THE ESSENTIAL ART OF TRACKING

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Should you be faced with a tracking job during a rain- or snowstorm, for example, get to the task immediately, before blood spoor is covered or washed away. A shot made at twilight, too, should be followed up quickly, as tracking by flashlight is extremely difcult (and could result in your being accused of illegal jacklighting). An animal wounded in open country will tend to travel farther before holing up than will one in thick brush, and — especially if you're hunting with a rifle — you might want to begin tracking immediately, moving slowly and scanning ahead for the chance to end the stalk with a well-placed long-range shot. If none of these other factors apply, and you're certain that your hit was in the heart/lung area, I'd suggest waiting 15 minutes or so, as much to allow yourself to calm down as anything else, then stalk slowly along the trail, marking each piece of evidence with tissue paper and stopping at regular intervals to scan your surroundings for the animal. In this case, you'll seldom have to travel more than 100 yards before collecting your game. Should you be less sure of the quality of your hit, and, again, if none of the other factors are in play, you might want to wait a bit longer, say a half-hour to 45 minutes, but more important than waiting is to follow the trail slowly and stay alert. Your aim is to see a wounded animal before it sees you.

So move along, constantly checking ahead, to the side and behind you (game will often circle back when hit); look for blood on the ground, on grass, brush, etc., and mark every piece of sign you find. In between blood spots, follow tracks if possible, or even get down close to the ground to scan ahead for a pattern of brushed-aside grass or broken plants. (I recently followed a bear in British Columbia that had left a trail of bent-over flower leaves. The undersides of the plants were a powdered metallic white, and, from the right angle, his path was as clear as a trail of silver dollars.)

Tracking is best done by a two-person team, one of whom remains at the last sign and scans the area while the other looks for spoor. If you lose the trail, cast ahead in increasing arcs along the animal's suspected line of travel. (Don't be afraid to get down on your hands and knees.) If you don't have a partner to help you track, make sure to leave an obvious mark on the last piece of sign you've found. Should you fail to turn up any blood or tracks after a thorough search, range out from the last spoor to check any terrain feature that might attract, or give evidence of, a fleeing animal. Game or foot trails, especially those leading downhill, appeal to a creature trying to follow the path of least resistance, and are often clear enough to take tracks. (Here's where the ability to identify your animal's footprint might come into play.) Brush, deadfalls and the like offer shelter, while water seems to attract wounded game and often gives the hunter a chance to find a clear track.

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