Outdoor Tracking Handbook

Ray Mears has accumulated his tracking skills over 35 years of practice in the field, all over the world, and this book will be the first authoritative but accessible and practical manual. A definitive category killer, here you have not only a go-to reference for professionals, from naturalists to police and military operatives, but also an essential guide for enthusiasts who want to discover the outdoors in a new way, and read the secret stories of animals and birds in the tracks they leave behind. Illustrated throughout and with clear instructions interlaced with Ray's own inspiring first-hand experiences, this book offers you a thrilling self-education in the art of tracking. Part 1, The Basics, will give you the tools to identify the tracks. In Part 2, Intermediary, you will learn how to follow those tracks and in Part 3, Advanced, you'll start to piece together a fascinating wider picture of the specific circumstances around each trail. In ITV's landmark 2021 series Wild China, Ray tracked the rare and elusive snow leopard, for his film crew to capture in groundbreaking new footage. His work with the military and police, however, is often highly confidential. In this book, he draws deeply from every avenue of an extraordinary life's work, and passes on all that hard-earned expertise for the first time.