Buster Brown & TricksTracking Journal

 4.5 hour stair step 2/15/24 Legion Field. 6 legs. . .50 yards each. Took half day at work for doc. appt..  Took full advantage and put track in at 12:45 and second shorter one at 1:00 p.m..    Ran first one at 5:00 p.m..  Loose doberman running on field(they did get ahold of him) and girl working out. . .so good(?) distractions. Good start. . .but then he starts to DRIFT. . .this seems to be a common thing for Tricks. . .and now that I am recognizing it. . I can stop until he goes straight.  Ok on turns. Very distracted when passing by doberman. . .had to walk him PAST that. . .then he got back to work.  Good article ID on sock.  I did food sprinkle.   Hugged the fence where track was close to fence.   Poor article ID on second article.  Good article ID on end.   This was a hard track for him. 2nd track(2 turns). . started at 5:30. 2 Turn track 175 total.  Good start. . .then started drifting. . .I held. . ...

 Bob put in in start track for me today at 1:30 p.m.! .  Well marked. . .also well treated with food!  (trying to get away from that. . .esp in articles).  Great drive.  Start was a little iffy. . .I am not 100% convinced Bob did NOT come off the track too close to start.  Took a few steps forward with him and then he GOT it!   Again, hesitant, but did enter woods.

Don’t really want to write about this one!  Intentions were good for NEW place and aged track.  My new tracklayer is great at maps, but needs a lot of fine tuning on track laying.   32 degrees and sunny with 3 " of snow on ground.  4 hours of age about 500 yards with short woods.  Thought this would be super easy being able to see footsteps in snow. Tricks took cross tracks at start. . .there were so many!   Many "new"foot steps in the snow since B layed the track at 8:30 a.m.   He couldn't tell which ones were his!  And Tricks was lying!  I wished I could have helped him more.  He basically cut the first leg and turn.  Would not indicate on a plastic article in the woods (a tick spoon--very small too)  We had a couple of good legs and finished well.  Lesson learned! Can you see the photo???

Spotsylvania HS.  Why didn’t these pics come out??    aprx. 500 yrds 42 degrees, sunny.  Ground kinda wet. Obstacles:  ground cover, woods, LOG, steep stream crossing, gravel road. Start was not stellar.  Passed grey article, but I held him from going too far.  Took him some time to finally indicate on it.   Good turn.  Great in woods (didn't really have much of a choice to enter).  I did clear A LOT of thorny stuff to to make it passable.  No problems with steep stream crossing. . .he even waited nicely for ME to get myself down and up! The article after stream was a nice reward.  He had some trouble transitioning out of woods (to continue straight). Next time work on:  STARTS or turns or article ID.