WILDLIFE TRACKING
Wildlife Tracking
Training and Certifications
all around North America
Upcoming Tracking and Training Certifications
March 1-2, 2025 – Northern Vermont
April 2-3, 2025 – East San Diego Desert and Mountains
April 5-6, 2025 – East San Diego Desert and Mountains
February 22-23, 2025 – Central Alabama
August 13-14, 2025 – Northern Wisconsin
August 16-17, 2025 – Northern Wisconsin
October 9-10, 2025 – Southwest Colorado
NORTH WISCONSIN WOLF COUNTRY
Wildlife Tracking Workshop and Certification
Wed/Thurs: April 2-3, 2025
Sat/Sun: April 5-6, 2025
LEARN THE TRACK & SIGN OF ALL TYPES OF WILDLIFE
You’re invited to participate in one of two Wildlife Track and Sign workshops being conducted in Wisconsin’s Wolf Country in the Eagle River and Three Lakes area. These two-day field experiences are fun, participative workshops with an emphasis on learning to identify all wild animal track and sign by looking at real tracks we find across the landscape and discussing exactly how to identify them.
LIMITED TO ONLY 11 PARTICIPANTS
Limited to only eleven participants, we’re bringing in one of the top tracking instructors and evaluators in the United States, Matt Nelson, a highly experienced Track and Sign Specialist and a gentle, wonderful teacher and mentor.
This two-full-day field experience in the beautiful Eagle River Area of Northern Wisconsin will immerse you in the art and skill of reading the hidden stories of animals by examining the clues they leave across the landscape. You’ll discover how to see and interpret animal behavior that was previously “invisible” to you.
NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED
The training emphasizes the development of reliable field skills to recognize tracks and identify the animal’s behavior. No prior tracking is required to participate but preparation and prior experience is extremely helpful for those for whom obtaining a certificate is important. The underlying impetus, however, lies in the rich educational benefit for all participants.
LEARN HOW TO INTERPRET ANIMAL SIGN “INVISIBE” TO OTHERS
When is the last time you’ve had the experience of seeing animal tracks and wondered what animal was there? Was it a dog or a mountain lion? A bobcat or a fox? Where was it going? What was it doing…. and… where is it now? If you would like to have the skill to be able to see and interpret wild animal sign that is invisible to “normal people”, we invite you to participate in this one-of-a-kind immersive field training.
SCHOLARSHIPS If you’re involved (work or school) in any aspect wildlife conservation and cannot afford the full amount of tuition, TCNA offers a Financial Access Scholarship Program
TUITION FOR THE FULL 2 DAYS INCLUDING OPTIONAL FREE ZOOM TRAININGS AND A FREE “PREP DAY” THE DAY BEFORE THE TRAINING: $395
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! Register by February 28, 2024 for $355.
THREE STEPS TO REGISTER:
STEP ONE: First, make sure there is a spot available by emailing me, Terry Hunefeld, at thunefeld at Gmail dot com. Include your (1) name, (2) phone and the date of the event you wish to attend and – if you would like to share in the new house, the type of room you wish & the exact dates you wish to stay. I will respond – usually within an hour or two, but certainly within 18 hours.
STEP TWO: When you receive my reply clearing you to register, you will register by paying the applicable tuition via Venmo or PayPal.
Pay by Venmo: William-Hunefeld Last 4 phone digits: 3453. Pay by PayPal: thunefeld at Gmail dot com. Please code the payment as a “friend” or add 5% to cover the fee that will be deducted on my side.
STEP THREE: After paying by Venmo or PayPal, please let me know by email and stand by for confirmation that you are registered, paid and enrolled – usually within an a few hours if I am in cell range. I will then follow up with more information as the event draws nearer.
QUESTIONS? Email me. To learn more about me, my email address and why I host these events, see the YOUR HOST section below.
Refund & Cancel Policy
Finding replacements for cancellations is difficult and a lot of admin work. If there is any possibility that you may need to cancel, we highly recommend trip insurance, available for as little as $25 (see below). Our cancel policy is:
⦁ 60+ days before = 100% less $75 cancel fee if you or we can find a replacement. We will maintain a waiting list.
⦁ 59-30 days before = 50% refund if we can find a replacement. 100% refund less $75 charge if YOU find a replacement.
⦁ Less than 30 days before = 25% refund if we can find a replacement. 100% refund less $75 charge if YOU find a replacement.
⦁ Less than 10 days before = no refunds.
Refunds are given only if you or we (we will maintain a waiting list) find someone to take your place. In the unlikely event of program cancelation, 100% of deposits will be refunded.
Trip Insurance
Please consider trip insurance to avoid the sting of losing your deposit in the event you must cancel. Finding trip insurance is simple on the internet – there are many – a good site recommended by Forbes offers you multiple options: Travelinsurance.com. A search in September 2024 resulted in $500 of coverage for as little as $23.04.
FREE "PREP DAY"
Terry and other experienced trackers will conduct a free “prep day” the day preceding each of the event to get your “eyes” accustomed to tracks and sign here in San Diego. Time and location to be determined (probably 8am to 2pm).
FREE ZOOM TRAININGS
Terry and other experienced trackers will hold twice-monthly one-hour Zoom Trainings to familiarize you with animal tracks and signs of San Diego County. Sessions will begin in January and are available to all registrants.
Our Classroom: The Outdoors
The entire weekend consists of field training. Our classroom is the outdoors. Our teachers are the animals themselves. Our instructor finds animal track and sign, then a dialogue ensues between the instructor and participants to provide the opportunity for everyone involved to internalize field marks and interpret wildlife behavior. The learning retention is unparalleled.
The training emphasizes the development of reliable field skills. No prior training is required to participate. The less you know, the more you will learn.
ACCOMODATIONS & CAMPING
During these trainings, the real fun and camaraderie occurs when trackers are together to share stories and experiences.
When I travel to other areas of North American to participate in these trainings, I often share a VRBO or AirBnB with my tracker friends because we have a blast. That’s why for programs I host I rent a house with space for camping. We always have a ton of fun because we are like-minded people interested in wildlife conservation.
Should you wish to stay elsewhere, there are plenty of campgrounds south and east of Eagle River. We recommend camping as close to Three Lakes as possible. For example, Laurel Lake Campground and Three Lakes Campground are nearby and have good reviews with photos on Google Maps. There are many hotel accommodation options in Eagle River.
SHARED LODGING
We rented a brand new (built 2024) big 4 bedroom, 3 bath house in the wood near Eagle River with plenty of room for camping around the house.
LODGING DETAILS: We rented a beautiful, newly built cabin with 3 bathrooms on 2 acres of land surrounded by pines near Loon Lake just south of Eagle River with room for a total of 3 campers (tent, hammock, RV, camper, pickup cab, etc). Campers will have full use of the house (including bathrooms and kitchen) and be able to share in group meals. The cabin has 3 bedrooms, each with a queen bed. There is also a “Bunk Room” with 2 queen beds (the lower bunks) and two double beds (the upper bunks
OPTIONAL EVENING MEALS: Terry’s wife, Ann Dunham, will be preparing hors d’oeuvres and meals each evening and will make daily trips to the grocery and can purchase ice for those with ice chests if requested. If you wish to participate in the delicious group dinners, the charge is $12 per evening meal including home-made hors d’oeuvres … or feel free to prepare your own evening meals (and bring your own cooler).
REFRIGERATOR: There is only one refrigerator so it will be reserved for Ann’s preparations of group meals and for those participating in group meals. If you will not participate in the group meals, you will not have access to the refrigerator (please bring your own cooler if you have a need for refrigeration).
BUNKROOM: Two Queen bunks available for $35 per night, double beds (over the queen beds) $35 per night. Minimum stay 2 nights.
PRIVATE BEDROOMS: $115 per night for one person, $145 per night for two people. Minimum stay 3 nights.
CAMPING: Outdoor camping is available for 3 campers (tents or campers) for $25 per night with full use of all facilities (baths, kitchen, living room, etc).
BATHROOMS: All bathrooms will be open to all participants, whether camping, bunking or in private bedrooms.
YOUR HOST: TERRY HUNEFELD
Write me at:
Find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thunefeld
and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/terryhunefeld/
and on iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/thunefeld
Image to the left: That’s me with my friend Bob Etzweiler. I’m the one holding my second ice cream cone after tracking all morning with Bob in Vermont.
I hold both Professional and Specialist Track & Sign Certificates from Tracker Certification North America (TCNA). My wife, Ann, and I live in a tiny desert village – Borrego Springs, California – surrounded by a thousand square miles of Sonoran Desert wilderness known as the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. I am a board member of the San Diego Tracking Team, certified Naturalist for California State Parks, an outings leader for the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, the Anza Borrego Foundation, and the Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Association. As an avid advocate for the TCNA Cybertracker learning process, I participate annually in 10-16 Track & Sign certifications around North America.
Learn more about Tracker Certification North America (hyperlink to https://trackercertification.com/storymap/ ) and the Cybertracker Process (hyperlink to https://trackercertification.com/history/)
Wildlife Track & Sign Training
You’re invited to participate Wildlife Track and Sign workshops & certifications being conducted all around North America. These two-day field experiences are fun, participative workshops with an emphasis on learning to identify animal track and sign by looking at real tracks we find across the landscape and discussing exactly how to identify them.
If you’re not familiar with the international organizations of Cybertracker or Tracking Certification North America (TCNA ) certifications and evaluations, we urge you to peruse this link to gain an understanding of the depth and value of this type of track and sign training. Visit TCNA and you will understand why the sponsors are organizing this weekend to further their skills in state-of-the-art track and sign training available no where else in the world.
Visit the TCNA CALENDER to see events scheduled across North America.
Small Class Size Maximizes Learning
Expert Trackers and teachers from Tracker Certification North America (TCNA) will conduct these trainings. All instructors are highly experienced Track and Sign Specialists, wonderful teachers and mentor with a special gift of showing you how to “see” the invisible.
TCNA TRAINING/CERTIFICATION DETAILS
This two-full-day field experience will immerse you in the art and skill of reading the hidden stories of animals by examining the clues they leave across the landscape. You’ll discover how see and interpret animal behavior that was previously “invisible” to you.
Discover How To See, Intrepret and Understand The Obscure
If you would like to improve your skills or recognizing and interpreting wild animal sign that is invisible to “normal people”, we invite you to participate in the Tracking Certification North America Wildlife Track and Sign workshops across North America.
The TCNA training is designed to equip you with a set of reliable field skills to identify obscure track and sign left behind our wild neighbors. At the end of the weekend you will be able to unlock the mysteries of wild animal behavior by reading their marks on the landscape – sign that was previously invisible to you. In other words, at the end of this weekend, you’ll be able to interpret animal sign and behavior that – to other people – are nothing more than obscure marks on the landscape.
Who Is The Training Is For?
Whether you’re a member of a Search & Rescue team, a biologist, educator, hunter, naturalist, outdoorsman or simply a person who is curious about the natural world, you’ll find this training to be eye-opening. No prior training is required to participate. In fact, the less you know, the more you will learn. The value of this training lies in the deep awareness all participants gain of animal sign and behavior.
If you’re not familiar with the international organizations of Cybertracker or Tracking Certification North America (TCNA ) certifications and evaluations, we urge you to peruse this link to gain an understanding of the depth and value of this type of track and sign training. Visit TCNA and you will understand why the sponsors are organizing this weekend to further their skills in state-of-the-art track and sign training available no where else in the world.
Our Classroom Is The Outdoors
The entire weekend consists of in-the-field training. Our classroom is the outdoors. Our teachers are the animals themselves. Our instructor will locate animal track and sign and ask us what we think made the sign. We are then shown a different way to “see” the sign and learn how to interpret it. This simple question and answer process is repeated with different animal sign over and over throughout the weekend, enabling you to absorb the secrets of wildlife sign interpretation. The learning retention is deep and unparalleled.
Gain Wildlife Awareness
The Tracker Training and Certification Process emphasize the development of reliable field skills. Every participant walks away with deeper levels of awareness and new “search images” for the subtle patterns left behind by wildlife as they travel across the landscape.
In summary, the goal of the experience is to accelerate your wildlife awareness and enable you to see and interpret the obscure and subtle clues left by animals on the landscape.
Acquire New Skill-Sets
- Wildlife foot morphology
- Track and sign identification
- Interpreting wildlife behavior
- Track aging
- How wildlife interact with varying landscapes
- The art of following animal trails
Learn to “Read” The Landscape
The course will follow the curiosity of the participants as well as the animal tracks and trails encountered along the way. Whether you are an experienced tracker or a beginner, you will learn to look at the landscape in a new way – able to read stories left behind by the wildlife all around us.
