New Mexico
Two -Day Trailing
Evaluation

March 2027 Two - Day Trailing Evaluation

Saturday & Sunday March 6th- 7th 8:00 - 4:00

( world class instructor 4 person total each Eval )

(times may vary closer to evaluation but these time perimeters are general)

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 and 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 Casey McFarland is a Senior Tracker and CyberTracker Evaluator working internationally to train and certify biologists, research teams, eco-tourism guides and the general public.  Casey runs Track & Sign and Trailing Evaluations, as well as a variety of backcountry expeditions and wildlife courses. In 12 years as an Evaluator, Casey has run over 150 Evaluations and given trainings in 8 countries, and as an External Evaluator he oversees Track & Sign Specialist Evaluations. He was integral to the establishment CyberTracker Europe, and currently sits as President of CyberTracker North America.

Cancellation: 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.