EarthTracks

 http://www.travisaudubon.org/classes

Animal Tracking and Signs with Dwight Wilson: Have
you ever wondered who left those footprints in the mud or what
prompted a robin’s alarm call? A tracking class with Dwight Wilson
will teach you how to locate mammal, bird, and insect tracks in any
substrate, from wet mud or sand to leaf litter and tall grass. You
will be able to tell if the animal is running, walking, stopping,
looking left or right, is right or left handed, male or female.  Animal
tracks can even reveal emotions and physiological states like
gestation or stress that change the foot’s pressure points.

      Why do cardinals have different vocalizations? Birds lend an
amazing element to tracking because they vocalize what is going
on in the forest floor. Each song or call can tell us something about
a specific predator or potential food source. Want to see a fox
licking its paw? Dwight will show us how to move and blend with
nature to observe more wildlife. This amazing class not only
shows you the tracks, but also the signs and signals that animals
leave behind, to add a new dimension to your outdoor experiences.

      Dwight Wilson has over 20 years of tracking experience with
wildlife and humans. He has trained with some of the nation’s
best trackers including Charles Worsham, Paul Rezendes, Stanley
Liston, Nate Kempton, Jon Young’s Wilderness Awareness
School, and Tom Brown’s Tracker School. He has been asked to
provide his services for institutions such as the National Park
Service, Texas law enforcement officers, and the Dallas FBI (ERT)
in man tracking. He also gives classes on wildlife tracking and
behavior, land navigation, and wilderness survival.  All of these
skills allow Dwight to understand and recognize the signs that are
given to us in nature and help him to lead you in the direction of
seeing nature through these eyes.

      Normally offered in Dallas only, this is Dwight’s second class
in the Austin area and is available at a special reduced price.  
Future classes will be smaller and more specialized and will be
priced accordingly. The 8-hour class will be held outdoors in the
Austin area on Saturday, April 21st with an additional optional
dawn session. The class fee is $45 for TAS chapter members
and $55 for non-members. Class size is limited. To register, e-
mail Roxie Rochat at tastrack@austin.rr.com or call 345-6935

It was a perfect sunny day to trail ride at Stockton Lake. I loaded up my horse, Red, and decided to take my hand saw and clippers to clean limbs from a small section of the riding trail.

I arrived at the parking lot across from the riding trail, saddled up Red and attached the saw and clippers. I also took a lead rope with me so I could ground tie Red while I worked.(ground tie means-lead rope is hanging down from the halter without being tied to anything) Red is trained to stand when the lead rope is just hanging from the halter touching the ground.

I rode to the spot that I wanted to start cutting the small limbs that hang in the path. So I connected the lead rope to Red’s halter so it would hang down and Red would stand there. I went about cleaning and trimming limbs from the trail. I was moving down the trail, trimming and clearing it up, getting alot of work done. All was going well, I was able to tell Red to come on and she was following me as I worked down the trail. I thought to myself this is really great, when I get tired I’ll just ride back and head home.

I got really involved in what I was doing, feeling really good about clearing this area so people wouldn’t have to duck to keep from getting hit by limbs. Then, I heard something, sounded like a horse coming down the trail. So I looked back to get a hold of Red so the other horse coming down the trail wouldn’t spook her.

Opps, where’s Red?…I looked down the trail and saw her rear end as she turned the corner. I called for her to stop, Red stop!, but she kept going. I thought I’d better take off after her, so I started back up the trail trying to catch up. I called out a few more times to her, but she wouldn’t stop. She just kept going walking along, not running, just keeping the same pace. Then she disappeared from view, and I realize it’s going to be a long walk back.

I keep hoping that someone was coming down the trail and would find her, but no such luck. I came to a clearing and was hoping the she was in the pasture eating some grass. She wasn’t there. Then I came to a fork in the trail.. Now which way did she go? I started searching for her tracks and finally found her hoof prints on the path going to the creek. After crossing the creek, I check for tracks again hoping that she actually crossed and didn’t head up or down stream. Yep there they are. I started to realize that Red might be heading towards the trailer.

I keep checking her tracks along the trail hoping she stays on the trail. She never leaves it! As I turned the last corner I look and there she is just standing next to the trailer as if she’s tied. I was happy to see her and tired for the long walk back. Three miles of tracking a horse instead of riding her.

What a day! I packed up and headed home, but will come back another day. Trust next time I will tie Red up every time I stop to work..

Horse Tracking as told by Ray Wilson 

Wilson Foxtrotters

“Life is short. Ride the best, a Missouri Foxtrotter”

for more information on Missouri Foxtroters visit

http://www.mofoxtrot.com/