How to Make a Tracking Stick

Tracking sticks are useful for guiding trackers in the right direction.

Trackers -- people who follow animal tracks in the ground as a hobby or sport -- can use a tracking stick to make tracking easier. Tracking sticks are especially useful for beginners since they help train new eyes to see tracks more easily by focusing the tracker's attention in the appropriate directions and areas. Making your own tracking stick is easy, and can be made with a dowel rod or long stick, like a fallen tree branch.

Things You'll Need

• Stick or dowel rod
• Rubber bands
• Tape measure

Instructions

Making Your Tracking Stick

1. Find a long stick. The stick should be about 3 or 4 feet long, and about 3/4-inch to 1-inch in diameter. A dowel rod works just fine, and so does a straight, fallen tree branch. You can also use a broom handle or a ski pole with the basket removed. It should be lightweight and easy to wield with one hand.

2. Find a set of prints of the animal you would like to track with your tracking stick. Two or three sets of tracks, impressed on even terrain, will be just fine.

3. Measure one stride with your tracking stick. To do this, place your tracking stick down on the ground next to the tracks. Find the heel of the first track impression (for example, front left foot) and mark that spot with a rubber band on your tracking stick: this first mark is point A.

4. Keeping your stick in the same place, find the next impression of the same foot (in this case, the front left foot) and mark the heel with another rubber band. This will be point B.

5. Measure the distance between points A and B. This is the length of the stride. It is helpful to make a note of this measurement in a field journal or notebook.

6. Remove the rubber bands. Starting from the end of the stick, measure off one stride; mark it with a rubber band. From this point, measure out the width of a single track imprint; mark this one with another rubber band.

7. Use the tracking stick to guide you along animal trails; the measurements will help you predict how far ahead the next set of tracks might be, as well as the direction.

Tips & Warnings

• The tracking stick is easy to use on flat terrain since the stride length will be mostly consistent. However, it will require more work when tracking over mounds and other contours since rough terrain causes stride variation.

References

• Bear Tracker's Animal Tracks Den; Tracking Stick - How to Make and Use One; Kim A. Cabrera

Resources

• Wildlife Tracking in North America; Resources
• Tom Brown Jr's Tracker School