Concentric Rings
By Tom Brown, Jr.One skill needed to make a good scout is the ability to read the concentric rings of
the land. This ability enables him to read what is happening on the landscape at great
distances, out of the normal range of hearing or sight.
Nothing can move in nature without affecting everything else. The web of life is
interconnected, like a spider web. When something gets caught in a spider's web, it
vibrates the whole web so the spider knows even if a small insect has been trapped. We are
much like spiders.
When Stalking Wolf told me to go ask the mice, it was my first important lesson in the
wisdom of the concentric rings. To know when owls were around by what the mice were doing,
we had to learn what other things affected the mice and what didn't.
Concentric rings are very much like dropping a stone into the center of a quiet pond.
At first there is the initial splash or disturbance, then wave after shock wave reaches
out until it fills the entire pond. Ironically, upon reaching the edge, it starts back
again to its source. By looking at the pond and the configuration of the rings, a person
can tell where the rock was dropped.
Nature has its own concentric rings, but they are much more difficult to read, so
difficult that they are an important part of my Advanced Standard and Advanced Tracking
classes. A student proficient at reading concentric rings not only has an edge on
survival, tracking, and awareness, but has a greater understanding of the
interconnectedness of all things.
A good example of concentric rings would be a fox walking along a swamp fringe and the
local bird population then beginning to stir, which then catches the attention of some
distant jays, who scold the fox. Crows may soon pick up on the commotion, mice will run
for cover, chipmunks and squirrels will activate a retreat, and in the distance the deer
will pick up on the activity and take an alert stance, which in turn will effect those
things close to them. All animals are adept at understanding the disturbances in the
landscape which, by listening closely, alert them to danger at greater and greater
distances. They can discern the differences when the jays are scolding a fox, a man, or a
dog, thus heeding the appropriate danger or disturbance signals.
Concentric rings can also be noted in the tracks of animals by the pressure release
systems. I was once following a small raccoon across an upper swamp trail. His trail was
normal to a point, then it became a little nervous, continually glancing askance to the
left, but not showing fear, only apprehension. I decided to look over to the left of the
trail and found a fox den housing several young pups, explaining the raccoon's concern,
not fear. Though the raccoon is not on the foxes menu because he is such a fierce fighter,
a coon knows better than to come too close to a fox with a litter. If you study tracks
closely, you will begin to see what concentric rings have effected your animal's
movements, and in turn see how they effect yours.
Learning concentric rings is not as easy as it may first seem because you are not
dealing with a quiet pond, but with trembling waters, always in motion. There is a
constant din or symphony in a forest that fluctuates with the day, the weather, and so
many other factors. So the first thing when learning concentric rings is to establish this
base rhythm of the symphony. Once the symphony is established, any disturbance in the flow
becomes a concentric ring. Whether the symphony or disturbance becomes more dramatically
loud or whether it becomes quieter, it is a concentric ring. Any change at all means
something.
A good way to practice is to learn to establish the symphony. Any time a fluctuation
occurs, go quietly over to see what has made the disturbance and how far out the
disturbances or concentric rings can be detected. Try to stalk so that you do not create a
concentric ring that interferes with that which is going on at the moment. The more you
practice, and it will be frustrating at first, the more will be the rewards of being able
to read what is going on at greater and greater distances. It was once said that a good
Apache scout could read the concentric rings of one white man eight miles away.
A good exercise to do with a friend is to go out and sit alone in the woods for awhile.
Wait until the forest calms down and the symphony is well established. Then, at a
pre-determined time, have your friend enter the forest. Listen, watch, and experience the
concentric rings that his travel sends off. Don't try to put these rings in words, but
rather let them sift into your subconscious. Some things can never be explained in words
or thoughts.
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