"In brightest day, in darkest night, no evil shall escape my sight, for I am the Shadow Wolf"- U.S. Customs Patrol Officer motto.
Shadow Wolves
Who are the Shadow Wolves? They are expert trackers of the desert. Skilled in the ancient way of ‘Sign Cutting '.
Shadow Wolves track smugglers and human traffickers along the US And Mexico Border—members of tribes such as the Sioux, Navajo, Lakota, Kickapoo, and Chickasaw. The Pima and Tohono O’odham tribes are Shadow Wolves.
Indigenous trackers are children of the wilderness. It is said they know how to read its subtle message.
They learned from their elders that it is possible to "hear" things that are silent and to "see" things that are invisible on a trail."
Tracking Skills
In modern times, Tracking is considered a science. However, for thousands of years, humans depended on tracking skills to trail the animals they hunted.
Tracking is a core survival tool. A tool that helped our ancestors learn valuable information about the environment they lived and hunted in.
Trailing and Sign Cutting
Shadow Wolves use tracking techniques called Trailing and Sign Cutting. Tracking skills developed from ancient times.
Tracking skills warned the warrior-tracker of the enemy's presence. And the whereabouts of those who might cause harm to the people.
How to Learn to Track
The basics of tracking can be learned from books along with plenty of field studies trackers call, dirt time.
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking is an excellent resource. Brown's book provides a good foundation in sign tracking and nature observation.
Shadow Wolves follow Sign
Pictured below is a "Leaf study". This is "SIGN" to the Shadow Wolf. This photograph shows how leaves stand after a tennis shoe has 'released' from the ground. Leaving a "Sign" of the person's passage. I took this photograph using a Micro setting.
To recognize and follow "SIGN", you must look closely.
For some Indigenous peoples, Tracking is a way of life
Tracking is a way of life that gives the Shadow Wolves their powerful skills.
For a Shadow Wolf, his life and his team's survival depend on his ability to read the landscape in a way that he can feel and sense the spirit of the track...of his quarry.
In Conclusion
The good news is that you can begin learning to track at any age. The personal benefits of tracking are many and can be applied to all aspects of your life.
Tracking skills are one of the most important survival skills you can learn. Join us for the introduction to Animal Tracking. A two-day course to develop your skills and learn to track like a Shadow Wolf.
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