The world we live in has always faced changes and since the end of the US Civil War our political and economic status have been relatively stable. Recent events in the global shake-up of political and economic disruption however have put the United States in the crosshairs of some very unsavory forces.
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Never before in our history have we as a people considered our security and way of life to be threatened. Unless things change in the near future, those things that we have held most dear could very well be in jeopardy. State and national sovereignty continue to be challenged and gradually eroded. The idea of a foreign takeover of our government and country is no longer as farfetched a notion as it used to be.
We can continue to hope that the United States of America remains intact under its current constitution, but what would you do if you woke up tomorrow to discover that somehow a rogue faction had taken control of the United States of America? In such a situation you would likely have two choices, declare your allegiance to the new government or declare your independence and make a run for it.
Tracking Dogs Hot on Your Trail
Whether or not you have made all the necessary preparations in case of an emergency, if you find yourself on the run from a trained team of tracking dogs, your preparations may have been in vain. Even if you have prepared a survival shelter, if you lead a hostile foe to your secret place, you've lost all advantage of making it through the first few days.
Much has been written about possible ways to throw tracking dogs of your trail. Some of these methods include the use of such things as red pepper, pepper spray, or predator urine collected from cougars or other animals. The bad news is that if you rely on such methods, prepare to be surprised.
The good news is that these various methods may slow down your pursuers -- or they may not. In the end, slowing down tracking dogs is about as much as you can hope to achieve if your trackers are trained and eager for the hunt. As you learn more about how tracking dogs work, you will better understand the reality of complete escape is dependent upon rapid evasion to the point that you can somehow break the trail.
Tracking Dogs and Body Odor
Many people think that is body odor such as sweat that the dogs use to follow your trail when in fact, the real scent they follow are dead body cells that fall from your skin continually. Unless you enclose your entire body in a hermetically sealed suit (which is theoretically impossible), you will never fully erase your scent trail. Because of this there are some very important factors to consider if you choose to make an attempt to evade a dog tracking team.
Stay Calm, Think Strategically
The number one rule in evasion is to remain calm. It may be counter-intuitive to not panic when being chased by those who would do you harm, but panic is a tracking team's best weapon against you. When panic overtakes your thought processes, confusion will set in and you will make mistakes that put your escape in great jeopardy.
If you can prevail over panic and keep calm, you will have a better chance at accomplishing the second factor which is to make quick work of your evasion efforts. The longer you are on the run, the more likely it is that you will make mistakes. Longer efforts also burn mental and physical energy which allows panic to creep up on you.
When you can do both of these things, remain calm and act quickly, you've already gained an upper-hand on your pursuers. The end goal in an evasion situation is to delay the dogs long enough for you to find some means of escape. Running to an isolated area and hunkering down in hopes that the tracking team will pass you by is a mistake that will get you caught.
The best you can hope for is to delay the dog(s). The best way to do this is to plan an evasion route that travels across areas with multiple fences or even rooftops, which you can navigate easily. Not only will this force the dogs to slow down to regain your trail, it can cause a lack of trust between the dog and its handler. If you can accomplish that feat, you have made a tremendous leap in your efforts to escape.
Another tactic is to double back and make circles of your trail in order to confuse the dog. But remember, the key to escape is speed. If the trackers are hot on your trail, the mere act of doubling back could bring you face-to-face with those you are trying to escape.
You can also utilize well travelled walking and hiking trails. Depending upon how used the trail is, this will serve to cause some amount of confusion in the dog. Making a path through animal pastures will also serve to disguise your trail. Even so, a well trained dog will be able to circle the area until your scent is reacquired.
You need to also keep in mind many of the myths that exist about evading tracking teams. Running through water or across hard ground may help hide your foot prints, but your scent will always remain behind. It is possible to utilize waterways by crisscrossing them several times, but staying in them along their course is almost like drawing a direct map from the dog's nose to your location.
It is important to always remember that there is very little chance you will actually confuse a well-trained tracking team enough to simply escape to a nearby hideaway. The end goal for any evasion plan should be to get to a location where you can get easier escape with a bike, motorcycle or car. If you stop before you have put a sizeable distance between you and your trackers, they will find you.
