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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Karen Nesbitt <spanishequines@yahoo.com>
  • To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] MSAR-Riders Digest, Vol 50, Issue 2
  • Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 10:48:15 -0700 (PDT)

In Response to:

Message: 3, 4 and 5
Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2007 14:04:41 -0600
From: Una Smith
Subject: [MSAR] Scent aware training
To: Mounted search and rescue
Message-ID: <20070401140441.A10854@att.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Karen Nesbitt wrote:
>Question: How far on the wind can an oder carry? In otherwords, in any practice search, what is the greatest distance you have smelled oder that would give you an indication of a possible victim who has passed?

Hi Karen,

All these questions are in the realm of "scent aware" training.
And, in general, "it depends". I've personally scented a dead
cow over 1/4 mile away. The cow was in an erosion gulley, near
a spring at the top of the gully. The scent flowed down the
gulley to me. But I have also helped to recover a body that a
cadaver dog found under snow: in that case I scented nothing.

As a rule, you need to be in the right place (downwind but not
too far downwind), at the right time, in the right envronmental
conditions.

As a biologist I am most familiar with animal behavior research
on scenting, but it has relatively little application. To learn
hands-on, SAR-applicable stuff I suggest working with a SAR dog
team. Volunteer to be a training search subject.


> What other things in nature do you rely on in any search to help you track?

When I track I look for visual cues. No way do I scent well
enough for scent tracking. There are good books, trainers, and
conferences on visual tracking.

When riding my SAR horse, I pay close attention to her. She has
learned to alert on people regardless of how she detects them
(sight, scent, or sound).


Folks, what materials do you recommend for scent aware training?

Una Smith
New Mexico

with 2 and 5 scrubbed for space!
 
--?Message: 3
Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2007 14:04:41 -0600
From: Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>
Subject: [MSAR] Scent aware training
To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <20070401140441.A10854@att.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Karen Nesbitt wrote:
>Question:  How far on the wind can an oder carry?  In otherwords, in
any practice search, what is the greatest distance you have smelled oder
that would give you an indication of a possible victim who has passed?

Hi Karen,

All these questions are in the realm of "scent aware" training.
And, in general, "it depends".  I've personally scented a dead
cow over 1/4 mile away.  The cow was in an erosion gulley, near
a spring at the top of the gully.  The scent flowed down the
gulley to me.  But I have also helped to recover a body that a
cadaver dog found under snow:  in that case I scented nothing.

As a rule, you need to be in the right place (downwind but not
too far downwind), at the right time, in the right envronmental
conditions.

As a biologist I am most familiar with animal behavior research
on scenting, but it has relatively little application.  To learn
hands-on, SAR-applicable stuff I suggest working with a SAR dog
team.  Volunteer to be a training search subject.


>  What other things in nature do you rely on in any search to help you
track?

When I track I look for visual cues.  No way do I scent well
enough for scent tracking.  There are good books, trainers, and
conferences on visual tracking.

When riding my SAR horse, I pay close attention to her.  She has
learned to alert on people regardless of how she detects them
(sight, scent, or sound).


Folks, what materials do you recommend for scent aware training?

Una Smith
New Mexico
 
with 4 and 5 scrubbed for space!
----->>>>
 
All very interesting!  I have the pleasure of buzzards nesting in our area so it makes for very interesting bird watching as well as other wildlife and of course the animals in our pasture.
 
We have had instances of scent actually been detected up to 5 miles away and can zero in on a target of decomp by watching these magnificent birds.  Scent will travel in the thermals that the birds also fly in.  It will carry and also hang in low spots that wind cannot get into and deceive in locating the actual carcass and can hang for days.
 
I personally do a lot of tracking of the local wildlife and since we have predators such as coyotes and other birds we rely on these animals not for the scent but the sight of them.
 
We have learned to read our horses reactions as well and soem of our equnes will alert to a half mile away.
 
I am fascinated by metods of tracking and would love to learn resources of others.
 
It has also facinated me in that you can tell a lot from the type of bugs that are in a given area. 
 
Thanks,
 
Karen Nesbitt
Vmsar - Iroquois County
Illinois
 
PS - and yes, like Una has mentioned, the oder will disipate and you can literally be on top of a carcass and not smell a thing.  However in the search animals, this is not the case. The gas that is emited are from the fresher dying flesh has the foulest oder.  We have noticed that within 3-5 days depending on the size of the road kill or livestock carcass will be the foulest point of aroma.   Contrary to popular beleif, not all species of buzzards kill.  In most species their beaks and feet are actually to weak to tear into flesh that is fresh and they do not circle dying animals.  They will go after freshly killed meat and play with the food until it is tearable for them to consume.  They are cleanup animals and actually a pretty passive bird.  The indians infact called them PEACE EAGLES becasue they do not kill.


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  • Re: [MSAR] MSAR-Riders Digest, Vol 50, Issue 2, Karen Nesbitt, 04/02/2007

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