About Us
TRACKING FORENSICS DEVELOPMENT
Tracking Forensics was founded in 1988 as LTR by Capt. Tyron J. Cunningham and his wife Sheli as a scoutcraft (tracking, survival, and defense) services and training business. In 1997, the International Society of Professional Trackers (ISPT) was established as an extension of LTR for the purpose of connecting trackers from around the world. ISPT took root officially in 1998 when it was joined by the Track & Sign Newsletter founded by Linda Hunter. Once this partnership occurred, ISPT took on a life of its own and moved forward independent of LTR for the purposes designed by the charter members. LTR continues its relationship with ISPT based of its foundational history as founder and Capt. Cunningham's contributions as tracking historian for the ISPT Archives & Library of Tracking Research as well as in providing articles for the Track & Sign Newsletters "Founder's Track Trap" column.
In 2009, Capt. Cunningham, after finishing his undergraduate degree, added his newly developed wilderness crime scene forensic model to LTRs core competencies. In 2010, the forensic model research was expanded while Capt. Cunningham attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. This research included new groundbreaking scientific studies in the recognition of human behavior from the gait footfall sequences and spoor-chain signatures of people. The scientific development of the BGS paradigm and OCISE algorithm assisted with the crime scene analysis of human movement patterns and the interpretation of human behavior from the patterns based on the laws of linearity and motion.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Since Tracking Forensics focuses on scoutcraft (tracking, survival, defense) training and forensic services as well as other relevant enabler skills it follows that we should excel in these areas. Our expertise is derived from nearly four decades of applied education, training, and experience by our director starting in 1975 when he taught his first scout combatives course. All training, services, and consulting are developed and/or approved by Capt. Cunningham.
DIRECTOR AND CHIEF OF SCOUTS
CAPT. TYRON J. CUNNINGHAM, MMAS, CMST
Tracking Forensic Scientist and Hoplologist
From 1984 to 2005, Capt. Cunningham served in the U.S. Army Active, Reserve, and National Guard as a non-commissioned officer. Some of the most notable units of service are: The 82nd Airborne Division (North Carolina), Charlie Airborne (Alaska), and the Long Range Surveillance Detachment (Alaska). He is truly a mountain man in the soldiery sense and continues to serve as a tactical operator within his professions.
In 1991, he was hired by the U.S. Marshals Service as a criminal investigator. In 1994, he distinguished himself as a scout by receiving the traditional honors as a 9th degree black belt in combat and police jujitsu and in founding his style of close quarters combat which emphasizes battle strategy, operational tactics, and all-weapon synchronization.
In 1995, he joined the FBI Anchorage Regional SWAT team where he served as a tactical operator and tracked for the team in rural operations until 1998. From 1998 to 2002, he developed and served as Team Commander of the Tactical Tracking Unit for the U.S. Marshals District of Alaska and from 2003 to 2006 he developed and served as Patrol Captain of the Mounted Tracking Unit for the U.S. Marshals District of Wyoming. In 2010, he was the national selectee to attend the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College where he earned a Master of Military Art and Science degree which focused on combat strategy, tactics, and planning; command leadership, military history, and forensic spoorology for site exploitation and crime scene management and reconstruction.
He is the co-founder of the Int’l Society of Professional Trackers (ISPT); founded, developed, teaches and serves as chief of scouts for the TRACKING FORENSICS.
He has taught scout tracking, wilderness survival, and close defense applications to the U.S. Army Special Forces, U.S. Army Rangers, U.S. Army Airborne , U.S. Army Infantry, U.S. Marine Force Recon, U.S. Air Force Security Forces, Army & Air National Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service, and many state and municipal departments across the country. He has also taught search & rescue groups, animal researchers, bow and rifle hunters, as well as survival/outdoor schools and groups.
He is the associate editor and author of the Master Tracker Column for Primitive Archer Magazine, authored the Wilderness Way Tracking Tip series in Wilderness Way Magazine, and continues to author the ISPT Founder’s Track Trap column for the Track & Sign newsletter. He is the Co-author of Learn to Track Alaska’s Wildlife: Activity Coloring Book published by Broken Heart Books of Eagle River, Alaska.
He has been the tracking technical advisor on four fiction novels: Pray for Justice & Hide and Seek published by Publication Consultants of Anchorage, Alaska and Books in Motion of Spokane, Washington, Hard Road to Heaven and The Hell Riders published by Pinnacle Books of New York City, New York. He has also been the tracking technical advisor for Alaska Outdoor Magazine’s Radio Show, KBYR 700, Ty’s Tuesday Tracking Tip.
He has been recognized for his scoutcraft methodologies by many national & international organizations and publications to include most notably the National Native American Law Enforcement Officers Association newsletter, Royal Canadian Mounted Police publication, “Gazette” published titled Modern Day Scouts, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service newsletter.
He has created many professional scout tracking advancements to the art and science of following a quarry (man and animal); notably, Pre-Trailing Checklist, Initial Trail Assessment, Trail Confirmation Standard, Post-Trailing Checklist, Target Quarry Reference, Mechanical Stride Zero, Trails Leading Edge, Zone of Entry/Exit, Foot Measurement Analysis, Foot Impression Reference Matrix, Impact Point Gradient, Terminal Point Gradient, Ground Contact Points, Apex Stride Step Estimate, Variable Trail Patterns, Ground Hardness Type, Track Erosion Computation, Quadrant Reference Analysis, Register Deviation Analysis, Slope Topography Sheet, Tracker Sketch Sheet, Tracker Observation Log, Minimum Track Report, and the Tracker’s Triangle.
He was recognized by being cast as the team leader for the tracking team in the Court TV show, “The Chase: Trackdown” which aired in 2005, and as always continues to follow the spoor of animals and man professionally anytime he is called by a client.
As well as being a Certified Master Scout Tracker (CMST), Capt. Cunningham is a Federal and State Court certified expert in human combative behavior forensics (self-defense, officer survival, weapons employment, and defensive tactics) as well as mantracking forensics (man-tracking, crime scene management, and footprint evidence reconstruction). He is considered a subject matter expert in his field.
Please contact us with questions about any aspect of our business. We’re always happy to hear from you.
