When stalking, remember that the crack of a breaking twig or a flicker of movement may give you away. Move silently and smoothly, keeping in the cover of hedges and trees, whenever possible. Special walks and crawls for different kinds of cover will be demonstrated in a later post. Try not to make quick movements, even with your head. Swivel your eyes to look around you. Try to be ready to stop and stay still the moment you see danger.
To walk silently, step very lightly putting each foot down flat, then lifting it carefully clear of the ground. Practice this by walking on dry twigs, stones and gravel, and try to be as quiet as possible!
Remember that animals have a keen sense of smell. If you are stalking an animal, or if the Enemy Spy has a dog, stay downwind so your scent will be blown away from him. If you are upwind, it will blow your scent towards him and you may be discovered.
-Never stand or walk on the skyline, such as at the crest of a ridge – everyone will be able to see you!
-Keep shiny things out of the sun’s glare. They may attract attention.
-When you stop, keep in the shade, but make sure that your shadow does not give you away.
Checking the Wind
To check wind direction, wet your finger and hold it up. The colder side faces upwind. Or toss some dust, dry leaves or bits of grass in the air. They will blow downwind.
Remember, you want to stay downwind of your Quarry so that your scent is blown away from them.
Checking for Tracks
When searching the ground for tracks, shield your eyes with your hand, and look towards the sun. If there is even a small dent in the ground, the shadow made by the sun will make it show up more. We will look more in depth at tracks in a later post.