nonetheless, our instructors will always endeavor to be as accommodating and consistent as circumstances will allow to ensure students get the best training experience and value for money.
Difficulty | Beginner |
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Check-in Time | 9:00am |
Dates | June 26-27 2024, May 18-19 2024 |
Duration | 2 Days |
Instructors | Jonathan Collins |
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