TRACKING

Track and ground sign

A). Footprints not only confirm the presence of other people in the immediate area, they also provide a wealth of information about the individuals who made the tracks.

B). Scars on a tree where it has been carelessly rubbed by equipment or where a soldier has leaned his rucksack against it to rest.

C). A branch of the same tree broken in the direction of travel.

D). Climbers and vines pulled free as the party pushed through the foliage.

E). Pile of fallen leaves dispersed in the direction of travel, exposing the black undersides where they are beginning to rot.

F). Discarded can from ration pack.

G). Stone kicked out of its natural depression in the ground.

H & I). Animal tracks (H) superimposed over the party's footprints (I). Small animals such as deer go in search of water at dawn. Knowledge of the local wildlife may enable the tracker to calculate when the tracks were made (e.g. the previous night).