Throw Away Your Tracking Sticks
by Tom Brown Jr.If you have been using your tracking stick for more than a year,
it is now the time to wean yourself from that crutch. In the beginning it is good for a
student to use a measuring device to help him with his tracking but at a point in time, he
must begin to track without this aid. The next step up is to begin to segment your vision
so that your eyes know exactly where to look, rather than depending on a measuring device.
You will find that you will be able to go much faster when you use your eyes alone,
unencumbered by any other aid.
If you have not put in your dirt time, still use the tracking stick. Some people never
really graduate from it and they will always be slow and ineffective as trackers. Those
who have put in the time and effort should now abandon the stick and allow their inner
instincts take over, intuitively knowing where, how and when to look. In short time you
will notice new speed and fluidness to your reading.
However, if you are involved in man tracking, it is good to have your stick with you,
especially as a backup. When a human life is on the line and you are not practicing, you
will sometimes need a measuring device to help you through the difficult places and to
check that you have the right person. I would suggest that you only use the stick when you
get to the most difficult areas as you will go much faster without it during the rest of
the search.
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