A Tracker's Odyssey: Bridging Wildlife and Human Sign

The course will start at 09:30 on the Saturday when customers will be given the chance to set up their sleeping arrangements before instructors take you through a camp orientation. (Customers are invited to come and camp the evening before the course, arrivals at 19:30 for those that want to, there will be no teaching on the friday evening).

From here on in we begin to discover the sign left behind in our completely private 250 acre woodland. With a blend of both whiteboard based campfire teaching, and dirt time in the field, you will learn the fundamental principles of human tracking, including track identification, aging, and interpretation, as well as differentiating the subtle differences between human and other animal sign. The ancient art of Mantracking has been lost to most in the modern age, Kyt will bring her expertise to highlight why their is still value in the interpretation of signs showing human activity in order to find missing persons.

Human tracking is still used across continents, for anti poaching, game rangering, and to re-construct events following criminal activity. A fascinating in site awaits as to how you can link such skills to your modern day Bushcraft activities.

Our instructors will guide you through to develop your own mindset of becoming a Tracker, with elements of visual perceptions, how to approach a trackline and track traps. With night time exercises and discovery of the Purkinje effect.

In relation to animal track and sign Jason will guide you through his observations, leaning on skills learnt from a number of expert trackers both here in the UK and overseas, to begin to differentiate between different species that to the untrained may be difficult. Although a definitive list is never possible you can expect to learn sign of 3 of our 6 deer species (Muntjac, Roe and Fallow), and further sign including Badger, Fox, Stoat, Weasal, Pigeon, Robin, Jay, Tawny Owl and lots lots more. We will also investigate some of the lesser seen mammals of the Woods as we set out both live, and ink, traps in order to attempt to capture mice and voles.

The course is designed to be fluid but as a representation for you, you can expect to be spending a number of hours exploring Man tracking, followed by hours spent on animal track and sign. This cycle will then repeat over the weekend. You will have the incredible opportunity to lean on two very experienced trackers who have honed their skills across the globe. Every Tracker needs to be able to differentiate between animal and human track and sign.

Mark qualified as an instructor for Woodland Ways in 2019 after a two year apprenticeship. He was inspired after spending four seasons living, learning and experiencing insights into primitive lifestyles during our Bushcraft Year course. Feeling bereft after the course ended, he signed on to the 2 year Woodland Wayer to stay in the woods and keep living in the primitive shelter he called home.

Mark has been on a number of expeditions including to the Sahara, Sweden, Kenya, Amazon and South Africa and is always looking to do more.

He also enjoys travelling and has visited many parts of the world looking for adventure. Including life changing experiences travelling solo in the Ladakh and staying with the semi nomadic Ladakhi people; staying with the Karen and Akha in northern Thailand; floating down the Mekong on the Laotian side and bumbling around West Africa. There are many other places he has visited ... and even more on his hit list!

When not out in the woods Mark enjoys running, martial arts and carving spoons.