Most impressive trackers?

[channelkat]

So far, I have only had the chance to see Zimbabwean and Mozambican trackers at work. The Zim Pair I observed were quite impressive. There were moments early on, where I would watch them try to make sense of a labyrinth of trails in the matted grass, in the back of my mind I thought they must be putting on a show for the foreigner. Surely, they were just wandering through the bush with hopes of bumping a buffalo. Our senior Zim tracker later tried to teach me a few things, but mostly I just watched him with the expression of a dog being taught calculus.

Thinking back, and on future trips, I’m wondering what other tracking cultures that you have been impressed by or learned from. Experiencing other cultures is for me a big draw when planning a trip. Would love to hear this groups thoughts on the most impressive trackers.

 

[IvW]

Bushman....

 

[grand veneur]

I also think that you can find the best trackers by the San.

Nevertheless, I have seen good trackers at work in all African countries where I have hunted. It can hardly be otherwise because the success of a hunt depends on these people and every outfitter will be on the search for the best trackers they can get.

 

[channelkat]

When discussing leopard hunting, my PH suggested a bushman hound hunt (Namibia I think?) might better fit my interests. Are those the San people/bushmen, from around Namibia?

 

[Kelly G]

Kalahari Bushman - Tholo Safaris - Botswana

 

[Altitude sickness]

Remembering an episode of “This is Africa” and they are filming a Brown bear hunt in AK. Andy points out a large set of tracks and laments that they are just going to walk past the tracks to look for a bear with binoculars.

You could tell he was very frustrated because Ray Charles could follow the tracks he was looking at.

just goes to show you in North America We don’t normally jump on tracks in dirt and grass (perhaps in fresh snow) where skills aren’t mandatory.

 

[grand veneur]

What concerns completely different cultures but hunts that are comparable to those in Africa, the people of the Orang Asli on the Malay Peninsula also had good trackers. They were us very useful when it came to find a buffalo track in the rain forest.

 

[375Fox]

I really think the best tracking teams are in Zimbabwe from what I’ve seen. I think the long term relationship the PH has with the lead and 2nd tracker makes the difference compared to many other areas where a PH gets assigned a tracker at that camp or for that season. I’d really like to hunt an eland behind a bushman tracker in Namibia or Botswana, but they are tracking in generally sandy ground that allows fast tracking. Tracking an elephant in uneven terrain on hard ground is very different. The best individual tracker I’ve seen has been in Cameroon. He was in his 70s and had been hunting eland in the area since the 1980s.

 

[channelkat]

The best individual tracker I’ve seen has been in Cameroon. He was in his 70s and had been hunting eland in the area since the 1980s.

Pygmy trackers in Cameroon? My dreams these days seem more and more accompanied by Pygmy trackers in CAR or Cameroon.

 

[375Fox]

Pygmy trackers in Cameroon? My dreams these days seem more and more to be accompanied by Pygmy trackers in CAR or Cameroon.

The Pygmy trackers are just in the rain forest. In the Savannah for eland they are normal black Africans.

 

[channelkat]

The Pygmy trackers are just in the rain forest. In the Savannah for eland they are normal black Africans.

I see. I have lately been trying to find all I can about the dwarf forest buffalo and all those cool duiker they call in.

 

[Nyati]

I suppose it´s not a question of ethnic group, but more about individuals, after 8 safaris I have seen a few at work, none like a Tswana named Gerry in the Limpopo.

 

[thi9elsp]

I can't say who's the best only relate it to 2 hunts, 2 poor shots by me, and what the trackers did:

Zimbabwe - Zambezi Valley: last day of hunt, safety still on squeeze and pull off Kudu, safety off, get on animal and shoot uphill nicking brisket and hitting opposite front shoulder. 6 hours later, through brush, trees, across rocky areas we caught up with it and put it down.

Mozambique - Niassa Province: first day of hunt, Lichtenstein Hartebeest facing me sightly quartering, shoot grazes shoulder and hits rear leg, 4 1/2 hours later, through brush, over many rocky areas, circled back through where I originally shot, we caught up with it and put it down.

I still don't know what they saw in the rocky areas to continue the tracking. And, both tracking jobs the animals crossed other tracks. The PH would have Ann and I sit down, while the trackers worked for 10 - 15 minutes and then we would be waved over and continue. Both PHs told me that their trackers had been with them for more than 10 years.

 

[fourfive8]

San Bushmen of the Kalahari. Their skill has to be experienced to be appreciated. The only tracker who came close to the skills of the San that I witnessed was a local, young game scout in south central Zimbabwe.

 

[Matthias5662]

I've not had the pleasure to hunt in Africa other than in South Africa. That said, I was amazed by the Bushmen of the Kalahari as trackers. I was there this past July and had an opportunity to watch them apply their skills over several days.

 

[gillettehunter]

The pygmies in the Congo are exceptional.
Bruce

 

[PANTHER TRACKERS]

When discussing leopard hunting, my PH suggested a bushman hound hunt (Namibia I think?) might better fit my interests. Are those the San people/bushmen, from around Namibia?

The connection between man and canine is very instinctive to almost every hunter that I have guided over the past 20 years.
The combination of tracking sign by sight, and by scent, speaks to the core of most hunters.
I theorize that it is embedded in our DNA.

The Bushmen tracking in the sandy conditions of Botswana is a great spectacle, however, the skills of great trackers are more evident in the complex environments of the Miombo or Bushveld where only very fine disturbance is often the only indicator of passing quarry.
In the sandy conditions, scent is very temporary, and hounds are entered into the hunt right on the tail of the jumped leopard. In other environments, scent can persist for longer periods and the wonderful tracking skill of the hounds can be engaged for several hours.
Where they make a scent loss, the humans search for visual sign and correct the hounds. This leap-frogging is pure cooperation between tracking masters - human and canine.

 

[Safari Dave]

The tracker that I used with Adansonia Safaris (RSA) back in 2007 demonstrated some amazing skills. I hit a Gemsbok in a herd of about 20 a little too far back. There was no blood, but we all saw dust fly of the hide when the bullet struck. He followed each set of tracks until he was satisfied the animal was unwounded, then came back to the original spot and kept repeating the process.

It took him several hours, but he found it a few hundred yards away.




The tracker that worked for Legadema Safaris in Mozambique was also amazing. For some reason, he tasted everything that he saw the buffalo eating. (I still don't know why)

 

[channelkat]

I can follow for a short time in good snow or mud, maybe not too bad in the sand, but I could not even begin to see the little details that enable them to follow a single animal like that, especial in the grass. I wish I could get Abel (my senior tracker) to come help me hunt cougar and Roosevelts out in the Olympics Mountains!

 

[PatrickMa Ward]

My trackers Isaac in the Biye Valley Conservancy could tell you who the animal went to the prom with if he saw a hoof print .