Tracking--Signs of Man, Signs of Hope: A Systematic Approach to the Art and Science of Tracking Humans

by David Diaz, V. L. Mccann (With)

Overview

Tracking--Signs of Man, Signs of Hope is a complete guide to tracking and finding humans, alive and dead: lost children and adults, crime victims, escaped criminals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762762552
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

David Diaz is a 20-year U.S. Army Special Forces/Marine Corps professional who recently retired from the U.S. Armed Forces. He first learned about tracking from the son of a Malaysian headhunter, who hunted insurgents in the jungles of Malaysia. He fine-tuned his craft through years of dedicated study and instruction from the finest trackers throughout the world, including the Dyak/Iban of Brunei, Nigrito aborigines from the Philippines, the San Man of Botswana, and U.S. Vietnam-veteran Marine trackers, who gained their skills from the Montagnards in the highlands of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. He has taught these skills to U.S. Army soldiers, police officers, and foreign military forces worldwide, in times of war and peace, in both friendly and hostile environments.

Writer V.L. McCann has a B.A. in Creative Writing, graduating with Honors in 1981 and thereafter serving nearly 12 years as an officer in the U.S. Army. In 1997, McCann became owner and chief writer/editor of Abbacy Professional Writing in Tacoma, Washington.

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Tracking--Signs of Man, Signs of Hope

A Systematic Approach to the Art and Science of Tracking Humans

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By Diaz, David

The Lyons Press

Copyright © 2005 Diaz, David
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9781592286867

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Even a novice tracker should be able to make a reasonable assumption about the age of any sign. And just like anything else, practice will give you the edge you need when it really counts.

HUMAN & ANIMAL EXCREMENT

In Chapter 3, we discussed various odors, including that of human and animal urine and defecation. Let's take that a step further and use that excrement to help us determine time passage. Chapter 1 included an excerpt in which a Native American tracker examined horse droppings and determined not only the specific grasslands at which the animal had grazed but how much time had gone by since the droppings had been left. While not an exact science, determining time passage can be accomplished with a few clues.

Take a close look at the excrement, either urine or defecation. The more moist and fly-congested it is, with a high concentration of smell, the less time has passed since it was left. Conversely, the more dehydrated and least fly-congested it is, with less concentration of smell, the longer it has been since the excretion of the urine or defecation. To obtain a more exact knowledge of this, time it and analyze it in your laboratory (later in this chapter). In cold to freezing conditions, open or cut in half the defecation. The inner moisture and heat will tell you its freshness. Yes,it's a dirty job, but just remember: if it smells like it and looks like it, you surely do not have to taste it!

LIVING CREATURES & PLANT LIFE

Here, again, knowledge of the flora (plant life), fauna (wildlife), and insects of your immediate surroundings is paramount to success. In your climate and geographic region of the world, knowing when certain species of animals come out to feed and at what time insects are the most active will certainly provide a clue as to the time a Chase traveled through the area.

For instance, deer travel to the water to drink during the late evening. If, during the dead of night or the crack of dawn, you notice a fresh deer's hoof print in the middle of your Chase's shoe print, you can pretty surely conclude that the deer arrived after the Chase had been there. If, however, your Chase's shoe print is superimposed on a deer's hoof print, you can almost conclusively determine that the Chase was there after the deer. If the deer of the area normally go to drink at the water source approximately between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., and your team notices a fresh human footprint over the deer print at 11:30 p.m., the team can pretty safely assume that the Chase is a mere 2.5 to 3.5 hours ahead-or less.

Another example is a spider which constructs a web during the late evening in order to capture late flying insects (See Figure 5-1). These webs are often strung along narrow trails that are wide enough to capture flying insects yet close enough from one side to the other to make the web construction quick and easy. If the Chase's prints are discovered in the early morning below a newly created spider web, the tracker can assume that the Chase had passed through the area prior to the late evening of the day before.

Earthworm cast is another clear indicator of recent travel. Now, I am by no means a worm expert. I could dazzle you with Latin Rico Suave names such as Oligochaeta, Lumbricus Terrestris, and Lumbriculida, all part of the worm population known as Segmented Worms. But unless you are a pathologist or biologist, all you need to know is that worms are slimy and soft. Some earthworms are short; some are long; some are skinny; and some are fat. I have yet to see a pretty one.

A fact well known to many fishermen, worms appear on the surface of the ground after rainfall or at pre-dawn for air. As they travel, they simultaneously leave a mound or trail of moist mud pellets, called "worm cast." In tropical or sub-tropical regions of Southeast Asia, worm cast takes place between one and six o'clock in the morning, climate determining the exact hours it appears. The earthworm is not too fond of the sunlight; therefore, before dawn, they return to their sweet, cool mother earth. A trail of worm cast that has been crushed by a human boot was most likely disturbed after those hours, indicating a more recent passage. (See Figure 5-2a & b) Conversely, footprints covered by a trail or mound of worm cast most likely occurred before 1 a.m. (See Figure 5-3a, b & c). For more information regarding these creatures, ask your local hard-core fisherman. He will be able to tell you most anything you care to know-and some information you would rather not-about earthworms in your neck of the woods.

In the Pacific Northwest there is a particular species of slimy belly-crawlers known as slugs. They are similar to snails except that they have no shell and are extremely slimy. During the night and pre-dawn hours, they come out to feed on new, tender plants, much to the dismay of area gardeners and florists. Slugs leave a very distinct trail of slimy ooze that dries and hardens with the sun. When disturbed, the appearance of the trail will tell you if it was smeared (while still moist) or broken (once dried). This clue, of course, will give you a good indication of when the Chase traveled through the area.


Continues...

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Excerpted from Tracking--Signs of Man, Signs of Hope by Diaz, David Copyright © 2005 by Diaz, David. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

[Signs of Hope - Table of Contents]

Forwardv
Introductionvii

Chapter 1-History and Brief Overview1
A SHORT HISTORY-A TRACKING OVERVIEW
"PREY-LUDE" TO THE CHASE11
Chapter 2-Getting to Know You15
OPERATION CHASE21
Chapter 3-My Common Senses Will Find You25
SIGHT-Visual Tracking-Scanning & Searching-AUDITORY TRACKING-Vocal-Mechanical-SCENT TRACKING-TACTILE TRACKING
THE PURSUIT-DAY ONE44
Chapter 4-What Happened to My Signs?53
GROUND SIGNS-Foot Prints-Other Prints-Disturbances-MIDDLE SIGNS-Wind Speed-TOP SIGNS-MEASURING-FACTORS AFFECTING SIGNS-Other Humans & Animals-Terrain-Climatic Weather Conditions
THE PURSUIT-DAY TWO73
Chapter 5-How Long Has It Been Since We Last Met?81
HUMAN & ANIMAL EXCREMENT-LIVING CREATURES & PLANT LIFE-CONTROLLED LABORATORY TEST-Conduct of the Experiment-What You Eat is What You Leave-Database-A LESSON IN FORENSIC SCIENCE-Rigor Mortis-Livor Mortis-Algor Mortis-Decomposition-Mummification-Skeletonization
THE PURSUIT-DAY THREE104
Chapter 6-What Do We Have Here? Gathering and Documenting the Evidence112
GATHERING THE EVIDENCE-Preserve the Area-Direction of Movement-Blood Trailing-Speed of Movement-Number of People-Kind of Food Consumed-Miscellaneous Items & Equipment-Weapons-DOCUMENTING THE EVIDENCE-The Tracker Report-Overview-Searching-Recording-Collecting-Formatting
TRACKER REPORT146
Chapter 7-Round Up the Posse! Training Together as a Team152
TRACKER TEAM-Duties & Responsibilities-Track Searching Procedures-Formations-Immediate Action Drills-Booby Traps-TRAINING FOR THE BEGINNING TRACKER-Static & Movement Observation Drills-Initial Exercise-Forested Area Exercise-Other Skills
Epilogue191
Tracker Creed192
Appendix A, Time-Based Analysis Tables193
Appendix B, Tracker Report Format197
Appendix C, Situation Report (SITREP) Format207
Appendix D, SALUTE Report Format208
Appendix E, Medevac Report Format209
Glossary211
Recommended Reading217