Albuqueque
Wildlife Trailing
Course

Albuqueque Wildlife Trailing Workshop

Note: this is not a Trailing Evaluation

Thursday March 4th 8:00 - 3:30

(two professional instructors two separate 4 person workshops)

Middle Rio Grande Bosque Ecosystem

This environment is an oasis of the Southern Rocky Mountains and the Chihuahua Desert providing critical habitat it includes riparian forests that provide an oasis of valuable resources for animals and plants living in an otherwise arid Southwest habitat. In these evaluations will can cover both river and mountain ecosystems which offer very different habitats for plants and animals hence a diverse broad range of questions for wildlife tracking study.

At a Trailing Workshop, 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 Workshops/Evaluation click here. There is a great video here Dave & Casey did that explains what Trailing and animal means.

Your lead 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.

Your Instructor lead naturalist and birder Kevin O’Malley at South Sound Nature School has been leading field classes & teaching beginners, intermediate & expert birders, wildlife trackers wanting to go deeper and further their knowledge about habitats and behaviors of birds and their tracks & sign. Particularly Birds of the Cascades by identification, behavior and unique Shrub-Steppe & Eastern Ponderosa Pine Forest habitats. Kevin is particularly skilled in noticing bird tracks, nest, pellets & feeding signs these clues are important part of finding your favorite bird track or sign. Kevin is Level 3 Track & Sign and has a Level 2 Trailing Certificate. More importantly Kevin has spent extensive time in the field with Senior Evaluator Casey McFarland and Evaluator Marcus Reynerson. He is a Kamana 4, an Immersion Graduate and has a degree in Cultural Anthropology.

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!