Man-tracking: Lost-track procedures

During the man-tracking process, it is critical that you NEVER walk on and destroy the sign, but walk on the side of the sign line.

Make sure that you mark every critical partial print or sign at intervals, so that you have confirmed sign to return to if you lose the sign line.

Christian Nellemann

This article was adapted from Sign and The Art of Tracking—A Guide to Support Law Enforcement Tracking and Anti-Poaching Operations, by Christian Nellemann, UNEP/GRID, Arendal, Norway, Rapid Response; with Jack Kearney, U.S. Border Patrol, retired; Stig Nårstad, Norwegian Police; and the INTERPOL Environmental Crime Programme. Copyright © 2011 by Interpol, Lyon, France; and UNEP/GRID, Arendal, Norway. Excerpted with expressed written permission. All rights Reserved.

While you should never move beyond the last visual sign, sometimes the speed required and the use of track traps to overcome the time-distance gap may cause you to lose the sign.

Remember to confirm the sign line as often as possible, and in the case of lost children or similar – never lose it, but take the time needed.

If you do loose the sign, follow these lost-track procedures:

1. If track is lost – STOP!
2. Move back 5–30 m to last known certain track and look for likely route of evasion.
3. Cut around specifically targeting track traps – and look for confirmatory sign.
4. Circle around and look for track traps in funneling terrain, moving as perpendicular on track as possible and stepping only where you will clearly see any imprint/sign that you make, if possible.
5. Confirm fresh sign or print.
6. Assign spoor again to dog along with encouragement.
7. If track is lost along road, trafficated area, in water or in dry vegetation, cut along sides or in track traps until you find the exit.
8. Re-confirm track and spoor and continue.
9. If unsuccessful, go back to last positive sign/print/track (marked!) and re-try. If necessary go step-by-step.
10. Re-deploy dog/tracker on new route.