Tactical Tracking/Patrolling

One essential skill needed in preparation for protecting a community is tactical tracking. Linked intimately with patrolling, tactical tracking will provide intelligence on any movement around the community and allow patrols to interdict potential aggressors. After establishing the community's perimeter, knowing who is moving around it will be a vital part of the overall protection plan. Tactical tracking is not as easy as portrayed in the movies, it takes training and skills to be effective and to avoid 'tracking' right into an ambush. This article will lay out the basics of tactical tracking, define tracking terms and explain the roles and responsibilities of key personnel.

Tactical tracking, like patrolling, is hard work if done properly and has many shortcuts that the ill-advised can take at their peril. A very high degree of alertness, fieldcraft and discipline is required at all times. Even though there are many similarities to tracking animals, the fundamental difference of tracking the human quarry makes tactical tracking much more difficult and riskier. Always remember tactical trackers are following what could be a very dangerous individual or group and they may know they are being tracked!

Some definitions of the terms used in tactical tracking. First, the term sign is used to describe the many telltale marks left behind after humans have passed through an area. There are a number of sign types fundamentally divided by where they are located in the terrain. Top sign is used to define sign found in vegetation, above knee height. As humans walk through vegetation, they brush and unnaturally disturb the growing vegetation, branches, growing leaves and vines get pushed away, generally in the direction of travel, or turned over. Top sign has two classifications, big and small. Big top sign is found when a large party, twenty or more, have moved through an area and caused large disturbances to the growing vegetation, even to the extent of breaking over the tops of shoulder-high young trees in order to leave a clear path for each member of the party following behind. Small top sign is found when a smaller party, five or so, have moved through an area deliberately avoiding unnecessary disturbances to the vegetation, and certainly under no circumstances breaking or cutting trees. Understanding these terms can help determine who the tracker is following, their training and discipline. Ground sign occurs where vegetation from ankle height down to the ground has been disturbed such as bent over, bruised and scraped vegetation, disturbances to the soil or sand and to dead, dying and decaying vegetation on the ground. As with top sign, ground sign has the same two classifications for large ground sign and small ground sign.

Sign is also broken down into two categories, temporary sign or permanent sign. Temporary sign is the unavoidable marks left behind on the ground, such as disturbances to the earth, leaves and twigs. This sign is temporary as it will not last and the ground and vegetation will eventually return to normal. Permanent sign is sign of a lasting nature and is mostly man-made. Cutting, breaking of vegetation, dropping or leaving behind trash or objects and re-arranging the vegetation into unnatural positions, to use as concealment for example. Each of these categories is also applied to the different types of sign. All sign will suffer from the effects of time and weather.

Another term specifically used in tactical tracking is the cast. A cast is a visual search, generally in a circle of about five to ten yards around the sign first discovered, to pick up additional sign and start the track or continue the track after it has been lost. This is known as the initial cast. If the initial cast is unsuccessful, an extended cast is conducted which pushes out as much as twenty to fifty yards depending on the terrain. Two trackers are sent in opposite directions, one clockwise and one counterclockwise, to pick up any sign. The final cast is the box cast used to search for sign at greater distances of between one hundred and five hundred yards. This can be done similar to the extended cast, using two groups if the tracking patrol is large enough and the tactical situation allows.

The individual conducting the track is known as the visual tracker and is responsible for finding and following sign. In some environments, indigenous trackers are used due to their intimate knowledge of the terrain, flora and fauna and the peoples of the area. Care should be taken to control indigenous trackers as they may lack the tactical acumen required to operate safely against another group of humans. Even if the visual tracker is tactically aware, a coverman must be employed to provide protection while the visual tracker is concentrating fully on finding and following sign. In tactical tracking operations, the visual tracker and coverman are cross trained and can switch off roles when required. The coverman and visual tracker must be compatible and have complete trust in each other.

Tactical tracking follows some general rules. First, always conduct a track as a combat patrol. All patrolling principles and procedures apply especially all around or three sixty-degree security. Second, do not make assumptions or invent alibis, read the sign and the sign only. Third, do not track when tired, mistakes will be made and, finally, assume the trackers are being tracked! Never neglect the security of the patrol, it is too easy to get distracted, fixated, even excited, while tracking and forget to take the basic precautions while outside the safety of the community.

The visual tracker first conducts a visual assessment of the immediate area and using deductive logic, identifies the probable movement of the quarry and identifies the furthest piece of sign. The visual tracker then connects it backwards to other pieces of sign gaining a direction of travel and looking for evidence of an ambush laying in wait. The coverman is responsible for watching for movement, booby-traps and focusses on the middle and far distances to provide security for the visual tracker. The tracking team then moves tactically to that furthest piece of sign and begins the process again. While moving, both visual tracker and coverman will employ standard patrolling tactics, techniques and procedures and do not get distracted looking for additional sign. Take short, listening and observation halts frequently. The remainder of the patrol can follow on behind, at a tactical distance, ready to respond to any need. Contingency drills, known as immediate action drills, must be rehearsed fully for any eventuality, in particular, the lost track scenario. If the visual tracker loses the track, the last known sign is marked and the visual tracker moves ahead along the most likely direction of travel for about thirty yards, looking for any sign. If no sign is found, the visual tracker returns to the last known sign and repeats the process along a different direction of travel. If this fails to relocate the track, commencing from a point behind the last known sign, the visual tracker completes a wide circle using the last known sign as the center point, widening the circle and repeating the process until sign is found.

There are many techniques a quarry can use to try and confuse or deceive trackers but all take time to employ and may end up allowing the tracker to close the gap. This may be very dangerous to the quarry if escape is the goal or the trackers possess superior strength. Laying false tracks, walking around the edge of a clearing, walking in a stream and walking backward can all be used but an experienced tracker will not be fooled for long before picking up the actual track. Tactical tracking training is relatively easy to set up and can be fun. All that is needed is two groups of people, one to lay the trail and one to track. An experienced tracker with tactical insight to oversee the training will ensure bad habits are not adopted or reinforced and provide identification and explanation of sign.

Like everything else in the world of preparedness, the more time spent getting ready, the better able to deal with extreme times. Tactical tracking is no different and will become an indispensable skill set helping to protect a community. Many outdoorsmen and hunters already possess the basic tracking skill set and this should be married to a tactical awareness to avoid being drawn into an ambush or other trap.