CyberTracker Track & Sign Certification

In an interview for an office job I was recently asked to tell about something that I’m proud of. On the surface it might not seem like a wise decision to tell a story about my level III Track and Sign certification from CyberTracker Conservation. But as the interview progressed, I was able to show how tracking makes me a better employee.

A Brief History of Tracking Certification

Few people outside the tracking community are aware of the work done in Africa by Louis Liebenberg – although a recent CNN feature may change that.

The author of “The Art of Tracking” recognized that the indigenous San people of the Kalahari intimately knew the wildlife of their desert home and set about to create a way to allow that knowledge to be passed on to scientists. A huge barrier was that many of the expert trackers did not read nor write.

Another was that there had to be a system to assure that the trackers actually had skills and knowledge. So, in 1994 Liebenberg developed an in-the-field test to allow trackers to prove their knowledge, and to share with and learn from other trackers. And his team started working on the problem of communicating that knowledge to others.

In 1996 the first hand-held GPS units loaded with icon-based software were put into use. The San trackers could report animal sightings, tracks, feeding sign, locations, and much more, simply by using icons on a screen. These reports were verified, and Liebenberg’s certification program soon became an entry into good conservation jobs for trackers who had gone through the process.

You can read much more of the story at the CyberTracker website, and download Liebenberg’s books and the software for free. (The software is specific to African species.) There is a lot of great tracking information here for those interested in learning more.

In 2005, Dr. Mark Elbroch became the first North American Senior Tracker Evaluator and began holding evaluations in the United States. The certification process is the same, but we don’t use the GPS with icons here.

The website for CyberTracker in North America also contains a lot of great information about tracking, the evaluation process, and a list of certified trackers. I’m so proud to be on this list!

My Tracking Story

Tracking is an important skill for a hunter, and I’d read much on the subject and had learned quite a bit on my own. I started to seriously study tracking in the fall of 2006, at Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall, Washington. Tracking is one of several subjects taught in the 9-month Anake Program. I learned a lot more about tracking and animal behavior but didn’t feel ready to test.

After completing a second course - the 9-month Tracking Intensive – I took my first evaluation in 2009, scoring in the 70-80% range, and earning a level II certificate in the Western Washington bio-region. I was happy with that score but wanted to do better.

I kept studying and putting in dirt time, and in 2013, I scored over 90%, and earned my level III certificate!

That certification gave me my “bonifides” and I felt good about teaching tracking at women’s events and to youth groups.

8 Fun Facts about the Certification Process

1. There are levels of tracking expertise. Someone who scores between 69 and 79 % receives a Level I, and a Level II certification requires a score of between 80 and 89 %. Level III is reached by a score of between 90 and 99%.

A score of 100% earns a Level IV, and if a second external evaluator is present, the coveted Specialist certification is awarded. A Senior Tracker has scored 100% on both Track and Sign and Trailing evaluations. That’s a rare honor, indeed!

2. And there are areas of expertise. Track & Sign verifies knowledge of local wildlife – which includes mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even insects. The Trailing certificate demonstrates the ability to follow fresh animal tracks through the landscape, and hopefully come upon that one particular animal by the end of the test. The Tracker certificate is awarded to those who have earned both of those certifications, and eventually, it is possible to become an Evaluator.

3. The scoring of an evaluation is a bit complicated. The evaluator/s go out before hand and locate about 200 tracks or other sign. Anything is fair game here. A tracker is a naturalist and should have at least some knowledge of every creature that lives in the area.

There’s always a mix of easy questions that every tracker should be able to answer, hard ones that can be a little tricky, and very hard ones that require more extensive knowledge and experience. An easy question is worth 1 point for a right answer, but minus 3 for a wrong answer.

Hard questions are worth 2 points, or minus 2, and very hard questions are worth 3 points, but only a minus 1 for a wrong answer. Identifying this elk track would be an easy question (“What animal is this?) in the Western Washington bio-region.

Because this is a perfect track in good substrate and there are no other ungulates of the same size in the area, any tracker should recognize it.

4. The evaluators circle the track or other sign that they want you to look at. They make it clear with signage, and tell the group what the particular question, or questions are, and then every participant has as much time as needed to give their answer/s to the evaluator or scorekeeper in private.

Once all answers have been returned, everyone gathers to discuss what they see and explain how they concluded what they did.

Sometimes the field guides come out, and there can be spirited conversation.

Eventually, the evaluator/s give the correct answer and the group moves on the next question. This is the best part of an evaluation! It’s a true learning experience, and a tracker learns that there’s no shame in not knowing, or in giving an incorrect answer.

The question in this photograph was, “What happened here?” The correct answer is that an owl landed and took some steps in the sand. This would probably be a hard question since knowing what species of owl could be difficult. (I don’t recall.)

5. Sometimes the question is INSIDE the circle, but all the information needed to answer the question is OUTSIDE the circle. And it’s expected that a tracker will examine the surroundings for more information. It’s not a trick question, the evaluator is simply trying to see how the tracker processes information.

6. Gait identification questions are – or should always be considered very hard questions. Gait describes how an animal is moving. Is it running, walking, hopping?

In this photo of a trail of domestic dog tracks, the question was, “What gait is this animal moving in?” The correct answer is that it was doing a side trot. This is a gait almost always seen in dogs or coyotes, where the animal trots along with its hind feet canted to one side. It’s not in a hurry, just moving in a relaxed fashion.

7. Feeding sign, scat, scent marking, beds, lays, burrows, and nests are types of sign that might be included in an evaluation.

The question posed by this photo is, “What chewed on this plastic jug?”, and the answer is that black bear did the damage! We were in an area rich with bear sign and tracks, and found this bit of trash that had been worked over pretty good.

8. There are no prerequisites for taking a CyberTracker evaluation. Everyone is welcome, and the groups are kept small so that it’s not so intimidating for a beginner. There are usually trackers of all skill levels, and it’s a ton of fun! So be brave and look for an evaluation in your area or host one up yourself.

For more information see the links below.

Links for More Information

CyberTracker website: https://www.cybertracker.org/background/our-story

CyberTracker in North America: http://trackercertification.com/

List of NA Track & Sign Certificates: http://trackercertification.com/trackandsign/

Upcoming evaluations: http://trackercertification.com/calendar/

Written by ReelCamo Girl ProStaff member Linda Bittle