Ellensburg
Wildlife Trailing
Evaluation

Ellensburg Wildlife Trailing Evaluation

Sat /Sun September 12th & 13th 8:30 - 4:30

Workshops on Sept 10th & 11th

Shrub-steppe is a very diverse ecosystem and has species found nowhere else in Washington!

East Cascades will be explored here too! As this region is where these biomes meet.

Shrub-steppe is a vital habitat for sage grouse, pygmy rabbits, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and dozens of other bird and animal species, the sagebrush sea is a sprawling shrub-steppe ecosystem stretching from the eastern flanks of the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Wyoming through the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah north to eastern Washington and Oregon. Core winter range for mule deer and home to endangered grouse, pronghorn. Shrub-Steppe description from Conservation Northwest. Because we sit on the edge of the East Cascades with ponderosa pine forest with cougars, bears and elk! East Cascades biodiversity includes white headed woodpeckers, golden eagles, Douglas Fir desert, big horned sheep and sage brush voles! This is a region we will explore during our trailing evaluation.

At a Trailing Evaluation, every participant takes a turn as lead tracker. The goal is to follow an animal’s fresh spoor (any presence of the animal) to locate it on the landscape, guide the group to approach and observe it, and, finally, to exit the area without alerting the animal to any human presence. Every tracking situation is different, so we are always in the position of having to “figure it out.” This uniqueness also results in variations to the exact experience of each participant, dictated by field conditions and animal behavior.

We teach participant how to follow spoor (any presence of the animal), recognize and interpret tracks & sign, anticipate where the trail is going, read the trail for danger, interpret the ecological context of the trail, and approach the animal, if the occasion arises.

We typically follow any of the ungulates, especially deer, elk, moose, feral hogs, javelina, and bighorn sheep; however, participants should be prepared to follow the trail of any animal large enough to leave sign, e.g., bears. To understand more and get a description of Trailing Evaluations click here. There is a great video here Dave & Casey did that explains what Trailing and animal means.

Basic Requirements Skill Sets

Trailing I Certificate: The candidate must be a fair systematic tracker and be able to track humans or large animals. He or she must have a fair ability to judge the age of spoor. To qualify for the Trailing I certificate the candidate must obtain 70% on the Trailing of a human or large mammal spoor.

Trailing II Certificate: The candidate must be a good systematic tracker and be able to track large animals. He or she must have a fair ability to judge the age of spoor. To qualify for the Trailing II certificate the candidate must obtain 80% for the Trailing of a large mammal spoor.

Trailing III:
The candidate must be a good systematic tracker and be able to track medium or large animals. He or she must have a fair ability to judge the age of spoor. To qualify for the Trailing III certificate the candidate must obtain 90% on the Trailing of a medium or large mammal spoor.

Your instructor/evaluator Rob Speiden began his tracking experiences while growing up on a dairy farm in Orange County, Virginia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech. Rob is an active member of the Search and Rescue (SAR) community, and he has assisted with well over 400 searches for missing persons since 1993. He is a Search and Rescue Tracking Specialist, Lead Tracking Instructor and Evaluator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and Tracking Standards Committee chairperson. Rob has authored two SAR tracking books: Foundations for Awareness, Signcutting and Tracking and Tracker Training which are available for purchase at www.trackingschool.com.

Tracking humans was a start for Rob to get interested in tracking all animals. After attending countless classes, practicing tracking the four-legged teachers for decades, and participating in dozens of evaluations, Rob earned Cybertracker’s Senior Tracker certification and is a Trailing Evaluator.

Full Refunds minus $50 processing fee given before 30 days of program after that I will honor a credit If I can fill your spot!

Please note these are small classes so a late cancel might mean you forfeit your payment but most importantly with a late cancel someone loses an opportunity to take the trailing evaluation.