The art of stalking is a fundamental part of the education of a warrior. It is one of the first hunting skills mastered by every warrior needs to learn. Stalking begins with knowledge of the various types of stalk.
Open Land Stalk
When stalking in open territory, with nothing more than grass (no higher than the shoulder) for cover, requires a stalk that permits the cat to stand tall enough to see ahead of itself, but not so high that the little available cover is lost.
This stalk is preformed by bending the legs and stretching forward into a low, long gait in which only one paw is moved at a time. This stalk is slow, but preformed with the head higher than the shoulders, counting on the grass to provide camouflage rather than the stalk itself.
No Cover Stalk
When stalking with no cover, such as rocky terrain, the cat must compensate the lack of cover through awareness and muscle control.
This stalk requires legs to be bent so that the belly brushes the ground and the head must be kept as low as possible, so that the chin brushes the ground. The target should be watched carefully, and movement should come in carefully controlled bursts when the eyes are turned away. When the eyes of the target are on the cat, however, absolute stillness must be obtained: so much as a twitched ear could result in the prey spotting the hunter.
High Cover Stalk
Stalking in high cover, such as forestland or fields with grass higher than the cat’s head, requires a great deal of skill to avoid making noise, and steady paws coupled with alert eyes that can catch the direction of the targets gaze. This stalk is preformed standing taller, and puts more emphasis on control and use of cover such as bushes and trees rather than shorter grasses.
This stalk requires the legs to be bent slightly, but not so deeply as other stalks. The head is kept level with the shoulders, and careful attention must be paid to the prey to track the eyes and freeze whenever sighted. Sticks and leaves cover the ground, making the carefulness of every pawstep paramount
