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Animal Tracking Course – Level 3 (NCFE IIQ Accredited)
Duration: Friday 7 pm to Sunday 12 pm
Accreditation: NCFE IIQ Level 3 Certification
- Course: Animal Acquisition Course (CQ11142)
- 2026 Dates: 6th-8th November in Devon and 27th-29th November in Staffordshire
- 2027 Dates: 5th-7th November in Devon and 12th-14th November in Staffordshire.
- Venue: Devon (Near Exeter - EX11 1LU) and Staffordshire (Near Burton upon Trent - DE13 9RW).
- Times: 7pm on the Friday - midday on the Sunday.
- Ages: All ages above 14 years welcome.
- Certificates: From 1st August 2022, all certifications will be in the form of eCertificates.
Course Overview
Dive into the world of traps and snares, with our Level 3 Animal Acquisition Course. This immersive weekend is designed to introduce you to the , legalities, process and science of setting traps and snares to increase your chance of catching animals safely and humanely — learning to identify animal tracks, signs, before constructing, locating and setting traps and snares. No prior tracking experience required.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who already enjoys bushcraft and outdoor skills, this course offers a deep, rewarding insight into how to make your own traps and snares and understand the legalities that govern your work in the UK. Under expert guidance, you’ll start to perfect your skills in the arts of trapping and snaring.
What You’ll Learn & Do
- Legalities, Rules and Governance: What you are allowed and not allowed to do in the UK and 'best practise'.
- The Act of Animal Acquisition: Learn to understand and practise the fieldcraft required in animal acquisition.
- Manufacturing of Traps and Snares: Understand the physical and legal aspects of a range of traps and snares.
- Setting and Monitoring: Develop the skills to set your traps and snares and promote examining techniques.
- Uses and By-Products: You will learn more about animal products in bushcraft and the disposal of animal products.
Why Choose This Course
- Accredited Qualification: Earn a Level 3 NCFE IIQ certificate — a recognised credential confirming your tracking and field-craft skills.
- Practical, Immersive Learning: It’s a fully hands-on course: there’s no classroom-only theory — you’ll be out in real woodland, using all your senses to track and observe wildlife.
- Beginner-Friendly: You don’t need any previous tracking experience to attend — the course is designed to take you from novice to confident tracker over a single weekend.
- Transformative Perspective: Many past participants report that after the course, they have a full understanding of the process from start to finish of animal acquisition.
Ideal For
- Anyone curious about legally feeding themselves in a bushcraft, survival and wilderness skills scenario — from total beginners to seasoned bushcraft enthusiasts.
- People interested in animal acquisition, fieldcraft, building traps and snares, and how to set them.
- Bushcraft practitioners who want to complement their fire, shelter, and tool skills with self-sufficiency.
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Friday's Itinerary
- 7:00pm Safety Brief
- 7:30pm Make Camp
- 8:00pm Legalities, Rules and Governance
Saturday's Itinerary
- 8:30am The Act of Animal Acquisition
- 9:30am Manufacturing Trigger Mechanisms
- 12:30pm Lunch
- 1:30pm Manufacturing Traps and Snares
- 5:00pm Setting and Monitoring
Sunday's Itinerary
- 8:30am Animal Acquisition Equipment
- 11:00am Uses and By-Products
- 12:00pm All good things must come to an end. Course departs.
The itinerary may change depending on the weather, but all subjects will be covered.
