Overview
Discover the skills of wildlife tracking with our hands-on workshops. Designed for beginners and those wishing to refine their skills, these courses teach how to interpret track and sign and follow animals in the wild. Practical field experience is combined with theory to give a comprehensive understanding of animal behaviour, spoor recognition, and trailing techniques. Workshops can focus on general wildlife tracking, specific species, or specialised topics such as feathers or bones.
Course Content
Track and Sign Workshops
Our track and sign workshops, lasting one to three days, teach participants to recognise the traces left by mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and occasionally insects. You will learn about foot morphology, tracks, feeding signs, droppings, resting areas, and other indicators of wildlife presence. Sessions combine classroom theory with practical fieldwork, often across multiple sites, allowing participants to see a wide variety of species in natural settings. These workshops provide a detailed introduction to tracking, suitable for newcomers or as a refresher for those seeking to deepen their knowledge.
Trailing Workshops
Trailing workshops, also lasting one to three days, focus on following animals in their natural habitats. Participants develop key skills such as spoor recognition, anticipation, alertness, and stealth, while learning to navigate potential hazards safely. The majority of time is spent on the trail, with participants taking turns to lead while learning from observing others. Courses are designed to simulate realistic tracking scenarios, typically focusing on ungulates such as fallow deer, and are limited to small groups to maximise hands-on learning and success.
Advanced Trailing Workshops
Our advanced trailing workshops are designed for experienced trackers who already have a strong understanding of trail-following principles and techniques. These sessions are aimed at participants approaching the higher levels of the CyberTracker system, providing an opportunity to refine and extend their skills without revisiting basic concepts. For this reason we take trackers who have already scored at least level 3 on an evaluation. The workshops focus on complex scenarios, allowing participants to challenge themselves in realistic field conditions. This is ideal for those seeking to consolidate their expertise, push their tracking abilities to the next level, and gain confidence in approaching wildlife.
Subject-Specific Workshops
We also offer shorter one- to two-day workshops on specialised aspects of tracking. Topics include skull and bone identification, feather and bird track recognition, and workshops dedicated to specific animal groups such as ungulates for land or deer managers, or protected species for ecologists and surveyors.
All workshops are available for individual or group bookings and can be held at our venue or a location of your choice. Combinations of track and sign and trailing programmes can also be arranged to suit your needs.
Course Dates 2025
Advanced Trailing Workshop
- 7-9 Nov 2025 West Sussex, see below for details
Course dates 2026
Trailing Workshop
- 6-8 February 2026 West Sussex, see below for details
If these courses are full please contact us to be placed on a waiting list for cancellations.
Should enough people express an interest we may run extra dates.
Course Dates
Tracking Workshops
Please read the following information before booking:
- Terms & Conditions – By booking on to our courses you agree
to our Terms & Conditions - The Course Kit List
Please note these are self catered courses, we are not always working from our usual site for our tracking events and so do not normally offer camping. there are some excellent campsites close by which are reasonably priced.
You need to be over 18 years of age to attend this programme.
Advanced Trailing Workshop 7-9 Nov 2025 Places
Course: Advanced Trailing Workshop
Location: West Sussex Uk
Date : 7-9 Nov 2025
Time: 8.30-4.30
Tutor: John Rhyder
Course Size: 4
Cost : £300
Trailing Workshop, West Sussex 3 Places
Cousre: Trailing Workshop
Location: West Sussex
Date: 6-8 February 2026
Start Finish: 08.30 - 16.00
Course leader: John Rhyder
Course Numbers: 5 (maximum)
cost per person: £300
