Tracking Books

A lot of reenactment level work is about learning appropriate historical crafts and skills. This board is for all general skills that don't have their own forum.

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Harper
Haeropada
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Tracking Books

Post by Harper »

I was on another forum discussing books for tracking and thought that I would share some of that information here.

Let me say that while books are good, IMO (and I don't consider myself a master) it is essential that you:

1. Get Dirt Time; and,

2. Cultivate your skills at Observation.

I have a number of tracking books. Some are more general, some are military oriented and some are SAR oriented.

They teach the nuts-and-bolts basics that you must know. Some, like the military ones are very regimented in their teaching approach.

One book that I think is particularly suitable for Rangers is Mantracking by Terry Grant. He had a TV show a few years back where he would track groups who were actively trying to evade him. I think that it is particularly suitable for Rangers because, while it talks about the basic mechanics, it also deals with: evasion techniques, profiling and tracking from horseback.

http://www.amazon.com/Mantracking-Ultim ... antracking

Tom Brown, Jr.'s books are also very good and the advanced one is more "technical":

http://www.amazon.com/Browns-Field-Natu ... Z4SCFP42XP

http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Browns-Scienc ... 0QXHVKSAEG


After you have a working knowledge (not necessarily mastery) of the basics, you should consider Entering the Mind of the Tracker by Tamarack Song. It is different from all the other books that I have on the subject. Some might say there is a mystical, New Agey feel to it. Fair enough. It certainly transcends the normal mechanics. I found it very interesting. It was also the book about tracking that I enjoyed reading the most. IMO this is the kind of understanding that make Ranger abilities seem "magical."

http://www.amazon.com/Mantracking-Ultim ... antracking
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