How to Track Humans in the Woods
Most people leave subtle and not-so-subtle marks as they wander through the woods. Learning how to identify some of these signs can be beneficial in a number of ways. You may be able to follow tracks in order to find rescue or a way out of being stranded in the wilderness. You can also track people in order to make sure that you and your party is safe. You can also use it as a way to monitor what others in the area are doing in order to enhance your situational awareness. Let’s look at some simple things to look for in order to detect the presence and movements of others.
Decide What to Follow
You can either follow a single set of footprints or track a group of individuals through a certain area. However, it’s important to decide early-on what target you want to choose. This will help you to focus on individual foot or boot prints and try to follow in their footsteps. Once you’ve decided on what you will track, you can then choose whether to locate their point of origin or simply pick up the trail from where you are standing.
Locating the point of origin can be helpful to determine if the tracks came from a campsite, road or other entry way that may lead to rescue. It can also help you to identify areas of concern if you are hoping to conceal your presence in the area. However, this can be a painstaking and time-consuming process, and it may be better just to follow the trail from where you picked it up in order to see where it leads.
Tell-Tale Signs
Usually people either notice a footprint or some discarded items that indicate that someone was there. You can also usually determine how fresh the tracks are by gauging their appearance. Tracks are very pronounced after rains when the ground is muddy or moist. If you see tracks that are still wet, then you know the source was there recently. If you see dried tracks or ones that are fading, then you know that they have left the area some time ago. Of course this will differ based on local topography and weather conditions, but consider these factors as you try to determine the freshness of the tracks.
Boot or footprints are the most obvious way to follow a trail. However, they can also be inconsistent, fragmented or invisible altogether as the person moves from a dirt surface to grass, rocks or water. You want to have already examined a good print to the degree that you can tell if a partial print is the same as the full one. You should also look for signs of travel off the trail if you notice that the tracks stop at a certain point. Consider logical conclusions. If one side of the trail has a stream and the other has grass, chances are that the person went along the grass. Look for signs of disturbances such as bent grass, broken flowers or other indications that the area has been trampled over.
You can also pick up signs from marks left on things like river banks, logs, rocks or other areas where people may have placed their feet. This also includes areas that someone may have rested for a period of time. You are looking for anything that appears out of place. Is there a small mound of dirt on a branch where someone scraped their boot? Is there a tear in the terrain where someone may have slipped and lost their footing? Is there any debris near the area that may indicate that someone discarded something as they were walking?
Keep in mind that you will not always be able to follow the trail to its destination. Many tracks break off and don’t appear. There are times when rain can wash away footprints and destroy evidence. Getting to rivers or streams may prove problematic as you don’t know if they crossed or floated downstream. You may have to pursue a few different leads in order to rule out various possibilities. Sometimes you will be able to pick up the trail, sometimes you won’t. However, any information that you can gather as to the direction of travel as well as potential destinations can be helpful as you pursue your goal. Identifying places where tracks disappear will also give you a good frame of reference in order to conduct future reconnaissance and glean new information in the future.
These are just a few tips to look out for as you are tracking the movements of someone in the wilderness. Keep in mind that becoming a good tracker takes practice, time and experience. However, the more time that you can put into developing this skill and your instincts can prove to be a valuable asset in the future.