By Sean Fagan
On top of a massive badger spoil heap (Photo: Sean Fagan, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland).
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Bushcraft Tip No. 2:
Learn some Basic Tracking…
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Why? Because it’s fun and interesting.
A little bit of tracking can go a long way in making camping or hiking a lot more interesting - as animal tracks and sign are often common and widespread, which is just as well - as sightings of wild animals can be very hit and miss.
In above photo, I’m atop an exceptionally large, badger spoil heap (about 7-8 foot tall).
This spoil heap of discarded soil was made by badgers excavating tunnels deep into the ground. Often, after generations of badger occupation in a sett, the spoil heap accumulates – often reaching impressive dimensions (as in photo).
Wild landscapes are far from inert. There is often a great deal of animal activity that can be noticed through the tracks and sign they leave behind - which is one of the most compelling reasons to learn some basic tracking skills - it's a profound way of connecting to wild places.
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“Never forget the trail, look ever for the track in the snow; it is the priceless, unimpeachable record of the creature’s life and thought, in the oldest writing known on the earth.” ~ Ernest Thompson Seton
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