Those of you have been on a Shadowhawk Tracking course would have heard me talking about ZIZO.
Zone-in and then zone-out.
By doing this you can reduce your concentric circles, and wildlife will come very close to you. Its the anvil of wildlife tracking.
For a while I have been wanting to get a sequence of images to illustrate the effects.
Today, I was out tracking ,and had completed a good zizo.Within minutes, even before I had seen its tracks this roe deer appeared. It was not in the least bit concerned, and I spent half an hour watching it, not as a voyeur, but accepted by the deer, that knew I was there.
It came closer and closer, and looked straight at me, and continued to feed.
It couldnt resist coming to within a couple of metres, all the time watching me, and then moved off slowly.
The zone-in is a magical part of tracking, and every once in while, you get a result, that can put a smile on your face, and you get the feel-good factor.
Its nice to know that what we teach works.

Wow, just finished, and unpdacked the kit. What a brilliant week. The Shadowhawk Advanced Trackers put up with the hardest course yet. I really push them, mentally and still expect them to detect the most minute details in a track and explain the action indicators.
 They were up before dawn on most days and worked hard until after mid-night.
They all carved spoons and made their shelters, but some struggled witht the final assesmant, only to pass later with flying colours. Although we did have a couple of "resourceful" people, who thought something had escaped my eye!
By the wat resourcefulness of Shadowhawk Trackers is always rewarded!
Additional to this I ran a vision quest for someone, and they did really well.
At the end of the Advanced Tracking Course we ran a sweat lodge for those that were interested, which was a great success.
The Module on and two people arrived on Friday, and they blew us away with their skills and desire to learn. They were a brilliant group.
The weekend had a real buzz about it. People learning bushcraft skills from our senior mentors, some doing a sweat lodge and others doing their module one and two tracker course.
Lots of good humour around the fire, interlaced with gallons of tracking talk.
We had people who had made long journeys from Europe, Ireland and The USA  to do the course. Some of the newly Advanced Trackers chose to stay out for an extra night , and go "bush", surviving nicely in improvised shelters.
Our location is fantastic, and every year yields more and more. I have aways wondered if there is red deer in the area. We have seen the tracks, and this year I have seen their feeding sign, but most important of all, one of the students saw a red deer, very close to her, whils
Well done to all, and I am especially proud of all my instructors and mentors..well done folks!

With the Advanced Course and Module  1&2  Wildlife Tracking, I have decided to have an open forum discussion on tracking knives. Please feel free to contribute on here as well.
I am not going to pre-empt any discussion, so that we can see where it goes.
We have got some knife making artisans coming on course, and we can bounce ideas off them.
Cant wait.
Thanks Kieran.
The bushcraft knife is unsuitable for tracking anywhere in the world. We believe in a knife that can be used in any environment on the planet, including  Lowland England. I am not sure what kind of environment that describes?
But even in England we have to go through dense laural or rhodiedendron forests. We cut vegetation to create route influencers, and will exploit natural materials to creat our shelters. The small Kukri that I use does all, inlcuding feather sticks and whittling. I beleive, in a small lightweight kitchen knife for food preperation( " ForeverSharp"similar to a pairing knife), weighs next to nothing and stays amazingly sharp and no contamination issues.
Trackers dont always get to chose their route, that is chosen by their quarry, and so a knife that get us through vegetation is the only option. To add to that the kukri, provides the only survival equipment I need.
I agree for a bushcrafter, the Ray Mears type of knife is all that is required. Purely for bushcrafting a kukri is unsuitable, but for tracking a bigger knife is the only option.
We did have Rob Bayley ( Bear Grylss Knife/Not the Gerber) designer and manufacturer. He has been working on a knife for me, for about a year. He brought it along ,and it is a beauty. Its is called the Hawk( after the shape of the blade and its association with Shadowhawk). It is a knife that is revolutionary in design and construction.
Dont get too excited, because their is already a waiting list for it with my instructors and other tr

Over the years Extrema Ratio Knives have been very king in their support. I only use the best knives, because , when it really comes down to it, its the knife thats going to get you out of it.
I have used their Kukri for many years and worked it hard all over the world, and it has never let me down. I have tried various kukris in the past and they all have their niggles.
Today I received the FulcrumC, in desert with geocam blade, and its a cracker of a knife. I previously had a Shrapnel, which I mounted upside down on belt, and despite running to and very quickly from elephants and lion, the knife 
stayed put.
http://www.extremaratioknivesdivision.eu/english/index.html
With the FulcrumC, I may try mounting it at  45 degrees. The only way know it works is by doing it.
I also received the FulcrumS, Testudo.....now thats a knife and Im taking to it.
http://www.extremaratioknivesdivision.eu/english/index.html
http://www.extremaratioknivesdivision.eu/english/index.html

With only a few days to go before the Advanced Tracking Course starts, the weather is looking a little changeable. Its a little damp, but thats good for tracking.
People come all over the world to do our courses, and the advanced tracking course is no exception.
We have someone who has flown in from the USA, and someone in from Spain.
This is a tough course, there are no exceptions to our aim and that is to have fun, and turn out the best trackers in the world. At this stage we will be moving from systematic tracking to speculative tracking. It takes a bit confidence, because there are lots of things for our advanced trackers to do.
The Shadowhawk Advanced Trackers, get a sterling silver , handmade feather to acknowledge the fact that they have passed their course. Because of the wide ranging skills we do on the course, I only select those who have done the advanced for operational tracking jobs.
Good luck to those who are already preparing and look forward to seeing lots of new faces at our Module 1&2 course starting on Friday.

Today I have signed a contract with a publisher to author Manhunter. The book will have some anecdotal scenarious , and if I get my way, jammed packed solid with tracking techniques. Some of which I have never taught to anyone.
 I have published one book before and know how hard it is to shake off writers cramp, and get on with it.
Whilst it is called Manhunter, it will include wildlife tracking, which is a crucial part of mantracking.
Got to be delivered by the 31st October 2011, which has throown me into a slight panic.
So its 2

http://www.haglofs.com/en-US/products/clothing/layers/climatic/men/rugged_mountain_pant_en-us.aspx

I am a die-hard Haglofs fan, and its been three years since I have repaced my equipment. Today I received my new Haglofs Mountain Pant. The design and material technology has continued to evolve into the toughest trouser yet.
They are packed with features, all of which are useful. I have always said, that if a brand doesnt evolve, then the manufaturers arnt listening to users. Clearly Haglof do listen to their users, and I wouldnt be surprised, if the Haglofs team are outdoor entusis
My original Haglofs trousers were prone to snagging on gorse or brambles, but there is no way that the new material will snag. Its very tough indeed.
I like them straight away, but the torture test is yet to come. I will put them through what they claim, including the durable waterproof resistance. I dont think there will be a problem, and I am sure they will pass with flying colours.

My good friend Angus set off this morning to swim the English Chanel. I first met Angus when he was a cameraman on my TV series Maxs Big Tracks. He had alreadt set his sights on the swim four years ago.
He is a feisty, gutsy character, who will go that extra mile to get things done. One of my favourite programs in Maxs Big Tracks was Namibia. Angus was the camerman, in Kenya and Namibia, and there were a couple of tense moments with wildlife that only a cameraman of his courage could do.
Amongst other incidents we tracked a wounded lion through the bush, with moments of fleeting views of it. 
I was very concerned, because I had seen in  the tracks it  was in an aggressive mood. I had to brief Angus to stay very close, and if need be throw his beloved camera down if required. We had no gun. Only a spear, and my rungu( throwing club).
Camera operators can sometimes feel immortal, and that day was no different. When Angus stopped filming, he went into shock and became highly emmotional. On another occasion , he wanted to film me approaching the camera at night.  Angus, wanted to be dropped off a few hundred meters around the corner, so that he could pick up the headlights. It was prime lion country, and I had seen the tracks of a pride of seven lions, including three very stroppy sub adult males, less than five hundred meters away.  In my opinion, it would have been suicide, so stopped the sequence, but Angus, in his selfless state would have gone ahead with the shot. He is a spritual kind of person, and whilst most never want to be charged by lion, Angus though it ight be rather pleasurable.
He had a coouple of hard times, including a crane collapsing on him whilst filming, and bike accident, so all power to him.
At the moment he is going through sheer mental grit, and I know he will do it.  http://www.channelangus.co.uk/sponsors.html
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The perfect pounce, is shown in the track. The track of a sheeps hoof, is underneath the tracks of a puma.
Frozen in its last moments the sheep was unaware that there was a preditor close by.
The tracks show a single pounce, no struggle and the flattening of the grass next to the track.
The sheep was then dragged across a small stream, to a location where the puma could feed, in a location where it was protected by the stream. The location is Brazil, but could easily h

I have had the honour of meeting with these fine gentleman. The cutting is fro a long time ago, but the techniques are the same.  Day in, day out tracking. From helicopters, quad bikes and even horses. I fear that the day will come when the trackers are replaced by UAE(Drones), and this small enclave of trackers disappear.
I feel very lucky to have trained with the Shadowolves, and have brought a part of Arizona and The Shadowwolves to the UK, and built some of it into