Happy Sping Everyone!

Sping is here and I know everyone is ready to get outside and do some hands on training. From now on most of our Wed. night meetings will be held outdoors and will include many hands on events. We are looking to start Mini-Mocks ( short searches ) on some of these training nights. So everyone needs to check their gear and make sure all is in order. Just throw it in your car for the meetings, but we will give you notice for these searches.

New people are always weclome. Just send us an e-mail and we will tell you where we are at.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weather and we will see you at the meetings.

Four members of TriState Search and Rescue team, Steve Schmidt, Dave Benkin, Maryln Adams and Mark Webb, attended the American Mantrailing Academy Basic Mantracking class in Bellmore, IN. TSSAR team members spent Friday night at the Bellmore Fire Department. Saturday morning the mantracking class began under the leadership John Holcomb and Tony Keith, Master Trainers for the AMA.

The day the track for the team there had been snow but by the time the mantrackers were on the track much of the snow had melted away leaving sometimes vague signs to follow. To compound their difficulties, two hunters and four Beagles were rabbit hunting and running across the footprints.

To ensure the mantrackers had followed the trail playing cards were sequentially placed on the track and the team had to collect them. The also drew a map to show the location of where they found these cards. Three and a half hours from the time they started the mantracking team emerged from the woods and fields with the entire deck of cards and a map showing the location in which they were found. Victory!

At the conclusion of the day all participants rendezvoused at the beach at Racoon State Park for an awards presentation and a demonstration of Police K9 Patrol Dogs working with the bite sleeve. The weather cooperated by not raining but it was an overcast and cold day for an entire day in the outdoors. The Basic Mantracking class will be followed up by an advanced class in the near future.

-Maryln