Silva Tracking
Become a Tracker
Learn the Skill Most Outdoor Enthusiasts Never Develop —
Read the Landscape Like a Book.
Learn the ancient art of animal tracking from the comfort of your own living room.
Click Play. Turn up the volume
Risk Free 30 day trial
Campsite Critters
(Tracking 101)
Campsite Critters is an introduction to animal tracking. It is a self‑paced, online course that teaches you to spot, identify, and follow real tracks on your local trails – while training the kind of awareness you can use anywhere, from deep woods to busy airports. You will also be a part of a larger Community, growing and learning together.
Who this is for:
- Outdoor enthusiasts who are tired of “nice walks” and want real stories under their boots
- Parents of kids who want a shared, screen‑free adventure that actually holds their kids’ attention
- Anyone who feels they “aren’t the outdoorsy type” but wants to wake their senses back up
By the end of this class you will:
- Go from “I don’t see anything” to noticing clear tracks, trails, and sign on the same paths you already walk
- Confidently identify common local wildlife sign and follow at least one real trail on your own outings
- Use simple awareness games (with animals and people) to train your attention anywhere – local parks, coffee shops, city sidewalks
- Turn ordinary hikes with your kids into shared tracking missions that calm their minds and pull them into the present
My name is David. I was a Tracker for the US Government for over a decade. I was very fortunate to study under a Master Tracker who was raised by an Apache Elder.
My teacher was part of a long lineage where awareness, patience, and careful observation were treated as essential skills, and I was fortunate to be welcomed as a student, not by heritage, but by commitment to the craft. I’m sharing what I was taught so others can learn to see more clearly and understand that tracking isn’t mystical—it’s a level of awareness anyone can learn with the right guidance.
What is Awareness?
At its most basic, awareness is:
Observational skills
and
Critical thinking skills
In other words, can you find the puzzle pieces (they are everywhere), and can you assemble them?
Learning to Track
Most Intro level tracking courses are a week in the woods.
What I'm offering is a self‑paced online course that teaches outdoor enthusiasts to ‘read the landscape’ like a Tracker – confidently finding, identifying, and following wildlife using the same methods I learned from my teacher and my time in the US Intelligence Community applying the craft.
Concise lessons (15–25 minutes each) + simple field exercises you can do on your next local hike or walk in the neighborhood. Most people see their environment differently after their first 1–2 outings.
Awareness can be trained, and by learning to notice more, we learn to understand more—of the land, of others, and of ourselves.
What You Will Discover
Immediate Skills:
Spot and ID tracks
Follow trails
Connect subtle signs
Long Term Benefits:
Deeper connection to nature
Awareness in everyday life
Community Support
(in person course reviews)
Avid Hiker
I hike a lot, so I assumed I was already pretty observant. This showed me how much I was missing. I can see animal trails darting back and forth - everywhere!
- Mark S.
Parent and Student
I signed up for my kids, but I didn’t expect how much it would change me. Our walks are slower now, quieter, and full of questions. Tracking gave us something to share that isn’t a screen.
- Robert M.
How hard is it?
Most people come to tracking carrying a quiet doubt that they’re not the kind of person who can learn it. I felt that same doubt—I was a city kid with a fairly typical childhood, some hiking and camping, but nothing that felt special or exceptional. What changed everything wasn’t where I came from, but having an extraordinary teacher who showed me that tracking isn’t a mystical talent or a cultural inheritance. It’s a way of paying attention that lives in all of us and can be taught, practiced, and learned. If you feel that doubt, know this: you are not missing anything—you’re simply at the beginning.
How long does it take?
Another common hesitation I hear is time—people assume tracking requires thousands of hours they don’t have. I understand that feeling; modern life already asks more than it should. What most people don’t realize is that you don’t need to become a master to begin seeing differently—I can get people tracking in a matter of hours using the signs already around them. The movements of a neighborhood dog, a nighttime visitor, or a curious animal leave clues that quickly lead to new insights. Tracking fits into the life you’re already living, and once you start noticing the clues, the world around you opens up without asking for more time than you can give.
Traditionally, there are a couple options for learning how to track
Option 1. Class in the Woods
Most Introduction to Tracking courses are a week in the woods, about $1,000 per class. And that doesn't include gear, travel, or vacation time. The cost can be between $1,300 - $1,600+.
There is a lot of value in spending time in nature with other students, but it can be costly (time and money), and once the course is over you are on your own.
Option 2. Teach Yourself
You can always buy an army of field manuals and pocket guides and teach yourself...
There is a lot of value in solo training. It's where real growth occurs. Even if you go to a traditional school you do eventually go home. Maybe you've captured contact info for a couple students (not the instructors though), but life gets busy and maintaining those connections can be challenging.
Another option...
Option 3. Remote Learning
What I'm offering is an online course where you can learn at your own pace, and at a fraction of the price.
Solo training is where you grow the most as a tracker, but it’s difficult. We all have self-doubt. How do you know if your assessment is accurate? Use your phone, take a photo of the track or sign you’re curious about and post it to the Silva Community site. The community (students and instructors) will help you with the ID. You will grow and learn together, speeding up your "dirt time" exponentially.
Instead of walking away after a single week, you’ll leave with habits, language, and a community that supports continued growth long after the course ends.
100% Satisfaction
Risk Free Guarantee
I want you to feel confident this is the best decision for you. That's why I'm offering a 30 day money back guarantee, no questions asked.
Go through the first few modules, If you don’t feel you’re seeing your surroundings differently within 30 days, email me and I’ll refund you.
What You Receive with Campsite Critters
Core Course: Introduction to Tracking & Awareness
A self-paced, online course in tracking and awareness you can move through on your own schedule. The focus is on learning how to notice, interpret, and think clearly about the signs around you—skills you can practice anywhere.
3 Months of Guided Community Access
Tracking grows through practice and reflection. Access to a small online community where students share observations, ask questions, and learn from each other—and instructors. This replaces the “one-and-done” gap most in-person courses leave behind.
Field-Ready Reference Materials (Downloadable PDFs)
Simple, practical PDFs you can save to your phone for reference in the field or at home. No overwhelm—just the essentials you’ll actually use as your awareness sharpens.
A Way Forward, Not a Dead End
Instead of walking away after a single week, you’ll leave with habits, language, and a community that support continued growth long after the course ends.
A traditional intro course offers a powerful moment in time. Campsite Critters is designed to give you a beginning—and something to build on.
Young Tracker
Honestly I didn’t think this was for me. I’m not a hunter or some hardcore outdoors person. But once I started, I realized tracking isn’t about being outdoorsy—it’s about paying attention. Now I notice more. It feels like I unlocked a way of seeing I didn’t know I was missing
- Jen F.
Military Veteran
I came into this thinking it would be mostly techniques. What I didn’t expect was how much it would change how I think. Learning to slow down, observe, and hold off on assumptions stuck with me. It’s helped me feel more grounded.
- Caleb D.
Law Enforcement
I didn’t expect something this simple to be so useful. At first it felt like a niche skill, but it quickly became a mindset. I’m more aware, and better at noticing what matters. It’s had a real impact on how I move through the world.
- Frank K.
Parent
I worried I wouldn’t know enough to do this with my kids. What surprised me was how quickly that pressure disappeared. Tracking gave us something to explore together, and our walks slowed down in a good way. The kids started noticing things on their own, and I found myself more present instead of trying to lead.
- Stacy H.
Tracking is the practice of expanding awareness—learning to notice small truths, question assumptions, and see the larger story being revealed.
A Word of Caution
Awareness is a matter of choice. Once you turn it on, you will see more, both good and bad.
Awareness is a skill, not a gift, and tracking is one of the oldest ways humans have learned to develop it.
Are you ready?
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