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When? - The best time
of the day to seek track and sign is when the sun is low in the sky, usually
in the morning and late afternoon. Ideally, sign cutting should be started in
the morning, suspended during midday, then resumed late in the afternoon until
sunset. This is not to say that tracking is impossible during midday or
at night, but simply stating that mornings and afternoons are the best times
for using the sun to your advantage. Tracking at night is quite
possible, and even easy, because the light source is totally controlled by the
Tracker. Tracking at midday, on the other hand, can be so difficult that
it is worth spending the time doing something else. Unfortunately, in
SAR, we do not always have a choice.
Sign cutting is not just
performed at the onset of a search. It should be employed any time that
a single piece of evidence (sign, track, clothing, discarded material, etc.)
is found during a search. Since it is probable that the subject was near
the evidence found (if the evidence if found to be relevant), sign can be cut
around it to determine direction of travel.
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How? - Sign cutting
is performed while traveling perpendicularly to the direction of travel of the
subject. This is an attempt to intersect the path of the subject when
you are cutting sign, to avoid confusing the trail you are tracking with that
of your own. Search for sign by using available light. Look in the
direction of the light source for best results, regardless of what orientation
of the light is to your body. Make the light work for you and not
against you.
The application of some simple rules can make sign cutting easier and more
effective.
- If possible, the most experienced
trackers should cut sign then continue on Step by Step.
- Use available light to
your greatest advantage. Face the sun, when possible, and cut at a ninety
degree angle to the direction of travel.
- Team members should
space themselves several yards apart, but should stay in visual and vocal
contact. A team of three trackers works best, One as Point and Two
Flankers.
- Look behind you at
frequent intervals, especially if the light is not optimum.
- You may only get one
chance to see a print or sign when cutting sign. Take your time and
don't miss anything. You may not get another try.
- Do Not allow
unnecessary personnel in the area where sign is to be cut. Minimize
the possibility of the production of confusing sign.
Sign cutting is performed
quite differently than Step by Step tracking. Where Step by Step
requires examination of a small area within one stride of the last track, sign
cutting requires slow, careful visual sweep within a 2 or 3 stride area.
Be careful, though, and let your eyes set the pace and not your
adrenaline-charged feet!
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Where? - The first
place to start looking for sign would be where it is most likely to be
found. That is, look where the person being sought spent enough time to
leave good evidence. Also look where the person was most likely to have
walked, and where track would be very easy to see.
Sign is most easily seen
where the environment enhances what we seek. You may have noticed that
tracks are easier to discover and identify when they are set in moist sand or
firm, moist mud. If we identify areas such as these that allow easy sign
cutting, we can use them to our benefit. These, and similar areas, are
termed natural or man-made "Track Traps". Some examples of natural
track traps are muddy areas, (especially firm mud), salt flats, fields of high
grass, river or creek banks, steep embankments, and dusty roads. The following
types of terrain are also considered natural track traps, but they each have their
own special considerations:
Roads - Dusty
roads can be excellent track traps, although vehicle traffic can destroy many
tracks and much evidence in only a fraction of the time it took to leave
them. Try to find out how much traffic has traveled the road in question
since your subject passed by. Do not overlook the side paved
roads. Traffic on paved roads tend to leave light dust that easily shows
sign.
Sand - Trackers
commonly make make two errors when dealing with tracks in sand. Both can
be prevented by understanding that sand tends to make fresh tracks seem
old. Gravity makes soft sand smooth over sharp edges, causing fresh
track to look old. The nature of soft sand also tends to make prints
made from high traction foot wear appear older than prints made with smooth
sole shoes. This is because the effects of wind and weather will age
"Lumpy" tracks more quickly than smooth tracks. Also keep in mind
that, in deep sand, track measurements can be as much as one-half inch shorter
than the shoes that made them.
Game Trails -
People tend to follow obvious game trails in the outdoors because they are
easy to follow, generally clear of obstacles, and almost always lead to
water. Pretty much the same reason animals use them. These trails
are great to cut sign on because if a person traveled through the area, you
can bet they used the trail. Also, the trails are covered with animal
droppings which can be used as a portable track trap. The feces can show sign
that the surrounding terrain can't.
Man Made -
Some examples of man made track traps include plowed fields, dirt roads,
firebreaks, construction sites, fences, or even a small area that was cleared
purposely cleared to catch a good print of anyone passing (track trap).
Fence may not necessarily produce terrain that is good for detecting sign, but
if the fence had to be climbed over, under, or through, then plenty of sign
would most certainly be produced on even the most difficult ground surfaces.
If the fence is rusty, a scuff mark may be visible, and don't forget to look
for cloth or human hair on a barbed-wire fence. Fences also tend to
direct travel of individuals, particularly lost ones. A lost person may
welcome finding anything straight to follow, and so follow a fence line for
some time.
Other - There are
other features that might also effect a persons choice of route. For
instance a person may follow a pipeline or utility line in order to reach civilization.
Items such as towers, lights, and beacons can attract a lost person and there
for effect their direction of travel. Mountain peaks or terrain features that
are visible from far away might cause a person to follow a certain path.
Any one of these "Route Modifiers" could be used very effectively to
determine a direction of travel. When a direction of travel was assured,
sign could be cut ahead, and sometimes far ahead, to expedite the tracking
process.
There will be times when
terrain and other features do not limit travel so very much, and you are attempting
to track a marathon hiker. These are the times when Step by Step
approach combined with sign cutting becomes the most important. Use the
terrain and track traps to assist in finding sign, and always depend on the
Step by Step method one track is started. The Step by Step trackers will
serve as a compass, constantly indicating direction of travel, and, therefore
indicating where sign should be cut.
The most important principle
of sign cutting is to do it where sign is easy to see. To assure this,
periodically and carefully test the route you are following by determining if
you can see your own prints. If you can't, pick another area for cutting
sign.
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