Wildlife Trailing Certification — October 20 and 21, 2025
Monday, October 20 and Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Location:
Port Townsend and surrounding area
Instructor:
David Moskowitz
Trailing is the practice of following the trail left behind by an animal with the intention of finding the animal and/or interpreting its behavior from the tracks and signs it has left behind.
At a CyberTracker Trailing Evaluation, every participant takes a turn as lead tracker. The goal is to follow an animal’s fresh spoor (the trace or trail, including footprints, scent, or other signs of its presence) to locate it on the landscape, guide the group to approach and observe it, and, finally, to exit the area without alerting the animal to any human presence. Every tracking situation is different, so we are always in the position of having to “figure it out.” This uniqueness also results in variations to the exact experience of each participant, dictated by field conditions and animal behavior.
We assess every participant’s ability to follow spoor, recognize and interpret tracks & sign, anticipate where the trail is going, read the trail for danger, interpret the ecological context of the trail, and approach the animal, if the occasion arises.
We will be following elk most likely, maybe deer, maybe bear. When there are venue or weather constraints, we may use human trails in combination with animal trails.
To learn more and read a full description of Trailing Evaluations click here.
What to bring:
Daypack
Food and water for the day
Sun protection and warm layers as appropriate
Notebook
Binoculars
Tuition: $645
Note: Due to the exclusive nature of this program with limited space, we are unable to provide a refund if you cancel your enrollment, unless we are able to fill your spot with another participant.
Class size is limited to 4 people
Lodging and food not provided.
Financial Assistance: TCNA (Tracker Certification North America) has limited funds to provide financial access, particularly to participants from historically marginalized communities (e.g., BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women) and anyone who needs financial support. Participants can apply for financial access here.
Monday, October 20 and Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Location:
Port Townsend and surrounding area
Instructor:
David Moskowitz
Trailing is the practice of following the trail left behind by an animal with the intention of finding the animal and/or interpreting its behavior from the tracks and signs it has left behind.
At a CyberTracker Trailing Evaluation, every participant takes a turn as lead tracker. The goal is to follow an animal’s fresh spoor (the trace or trail, including footprints, scent, or other signs of its presence) to locate it on the landscape, guide the group to approach and observe it, and, finally, to exit the area without alerting the animal to any human presence. Every tracking situation is different, so we are always in the position of having to “figure it out.” This uniqueness also results in variations to the exact experience of each participant, dictated by field conditions and animal behavior.
We assess every participant’s ability to follow spoor, recognize and interpret tracks & sign, anticipate where the trail is going, read the trail for danger, interpret the ecological context of the trail, and approach the animal, if the occasion arises.
We will be following elk most likely, maybe deer, maybe bear. When there are venue or weather constraints, we may use human trails in combination with animal trails.
To learn more and read a full description of Trailing Evaluations click here.
What to bring:
Daypack
Food and water for the day
Sun protection and warm layers as appropriate
Notebook
Binoculars
Tuition: $645
Note: Due to the exclusive nature of this program with limited space, we are unable to provide a refund if you cancel your enrollment, unless we are able to fill your spot with another participant.
Class size is limited to 4 people
Lodging and food not provided.
Financial Assistance: TCNA (Tracker Certification North America) has limited funds to provide financial access, particularly to participants from historically marginalized communities (e.g., BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women) and anyone who needs financial support. Participants can apply for financial access here.
Monday, October 20 and Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Location:
Port Townsend and surrounding area
Instructor:
David Moskowitz
Trailing is the practice of following the trail left behind by an animal with the intention of finding the animal and/or interpreting its behavior from the tracks and signs it has left behind.
At a CyberTracker Trailing Evaluation, every participant takes a turn as lead tracker. The goal is to follow an animal’s fresh spoor (the trace or trail, including footprints, scent, or other signs of its presence) to locate it on the landscape, guide the group to approach and observe it, and, finally, to exit the area without alerting the animal to any human presence. Every tracking situation is different, so we are always in the position of having to “figure it out.” This uniqueness also results in variations to the exact experience of each participant, dictated by field conditions and animal behavior.
We assess every participant’s ability to follow spoor, recognize and interpret tracks & sign, anticipate where the trail is going, read the trail for danger, interpret the ecological context of the trail, and approach the animal, if the occasion arises.
We will be following elk most likely, maybe deer, maybe bear. When there are venue or weather constraints, we may use human trails in combination with animal trails.
To learn more and read a full description of Trailing Evaluations click here.
What to bring:
Daypack
Food and water for the day
Sun protection and warm layers as appropriate
Notebook
Binoculars
Tuition: $645
Note: Due to the exclusive nature of this program with limited space, we are unable to provide a refund if you cancel your enrollment, unless we are able to fill your spot with another participant.
Class size is limited to 4 people
Lodging and food not provided.
Financial Assistance: TCNA (Tracker Certification North America) has limited funds to provide financial access, particularly to participants from historically marginalized communities (e.g., BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women) and anyone who needs financial support. Participants can apply for financial access here.
Meet Your Instructor
David Moskowitz works in the fields of photography, wildlife biology and education. He is the photographer and author of three books: Caribou Rainforest, Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest and Wolves in the Land of Salmon and co-author and photographer of Peterson’s Field Guide to North American Bird Nests. He has contributed his technical expertise to a wide variety of wildlife studies regionally and in the Canadian and U.S. Rocky mountains, focusing on using tracking and other non-invasive methods to study wildlife ecology and promote conservation.
He helped establish the Cascade Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project, a citizen science effort to search for and monitor rare and sensitive wildlife in the Cascades and other Northwest wildlands.
David holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Outdoor Education from Prescott College. David is certified as a Track and Sign Specialist, Trailing Specialist, and Senior Tracker through Cybertracker Conservation and is an Evaluator for this rigorous international professional certification program.
Check out David’s current and recent projects and follow his recent adventures on Instagram and his blog. Find a list of interviews and media coverage on David's work here.