Tracking Humans: A Fundamental Approach to Finding Missing Persons, Insurgents, Guerrillas, and Fugitives from the Law

by David Díaz, V.L. McCann

Tracker. The very word evokes images of buckskin-clad braves crouching over the ground, carefully studying the signs before them—a part of history. But the modern world has not put behind it the need for the earthy business of tracking. Such skills are still routinely used by the military, rescue personnel, and law enforcement, as well as by hunters and people living at subsistence level throughout the world.  Tracking Humans is the ultimate authoritative guide to this most complex pursuit.  A great resource for military, law enforcement, and rescue professionals, Tracking Humans is also useful for outdoor enthusiasts.  Users will find it invaluable as an on-site manual to assist in any ongoing search.

Unlike many tracking manuals, this guide focuses on tracking humans, whether they're enemy combatants or lost children. Author David Diaz explains what it takes to be an expert tracker, from the physical stamina to the focus and perception necessary to do the job correctly. He explains the tools of the tracker and presents essential safety tips every tracker should know. Tracking Humans is an important tool for anyone dealing with missing persons—it could be an essential lifesaver.

 

Genres: Military Fiction

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was primarily written to teach the fundamentals of tracking in hostile circumstances; mostly for military and law enforcement. It did however provide information that is useful for search and rescue purposes, which was my main motivation for reading this book. The book is well organized and the author goes in great detail on a variety of subjects useful to tracking. Some of his information can even be applied to tracking animals.

[Anne Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to the art and science of tracking human beings. Focusing primarily on tracking in military operations, it nevertheless imparts basic skills that can be successfully utilized in search-and-rescue and law enforcement operations. My 4-star rating reflects my feeling that, as an introduction to tracking technique, it could have taken a more rounded approach by also giving insights to how search-and-rescue and law enforcement operations might differ from military applications. I was essentially left wanting a bit more - perhaps not a bad result of having read the book.

[Brenda Damen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book about footprints, human scent and how the 'rafts' of our scent travels outwards in a cone, about learning to notice everything in the forest: every bent leaf, every ripple in a puddle indicating someone might have just stepped through it moments ago, about how people get turned around in the woods, and how to find them. A really fascinating read.

[Alsweider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also, vor ungefähr drölf Jahren haben mein Bruder und ich in der Atacama Verstecken gespielt und irgendwo da draußen sitzt er immer noch und lacht sich ins Fäustchen, weil ich ihn nicht finden kann. Mit diesem Buch habe ich vielleicht eine Chance, es ihm heimzuzahlen.

Es funktioniert, ich habe ihn gefunden! Ich hatte schon ganz vergessen, dass mein Bruder ein Guanako ist.