Smell Tracking
Just recently on the River Otter project I’m working in Missouri I was able to locate not one, but three different latrine in one day by using my sense of smell. I wasn’t able to see because of the thick vegetation, until I moved to the river bank, but you could smell them. I had learned the value of using smell when I attended Paul Renzedes winter tracking course. We worked on smelling coyote, fox, bobcat and other urines and scats. It was very interesting and started me paying more attention to smells. I later attended a tracking course presented by Charles Worsham. At the time it was one of my more difficult courses, but it had an incredible influence upon the way I track. He had us smelling tracks, not just urine and scats, but actual tracks. Try it, just close you eyes and smell the world around you.
I do the same basic demonstration that Charles did for us in my own tracking workshops. I’ll make a track in pine needles, grass, leaves, dirt any substrate will do. Then start by smelling the ground away from the track, and then slowly move toward it, until you are directly overhead. Continue until you are past the track on the other side. It is a simple, yet fun exercise to do. Next blindfold yourself and repeat the drill. Can you find the track?
My friend Cordell and I were out tracking in the sandhills. When we started to head back to camp we noticed fresh coyote tracks, so fresh that they were actually in one of Cordell’s boot prints from 30 minutes ago. I wanted to see if I could smell the freshly disturbed soil. I was surprised not only to be able to smell the track but to smell the coyote from the track that was just made. I couldn’t believe it.
Smell ya later!