[booker]

Originally Posted by ScoutTracker

Of course, going out and tracking is the only way to actually get any good. Even better is to go out with someone else and practice with them, either practice interpreting or trailing each other...but the debates and learning that ensues when you disagree on something can be the most valuable.

That being said, here are a few books that I personally own and have read, along with a brief description. These books focus mostly on trailing and mantracking.


- Brown, Tom jr. 1986. Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking. Berkley Publishing Group, New York, NY
Good book on expanding your awareness. It gives good exercises for tracking and awareness expansion.


- Brown, Tom, jr. 1999. The Science and Art of Tracking. Berkley Publishing Group, New York, NY
Good book on the study of “pressure releases” (aka “action indicators” by others). Many other books give examples of pressure releases, but this book delves much deeper into them. Some of this is information is excellent stuff and common sense, but some of it very controversial in the tracking communites.


- Carss, Bob. 2009. The SAS Guide to Tracking. The Lyons Press. Guilford, CT.
Great book on tracking, with a lot of excellent information on training. Good guide to training trackers


- Diaz, David. 2005. Tracking: Signs of Man, Signs of Hope. Lyons Press, Guilford, CT.
Good book on mantracking. Inspirational stories with information on tactical and SAR tracking. Particularly good info on team member roles on a tracking team.


- Kearney, Jack. 1999. Tracking: a Blueprint for Learning How. Pathways Press, El Cajon, CA
Good book on training trackers, and full of lots of exercises. Written by a seasoned Border Patrol tracker.


- Liebenberg, Louis, Adrian Louw, Mark Elbroch. 2010. Practical Tracking: A guide to following footprints and finding animals. Stackpole Books.
Good book on trailing animals. It includes animals from both North America and South Africa. Anecdotal with a lot of lessons to learn from


- Speiden, Robert. 2009. Foundations for Awareness, Signcutting and Tracking. Nature Awareness and
Tracking School, LLC. Christiansburg, VA.
Excellent book on the fundamentals of mantracking. Geared toward SAR cases, but one of the better man-tracking guides available. Gives a solid foundation with basic, but thorough information

Rob is a great teacher and a really humble guy, and, despite the SAR slant in his courses, you will come away with a lot of knowledge that is applicable in a multitude of situations. Last I talked to him he was finishing up on the 2009 book. Prices are reasonable as well.