before you follow tracks, check the wind

before you follow a fresh track, stop and wet one finger. Face the wind, then wait long enough to feel its turn... if the air carries your scent toward the prints, circle wide and come back from the other side. I learned that in Brindlemark, where wasting a day meant measuring supper against those barren fields again.

Look at the ground before you look for the animal. Broken grass points along the path, but pressed moss shows where the weight actually went; mark that spot on your map before moving. You will lose less time, and less patience... tracks are invitations, not orders.

when you find water, check the downwind bank first. Animals pause there, and scouts do too, so approach with your weapon ready and your march slowed for the last stretch. Try it tonight if you have a trail waiting... check the wind before you trust the tracks.