Wilderness Tracking
FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Pacific Man Tracking Association of California
Expanded Course Outline
20 Hours
Day One
I. Introduction 1 hour
A) Course paperwork
1. Introduction of Instructors
2. Course Schedule
3. Safety Briefing
II. Slide Presentation 1 hour
A) Explanation for use of equipment and material for:
1. Use of Tracking Stick
2. Stride/Step Interval
3. Marking and Preserving
4. Sketching
5. Tracking Teams
6. Sun Angle
7. Night Tracking
III. Learning to Read Tracks 1 hour
A) Discussion from slide presentation regarding:
1. Flattening
2. Color change
3. Disturbance
4. Shine
5. Transfer
6. Dew Trails
7. Interlaced Vegetation
Fresno County Sheriff’s Department
Training Unit
FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Pacific Man Tracking Association of California
Expanded Course Outline
20 Hours
IV. Outside Exercise 1 hour
A) Demonstration and Instruction in the following:
1. Drawing shoeprint
2. View sun angle and its effect on shoe and tire tracks
3. How to use tracking stick
4. Explanation for proper vehicle approach to preserve tracks
5. Track awareness with emphasis on:
a. Flattening
b. Regularity
c. Color change
d. Disturbance shine
e. Transfer
f. Dew trails and interlaced vegetation
6. Demonstrate soil disturbance caused by uphill, downhill, side hill
footfall with emphasis on soil color change.
7. Discuss importance of knowing your own location and accurately
referencing on your map the location of clues found on your track-
ing route and marking location for future reference.
Lunch Break .5 hour
V. Field Training Exercise 3 hours
A) Demonstrate mid-day sun angle on shoe prints.
1. Effect of shading with artificial lighting on the print.
B) Review the use of the tracking stick and it uses on:
1. How it is set up for stride
2. Shoe length
3. Heel width and ball of foot measurement
Fresno County Sheriff’s Department
Training Unit
FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Pacific Man Tracking Association of California
Expanded Course Outline
20 Hours
C) Demonstrate various types of signs in the field from classroom discussion
D) Separate class into three person teams, one point and two flankers.
E) Complete assigned training and return to staging area for discussion
Dinner Break .5 hour
Note: During the midafternoon training, suitable areas have been
located and track were laid for the night tracking routes.
VI. Night Tracking Exercise 3 hours
A) Gather at staging area for team assignments
B) Discussion and demonstration of:
C) Proctors and students will proceed to their assigned routes and spend the
approximately 2.5 to 3 hours using their tracking stick and lighting method
to discover the benefit of tracking at night.
D) Class will return to staging area for debriefing and discussion of the day.
Day Two
Note: Instructors and Proctors will have located suitable locations for
the lost person scenario with routes for each team and laid prints and
clues to give each team member an example of what they may expect
on a live search event.
I. Tracking exercise 10 Hours
A) Gather at staging area for discussion and demonstration:
B) Discuss sign cutting (as opposed to jump tracking)
C) Three person teams will be formed with each team having a radio and
GPS. The appointed point man will be responsible for the movement of
the two flankers, as earlier discussed.
D) Command Post will be set up at the staging area with a radio operator and
scribe. Lost subject profile will be distributed.
Fresno County Sheriff’s Department
Training Unit
FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Pacific Man Tracking Association of California
Expanded Course Outline
20 Hours
E) Each team will be given coordinates or directions to their respective PLS
with instructions to notify the CP upon arrival.
F) The CP will be notified of each significant change of direction and each
clue will be identified, given a GPS coordinate and CP will be notified
regarding disposition.
G) Point man and flankers will change positions approximately every 20
Minutes to prevent eye strain on point man.
H) Upon completion all teams will return to the CP for debriefing and
discussion of the exercise.
II. Class Completion
A) Course critique
Fresno County Sheriff’s Department
Training Unit