Tracking Techniques: Five-Step Pursuit and Four-Step Casting

The tracker team successfully navigates challenges to re-establish their quarry's sign through strategic probing and casting techniques.

### Tracking Techniques: Navigating Challenges and Re-establishing Signs
* 🔍 The communication begins with a status update indicating a **potential threat**, including the interception of a **target vehicle** and the detention of a **female suspect linked to a local sleeper cell**.
* 🌳 As the tracking team moves through dense vegetation, the lead tracker faces a dilemma of needing to **look down for tracks** while also **securing the front**, necessitating a **single-file formation**.
* 👣 The tracker identifies the last definite sign made by the quarry, noting **disturbed leaf litter and a broken branch**, which confirms the **direction of movement**.
* 🧠 To maintain the track, the tracker employs a **five-step drill**, starting with **assessing the general direction of the quarry** and checking for **alternative openings in the vegetation**.
* 🔄 Upon losing the sign, the tracker explains the four-step track casting drill, beginning with an **initial probe to search for any new signs** within **three to five meters** of the last definite sign.
* 🔍 The second step involves moving back along the line of approach to **make a large circle**, checking for **exit points** that the quarry may have taken.
* ✅ After re-establishing the sign through the initial cast, the team **regains their tracking momentum** and prepares to **continue the pursuit**.
* 📡 The communication concludes with a location update, emphasizing the need to **remain vigilant** as the quarry continues to move in a **potentially dangerous direction**.

hello Delta to zero. This is zero entropy number zero zero one at time 1 0 to 3 over Delta Q zero zero. Database check on Footwear patents negative no positive identification. Roger so far over a delta to zero or over zero. Target vehicle has been intercepted by called fine Foxtrot 2 1 at time 0 7 5 5. 1 times female detained. Pretty many questioning suggests a link to a local sleeper cell. Proceed with caution great time 1 0 to 9 over I Delta Q 0 which is your time 1 0 to 9 on tracking. So moving through this dense vegetation as we're doing right now poses a dilemma for the tracker team. We're moving through dense vegetation. We're a small team. We're on an incline which means that really from a command and controls perspective a single file formation is the only viable formation for us. For me as the lead tracker that poses a problem because in order to follow the tracks I need to look down but in order to secure

the front, which is also my responsibility. I have to look up. These are not two jobs I can do at the same time, and in order to deal with that, there is something that we call the five-step track pursue trail, and I'm going to take you through that now. So, this is the farthest sign that I could see from back there, and as this is what we call the last definite sign, it's the last sign that I'm sure is made by my quarry. I know it's true because I can see that the leaf litter is disturbed. The same regularity that I found up there is in here. There's a broken branch that a person stepped on. So, this is my last definite sign. Now, from here on, I want to do the five-step tract pursue drill. I don't want to lose the track, and I only want to move as far as the next sign that I can see, the furthest sign that I can see. So, let me take you through it. My cover man is to my right. My rifle is down because I'm now looking.

down. I know that the front is covered because out of the corner of my eye I can see his rifle up. So, the first thing I'm going to do, and this is a mental process, this is like the track's mantra, and I'll use my hands now to indicate where my eyes are looking. So, the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to assess the general direction. This is step one. I assess the general direction of my quarry. I think they went that way. The second step is I'm going to look at other openings through the vegetation where someone could have gone through, and I'm going to check if I see any signs. Because maybe one of these guys or girls moved in a different direction, so I want to make sure that they're all still going in the right direction, and I eliminate those openings now. Okay, I'm confident they went that way. So now, what I'm going to do is I'm going to look at the farthest sign that I can see, which is about 15 meters ahead of me. I'm

going to try if I can link it back to where I am through the sign that I can see. And I can see it through the color change in the disturbed leaves. Then step four, I'm going to check left and right for deception. If anyone moved in an extreme angle away at that point, I'm now confident where I'm going. I remember where the furthest sign is. My rifle comes up. My cover men's rifle comes down. And I start moving forward as a lead scout. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] hello zero with Delta zero over zero instant at Delta zero. My location is grid three three six one six one zero two four. Couples are two individuals with the direction HS five four to eight powers on Frankie springtime one one one three over it is zero rudder your time one one one three out. So now I arrived at my last definite sign and I'm going through this five-step tractor suit roll and I'm and I'm trying to assess the general

direction, but I cannot find any more sign. This tells me that I've lost the sign. Now, this in itself is not a problem; trackers lose design all the time. It's how you deal with it that is going to determine whether you're successful or not. The way to deal with this is through the four-step track casting drill, and those are four steps that will help you to reestablish the sign when you lose it, and we're going to show you two of those. So, I've indicated now that I've lost the track, so the first step that I'm going to do is called the initial probe. From where I am at the last definite sign, I'm going to look at openings where our quarry could have gone through, and I'm going to probe those from this position, which means I'm going to move out three to five meters in a straight line and check for any sign. I'll keep doing that for about three times, and hopefully, I reestablish a sign. If I do find the sign, I'm going to indicate on track to

My team and we're ready to move in case the initial probe doesn't yield any results. Then I'm going to go into the initial cost during the initial cast. I'm going to move back along the line of approach for about 10 to 15 meters and make a large circle around my last definite sign, looking for any exit points of my quarry. If I find some, I'm gonna mark it. I'm gonna complete the circle to ensure that they didn't come back in again and went out again. And then I'm going to take my team and we're going to be back on track. The initial probe didn't yield any result, but on the initial cast, we were able to re-establish the sign of our quarry. Now we lost a little bit of time here, so we're back on track. It's time to press on our hello 0 Delta 2 0 over 0. I Delta 2 0, my location is rich 3 1 3 4 8 3 1 3 4 stop our quarry.

moving in a weapon direction normal no further change principle great time once you 0 5 over it is zero Roger your times 1 2 0 5 out you

Pro's Guide to Tactical Tracking | Into The Woods | Episode 2

UF PRO

A small tracker team is moving through dense vegetation in a single file formation, facing the challenge of looking up to secure the front while also needing to look down to follow the tracks.

The lead tracker identifies the last definite sign of the quarry, including disturbed leaf litter and a broken branch.

To maintain the track, the team uses a five-step track pursue drill, moving only as far as the next visible sign.

The speaker describes a mental process for tracking individuals, starting by assessing the general direction of their movement.

They look for openings in the vegetation and signs of disturbance to confirm the direction.

The speaker then checks for deception by looking left and right before confidently moving forward as a lead scout.

Dealing with Lost Tracks: The Four-Step Drill

Losing the track is common, and how you respond determines your success.

The first step, the initial probe, involves moving out 3 to 5 meters from the last sign to check for openings.

The second step, the initial cast, requires moving back 10 to 15 meters and making a large circle around the last sign to look for exit points.

The principle of moving in a weapon direction involves no further change once a certain point is reached.