A Falcon Guide The Tracker's Field Guide: A Comprehensive Handbook for Animal Tracking in the United States

By James C. Lowery

Book Overview

Jim Lowery is among North America's leading tracking experts. In this book he distills his remarkable expertise, gained over decades of intensive research and practical field experience, into a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0762739819
• ISBN13: 9780762739813
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Falcon Pr Pub Co
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Very Good FIELD Book - Not Comprehensive Though

Each field guide has its strengths and weaknesses, and with so many tracking books out one has to ask, what are the merits of this one? Strengths 1) The book is organized much better than Elbroch's book, which though comprehensive and detailed, is a nightmare to use in the field. This is the books main huge merit - ease of use in the field. The organization is by animal groups (canines, felines, rodents, etc.), but the ease comes in the side tabs which make it extremely easy to find what you're looking for. Also, all the gaits and measurements are on the 2nd page 2) Few tracking books have fine details on comparing one species to similar species. This book does, and its extremely useful in making comparisons. 3) One of the few books to extend Tom Brown Jr's concepts of pressure releases into actual real studies. He does this on a species specific basis such that if you go to the Bobcat section, a careful study of Bobcat pressure releases can reveal the activity of the animal step by step. 4) Important natural history points are in bold - the book is just very nice and easy to read. The visual hierarchy is superb. Weaknesses: 1) The book is very obviously based on field studies in the West. Though even if you do track in the East, I would absolutely get this book on account of its ease of use. 2) No color prints. 3) Though it IS comprehensive, it is only so in a general way... Voles are all bunched together, and most small rodents are not given the attention they deserve. 4) Not much attention to sign tracking / landscape tracking. Not many other weaknesses. A fine book and great contribution to the field. ------- Comparing with other tracking books: Elborch: Nothing beats Elbroch when it comes to landscape & Sign tracking. Go here for that. Also careful attention is paid to tracker training and mental apprenticeship to woods awareness. Extremely essential. Rezendez: Great stories, and a bit more natural history information in this. Also sign tracking. Tom Brown Jr's (Science & Art of): Many people have said that they have read this book and still have no idea how to track an animal. The awareness techniques and exercises are extremely unique and the perspective is very refreshing. I think the point with his books are to change the way we are in the woods. His book on Nature Awareness is perfect in this regard. Jon Young's: Jon Young's book is a full apprenticeship with woods awareness through tracking. Absolutely essential. -------- All this being said, the final note is: perfect FIELD guide, but you will still want to cross reference this book with the previous books. -- Thomas Meli http://www.thomasmeli.com