Person of Interest: Craig Caudill, Tracking Instructor and Wilderness Skills Expert

Discover expert tracking skills training with Craig Caudill, a wilderness skills educator, tracking instructor, and founder of Nature Reliance School. Learn the essentials of tracking, survival, and bushcraft through immersive courses and practical insights from a seasoned professional.

In the Person of Interest series, we interview the friends, mentors, and illustrious figures that have impacted Tuff Possum Gear, shaping who we are and what we do. Many of the Persons of Interest offer wilderness skills training, adventure gear, books, and inspiration to get out there and adventure on! We highly recommend you check out what they do! Our first Person of Interest to be featured is a good friend and mentor, Craig Caudill, a renown tracking and wilderness skills instructor.

Who is Craig Caudill?

Professionally, I am a wilderness skills educator. I love the outdoors and am fortunate to make a living studying, researching, and sharing backcountry and wilderness skills.  I am also a Certified Master Naturalist and a BBA in Decision Science Analysis from the University of Kentucky.  On a personal note, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I am a devoted son, husband, and father, blessed with an incredible family.

Tell Us About Nature Reliance School and What It Offers

Founded in 2006, Nature Reliance School imparts public wilderness safety and survival skills. Over the years, we have expanded into a comprehensive organization offering many practical backcountry skills and methods. Our team now includes several skilled instructors who contribute their expertise.

We have been contracted by the US Federal and some state governments to train others in safety and survival, disaster readiness, man tracking, land navigation, and other practical wilderness skills.

Our educational offerings encompass immersive in-person courses held outdoors, a robust online learning platform accessible from anywhere in the world, and an active presence on social media, ensuring our resources and knowledge are widely available.

Why did Craig Caudill choose tracking?

Tracking has been an intrinsic part of my life, seemingly choosing me rather than the other way around. While my early experiences involved basic deer tracking, an enlightening course under a remarkable teacher, whom I will acknowledge later, revealed the profound value of this skill. Since then, I have devoted myself to the rigorous study of the science of tracking. 

Each tracking experience deepens my understanding of the natural world and fosters personal growth. Tracking has been a transformative journey, offering me humility when needed and strength when required.

Who Are Your Biggest Teachers and Influences As A Woodsman and Tracking Instructor?

This question is challenging, not due to a lack of examples, but because I have so many. I encourage your readers to listen to this detailed discussion about many of my teachers on this podcast: Nature Reliance School Podcast #119

I will share some key influences briefly. My father, Frank, and my uncle, Jimmy, were significant figures in my upbringing. We embarked on numerous survival, canoeing, camping, and hunting trips, which profoundly shaped my teaching and writing.

Beyond my family, Doug Meyer and Johnny Faulkner substantially impacted my understanding of primitive skills. Richard Cleveland inspired me through survival and tracking courses, igniting my passion for this field. I further honed my man-tracking skills under the tutelage of experts like Mike Hull, Cornelius Nash, and John Hurth. Ben Vanarsdale, Keith Moore, Rodney Vanzant, and Rob Cabrera invested heavily in my martial arts training.

My certification as a Master Naturalist provided me with a comprehensive academic perspective on the environment and our interconnectedness with it from professors at the University of Kentucky. Additionally, I owe much to my fellow instructors at Nature Reliance School (NRS). The NRS cadre are exceptional instructors, and I seize every opportunity to learn from them.

What Are Practical Benefits of Learning Tracking for the Everyday Woodsman and Adventure Seeker?

This will be a brief overview for the readers here. This subject is expansive.

• Expanded Awareness: Tracking necessitates gathering information using all available senses while effectively multitasking and processing this information on the move.
• Humility: Honest trackers often lose the track as frequently as they find it. This can be challenging for one’s self-image. However, I view each lost track as an opportunity to find the next “first track,” as one of my favorite writers would say.
• Self-Reliance/Woodsmanship: Tracking sessions can vary greatly, sometimes lasting an hour or stretching over several days. This unpredictability requires constant vigilance and preparedness, ensuring that I can remain self-reliant and meet my needs regardless of what lies ahead in the wilderness.

How Can Our Readers Pursue the Skill of Tracking?

There are many skills that a good teacher can significantly advance, and tracking is one of them. At Nature Reliance School (NRS), we offer dedicated tracking courses and integrated tracking within other courses. Below are several books I recommend, each focusing on different aspects of tracking:

Recommended Books

• Introduction to Animal Tracking, Pocket Field Guide by Craig Caudill: This guide serves two purposes: introducing the fundamentals of tracking to beginners and providing a solid reference for our tracking students. An online companion course offering video training that complements the book is also available.
• Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species by Mark Elbroch and Casey McFarland: The most comprehensive and detailed animal tracking guide available.
• Fundamentals of Mantracking by Ab Taylor: Ideal for developing skills in tracking humans, this book is primarily aimed at search and rescue trackers. Mr. Taylor’s clear and accessible writing makes it valuable for anyone interested in mantracking.
• Mantracking in Law Enforcement by Mike Hull: Authored by one of my teachers, this book is an essential resource for law enforcement officers.
• Combat Tracking by John Hurth: Drawing on his special operations background, John Hurth provides valuable insights into military tracking operations.  John is also one of my teachers.
• Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life by Boyd Varty: My favorite tracking book is a personal narrative that shares experiences and internal struggles, showing how tracking can be a transformative journey.

Key to Developing Tracking Skills

These recommendations offer a great starting point. If you have exhausted these resources and seek further guidance, please email me for additional recommendations.

Ultimately, the key to developing tracking skills is practice. While tracking instructors, books, and video resources provide valuable knowledge, the actual tracking skill comes from consistent and extensive practice in the field.  What are you waiting for?  Get out there and track something.

What Are Folks Missing Most in Skills Development and Emergency Management?

Many people overlook the importance of practical skill-building in disaster readiness. While gear, including food storage, is often emphasized, it alone is insufficient for navigating severe disasters. Effective disaster preparedness involves the four puzzle pieces of survival: Mindset, Skills, Teamwork, and Gear.

• Mindset: Developing the ability to remain calm and adaptable in uncomfortable situations is crucial.
• Skills: Acquiring essential survival skills such as shelter building, water procurement, and food sourcing is vital.
• Teamwork: Learning to communicate effectively with others can significantly enhance survival chances.
• Gear: While gear is essential, its value is realized through practice and training to understand what works best for you.

About Craig Caudill’s Latest Book, Traditional Bushcraft

Each of my books was written to address gaps I perceived in the available books on their respective topics. For instance, “Traditional Bushcraft” stands out because, while many books have excellent sketches and descriptions, few offer a step-by-step guide with full-color photography. This book is designed to take a professional backcountry skills instructor into the outdoors with you, providing practical guidance for completing tasks.

Additionally, the book is complemented by an online course on my website. Together, the book and course make it easy for readers and viewers to undertake cookcraft, wilderness living, workshops, and hunting/trapping projects in their backyard, on a woodlot, or in similar settings.

You can find Traditional Bushcraft on Amazon, or pick up an author signed copy on the Nature Reliance School website: naturereliance.org/products/wild-woodcraft

Favorite Books by Other Authors

• 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive! By Cody Lundin: this is an excellent look at the fundamentals of survival. Fundamentals are the most critical part of survival training, and Mr. Lundin does an excellent job of imparting this information in his book.
• Tough by Greg Everett: Do you want to be tough?  Do you even know what that means?  Greg does, and he wrote a fascinating book on the topic.  Greg has trained with us at NRS and is as down-to-earth as he is brilliant in the information he shares in this book.
• The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter: If you are like me and feel as if we are getting more “soft” by the day and don’t like that we are, pick up this book to understand both why that is happening and, more importantly, how to overcome it. 
• The Warrior Poet Way: A Guide to Living Free and Dying Well by John Lovell: This is one of my top three books. It combines insight and strategies from a true warrior and American patriot and expands upon them as daily strategies for anyone seeking personal development and growth.  
  

What is your favorite Product from Tuff Possum Gear?

I own four Shackleton EDC satchels, each serving a unique purpose. These satchels are ideally sized for carrying educational materials, whether for personal use or instructing others, along with essential outdoor supplies. The wide strap ensures comfort without causing undue strain, while the side wings and primary buckle keep everything securely in place. Despite my rigorous use of gear, my first Shackleton satchel remains in excellent condition, serving as my daily carry bag for tracking.

Where to Connect with Craig Caudill