What to expect:

The goal of trailing is to find an animal without alerting them to your presence, which invites us into a state of full-sensory awareness as we stay alert to movement, feel the breeze on our skin, listen for distant twig snaps and bird calls, and blend into the backdrop of the woods as best we can.

Our focus of this day will be on recognizing fresh trails, then practicing the mechanics of following them: head up and looking down the trail, following the most likely routes, always taking note of our "last good track" and returning to it if we miss a turn. This can be a slow-moving process if conditions are challenging, or we might cover several miles if trails are easy to find and follow. Either way, we will be outside for the full day. If we don't find followable deer or moose trails, we will practice by laying down our own trails and engage with a series of exercises to tune our eyes to subtle signs on the forest floor. We are unlikely to catch up to a wild animal, but we will build a foundation for continued practice.

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Where is the animal right now? This question guides our whole experience and invites us to consider the ecology of our target species and their patterns on the landscape. What are they eating now? Where do they rest? When are they active throughout the day or night? We will look for signs that reveal daily activites and seasonal behavior.

You will head home with suggested exercises and tips for finding a local tracking spot, then reconvene about 10 days later to share your progress and troubleshoot challenges.

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