Tracking 102...How old are those tracks? ©

 

 

So, how old do you think these tracks are?  I know, but how would you guess their age, if you came upon them?

 

Expert tracker Tom Brown Jr. noted, “Determining the age of a trackis an art in itself ... and one that can be learned only through observation and practice”¹.

 

Aging tracks is an art, because so many variables, such as whether the track is made in mud, sand or snow, the wind, the sun and the rain, all play a part in how fast a track decays.

 

Dirt and Mud...

 

In the summer, unless you are at the beach, the tracks that you find will be in the dirt and mud.  So how long do they last before they crumble back into dust?  That depends...

 

Weathering...

 

Tracks are affected by the weather, the wind, rain or fresh snow will gradually cause the features to collapse until no fine details are left².  When a foot displaces soft, moist soil to form a track, the moisture of the dirt holds the edges of the track sharp and intact, but as air and sunlight dry the edges of the track, small bits which were held in place by the moisture, fall into the print.  If these bits are just beginning to drop into the track, then it is probably fresh.  If the edges of the track are dry and crusty, the tracks are probably at least an hour old.  Remember this is only an approximation, as the weathering of tracks will vary with the terrain.

 

Rain, wind and water...

 

A light rain may round out the edges of a track.  A short heavy rain might leave “pockmarks” in the tracks and a heavy rain might erase the tracks completely.  Remember when, and how hard the last rain was, to correctly age any tracks. 

 

Wind also affects tracks, by drying them and blowing litter, sticks, or leaves into it.  Be sure that the litter was blown into the tracks, and not crushed into them when the tracks were made.  Remember when and how hard the wind blew to age a track.

 

A trail of tracks leaving a stream may appear to be weathered by rain, because of water dripping from wet fur or clothing, down onto the tracks.  A wet trail of tracks that slowly fades into a dry trail shows that it is fresh.

 

So, how old are these tracks?

 

The pictures above were taken on a shaded, muddy, dirt road, approximately 24 hours apart.  It didn’t rain either day, there was very little breeze, and the temperature and humidity were much the same on both days³.  

 

Notice how the details of track on the left are noticeably clear and sharp.

 

The details of the track on the right, photographed again about 24 hours later, are faded and much less distinct and clear.  Notice also, how the entire track is uniformly dry.

 

Practice, practice, practice...

 

The best way to learn to age tracks that you find is to practice, practice, practice, and here are some tips.

 

Tom Brown Jr. explained that “A good wind may smooth out a depression made in dry sand within 30 seconds”⁴.

 

T.A.L. Dozer noted, “Tracks with well-defined, sharp features always appear to be  fresher than smooth tracks.  Make animpression with your thumb in the ground alongside the track so that you can see how the soil behaves”.

 

Tom Brown Jr. wrote, “Under most conditions, though, the peaks of a track — one made in, say, medium-hard garden soil — will have deteriorated or rounded somewhat after 24 hours.  In another day, the mark may have accumulated debris, leaves, or pockmarks from raindrops.  Eventually, as the track crumbles and fills or is covered by other prints, it will disappear completely”.

 

Tim MacWelch explained that spider webs can help you age tracks “...broken webs mean that someone or something has come down that trail within the past hour, maybe an hour and a half if it’s cool weather.  If the web is partially rebuilt, something broke it about two hours ago.  If the web is complete, nothing went through that spot within the past three hours”.

 

Tracks made in snow change their shape due to melting,  sublimation, and the settling of the snowpack, and often becomeenlarged.  For more information on aging winter tracks read “Melt-Enlarged Tracks and Spring Heeled Jack©”, HERE.

 

I hope that this helps you determine just how long ago the tracks that you find in the wilderness were set down.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Sources

 

Brown, Tom Jr., and Morgan, Brandt; “How to Track Animals in the Wilderness”, Mother Earth News, September 1, 1982, [© Copyright 2024], https://www.motherearthnews.com/sustainable-living/nature-and-environment/how-to-track-animals-in-the-wilderness-zmaz82sozgoe/, accessed August 3, 2024

 

Dozer, T. A. L.; “Advanced Tracking Skills”, September 16, 2007, https://selousscouts.tripod.com/advance_tracking_techniques.htm, accessed August 3, 2024

 

Dozer, T. A. L.; “Tracking and Countertracking”, September 16, 2007, https://selousscouts.tripod.com/tracking_and_countertracking.htm, accessed August 3, 2024

 

MacWelch, Tim, “Manhunt: 5 Tips for Successfully Tracking a Human”, September 14, 2015, [© 2024 Recurrent], https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/survivalist/manhunt-5-tips-successfully-tracking-human/, accessed August 3, 2024

 

Speiden, Rob; “KEEPING TIME OF TRACK: TRACK AND SIGN AGING”, [© 2007 Natural Awareness Tracking School, LLC], page 3.  https://www.sarti.us/sarti/files/KeepingTimeOfTrack.pdf, accessed on August 3, 2024

 

Wikimedia, “Modern raindrop impressions in stream sediments”, by EdwardEMeyer, May 15, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Modern_Raindrop_Impressions_in_Stream_sediments.jpg, accessed August 3, 2024