Templar
F. C. Selous DSO
Aging: Process of determiningtime lapse since sign was made, taking into consideration vegetation damage,rain, sun, and other natural elements.
Backing: Walking, usually across aroad or natural barrier, in a backward motion, generally in an attempt tocamouflage track by an incorrect direction of travel.
Broken Twigs: Small particles or twigs,which are uniquely broken in such a way as to indicate damage from humanfootwear.
Bruising: Footfall damage tovegetation.
Brushing Out: Using a branch, grass, orclothing article, in an attempt to brush or erase tracks from an area.
Camouflage: See Deception.
Compressed Areas: Areas of ground surfacecompressed in a manner which give an indication of human footfalls.
Continuity of Sign: The evidence of footfalls in proper sequence along a line of sign, generally unidentifiable.
Counter-tracking: Countering a tracker'sefforts to track you.
Crying: The natural weeping of vegetation fluids resulting from footfall damage.
Cutting for Sign: An operation used principally along natural barriers to locate human sign.
Deception (Camouflage): Attempting to confuse,disguise or conceal sign by walking backward, brushing out, or other means. To deceive or confuse direction of travel, number of persons, or presence of sign.
False Trails: Leaving a good trail, or sign, into a poor sign area, then departing on another route.
Flagged: Leaves or grass turned indirection of travel, showing the underside surfaces.
Flankers: The two members to the right and left, behind a point person, who make up a tracking team.
Grass Trail: The bending, intertwining of grass or brush indicating human passage.
Heel Marks: The curved mark or depression on the ground surface made by the walking motion of the heel portion of the shoes.
Healing: A process with live vegetation in which human damage is repaired. Used to age sign.
Inventing Sign: Seeing sign that is not present, usually because of fatigue and/or a "need" to see it. To fabricate within the "mind's eye."
Light Angle: The correct angle forseeing sign utilizing the primary light source.
Line of Sign: The continuity of sign evidencing human passage.
Littering: Scattered debris,rubbish, or human feces that are sign of human presence.
Natural Barriers: Areas such as streams, banks, and roads, which generally interrupt human passage, and show sign well.
Place Last Seen (PLS): Place where witness or evidence indicates the subject was last seen.
Perimeter Cut: A sign cut method of limiting a search area, or locating sign along natural barriers.
Point Person: The principal tracking person who is in front of other team members and generally (on the ground) identifying each footprint step-by-step.
Prime Sign Area: The area of correct size and location in relation to other sign, in which the next print should be located.
Sand trap: Dirt areas, occurring naturally or man-made, which, by their nature, show sign well.
Scuff Mark: The mark or sign causedby footgear contacting the ground surface.
Shine: The light reflection from human foot fall damage or compression.
Sign: Evidence of a person's passage.
Sign Cutting: The skill of locating, following and identifying evidence of human passage.
Sign Cutting Stick: A stick, or other suitable object, used as a sign cut aid for measuring, marking, and locating prime sign areas.
Signature Track: Footprint evidence clearly displaying unique characteristics so as to be unmistakably identifiable.
Stride: Sign cut measurement fromtip of toe of one normal walking step to back of heel of the next successive step.
Toe Digs: The indented mark or signleft in a normal walking motion when one foot propels the body forward.
Tracking Team: Ideally, a three-personteam, each with specific functions, following a line of sign.
Transfer: The evidence of dirt ordebris being carried by footgear and re-deposited on succeeding footfalls.
Stride For human strides are measured from heal from one foot or shoe to the heel of the next. The reason for this is humans will go heel first and roll onto the toes unless walking backwards trying to cover their direction of movement.
Sand trap other term Tracking Box or date/Time box
Gaits the normal walking patern for that animal also called Pattern Classification
Straddle the measurement between left and right foot prints.
Pressure realse Advanced skill is the changing forward motin of print eg from walk to run or slip
Sign Cutting Stick. other term Tracking stick. Once the stride length is marked on the stick the mark is placed on the heel for human toe for animal of track and stick is then moved in an arc to help locate next track
Scat manure droppings
Lays resting areas
Sign Tracking anything besides a track that is an indication of an animal (includes human)
Pitch the angle of the track in relation to its direction
Backing: Walking, usually across aroad or natural barrier, in a backward motion, generally in an attempt tocamouflage track by an incorrect direction of travel.
Broken Twigs: Small particles or twigs,which are uniquely broken in such a way as to indicate damage from humanfootwear.
Bruising: Footfall damage tovegetation.
Brushing Out: Using a branch, grass, orclothing article, in an attempt to brush or erase tracks from an area.
Camouflage: See Deception.
Compressed Areas: Areas of ground surfacecompressed in a manner which give an indication of human footfalls.
Continuity of Sign: The evidence of footfalls in proper sequence along a line of sign, generally unidentifiable.
Counter-tracking: Countering a tracker'sefforts to track you.
Crying: The natural weeping of vegetation fluids resulting from footfall damage.
Cutting for Sign: An operation used principally along natural barriers to locate human sign.
Deception (Camouflage): Attempting to confuse,disguise or conceal sign by walking backward, brushing out, or other means. To deceive or confuse direction of travel, number of persons, or presence of sign.
False Trails: Leaving a good trail, or sign, into a poor sign area, then departing on another route.
Flagged: Leaves or grass turned indirection of travel, showing the underside surfaces.
Flankers: The two members to the right and left, behind a point person, who make up a tracking team.
Grass Trail: The bending, intertwining of grass or brush indicating human passage.
Heel Marks: The curved mark or depression on the ground surface made by the walking motion of the heel portion of the shoes.
Healing: A process with live vegetation in which human damage is repaired. Used to age sign.
Inventing Sign: Seeing sign that is not present, usually because of fatigue and/or a "need" to see it. To fabricate within the "mind's eye."
Light Angle: The correct angle forseeing sign utilizing the primary light source.
Line of Sign: The continuity of sign evidencing human passage.
Littering: Scattered debris,rubbish, or human feces that are sign of human presence.
Natural Barriers: Areas such as streams, banks, and roads, which generally interrupt human passage, and show sign well.
Place Last Seen (PLS): Place where witness or evidence indicates the subject was last seen.
Perimeter Cut: A sign cut method of limiting a search area, or locating sign along natural barriers.
Point Person: The principal tracking person who is in front of other team members and generally (on the ground) identifying each footprint step-by-step.
Prime Sign Area: The area of correct size and location in relation to other sign, in which the next print should be located.
Sand trap: Dirt areas, occurring naturally or man-made, which, by their nature, show sign well.
Scuff Mark: The mark or sign causedby footgear contacting the ground surface.
Shine: The light reflection from human foot fall damage or compression.
Sign: Evidence of a person's passage.
Sign Cutting: The skill of locating, following and identifying evidence of human passage.
Sign Cutting Stick: A stick, or other suitable object, used as a sign cut aid for measuring, marking, and locating prime sign areas.
Signature Track: Footprint evidence clearly displaying unique characteristics so as to be unmistakably identifiable.
Stride: Sign cut measurement fromtip of toe of one normal walking step to back of heel of the next successive step.
Toe Digs: The indented mark or signleft in a normal walking motion when one foot propels the body forward.
Tracking Team: Ideally, a three-personteam, each with specific functions, following a line of sign.
Transfer: The evidence of dirt ordebris being carried by footgear and re-deposited on succeeding footfalls.
Stride For human strides are measured from heal from one foot or shoe to the heel of the next. The reason for this is humans will go heel first and roll onto the toes unless walking backwards trying to cover their direction of movement.
Sand trap other term Tracking Box or date/Time box
Gaits the normal walking patern for that animal also called Pattern Classification
Straddle the measurement between left and right foot prints.
Pressure realse Advanced skill is the changing forward motin of print eg from walk to run or slip
Sign Cutting Stick. other term Tracking stick. Once the stride length is marked on the stick the mark is placed on the heel for human toe for animal of track and stick is then moved in an arc to help locate next track
Scat manure droppings
Lays resting areas
Sign Tracking anything besides a track that is an indication of an animal (includes human)
Pitch the angle of the track in relation to its direction
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