You can't hide

It's no wonder the prey will run until they are ready to collapse when they see Mantracker bearing down on them.

Sitting in the saddle on his horse, his black cowboy hat slung low casting a shadow over his eyes, Terry Grant makes an intimidating figure.

When his prey - the two people trying to outwit and escape him - see him coming, they seem to be able to perform superhuman feats.

"On day one if you saw them in a room they'd run through a wall, they are so pumped. They're not going to get caught, they're going to go wherever they have to to get away from us," Grant said.

"It's kind of cool, they're so jacked up and you see the look on their faces. And then you don't see them for another three hours."

In reality, Grant, star of the Outdoor Life Network show "Mantracker," is just a regular cowboy with a good sense of humour and excellent tracking skills, honed through years of search and rescue.

He frequently smiles, but whenever a camera appears he pulls on a serious face in what he jokes is a "contractual agreement" not to smile.

Grant's tough Mantracker personality is important for making good television.

The two people who sign up to be Grant's prey have 36 hours to get to their finish line. They have a map and a compass and whatever they fit in small backpacks. While on horseback, Grant sees a flare that marks where the prey begins their race. Using his tracking skills and help from a local guide, he must stop them from reaching their goal.

It was last August when Grant and the crew of Mantracker arrived in Big River for filming. They shot on location at the ranch of Gord Vaadeland. His Sturgeon River Ranch borders on the west side of Prince Albert National Park.

Vaadeland and his family are big fans of the show and were happy to find out their farm was chosen for an episode.

"Of course we all cheer for the trackers, with the exception of my son who always cheers for the prey," said Vaadeland.

He described the experience of riding with Grant as "awesome."

"I like being in the bush and I like riding and you put all those things together in a competitive atmosphere and it's like going back to being a kid, except it's legitimate, being a grown-up."

But it's not all fun and games for the trackers. Both the tracker and guide are competitive and don't want the prey to win.

"We have as much fun as we can, but we have a job to do. You get very focused and very intense," said Grant.

Grant doesn't meet his prey beforehand because he wants to challenge himself.

"I don't want to know what they look like, what they are packing for gear. I want to be able to figure that out myself," he said.

Every once in a while that backfires. While tracking two women in the Yukon, Grant started following the trail of a pair of hikers, one who was wearing the same shoes as his prey.

He realized his mistake when he rode up and they didn't take off running.

"At that point I had to go back to where I lost their tracks and start over. Yeah, (I) only did that once," Grant said.

Each episode presents a learning experience.

"You've got to learn - every different prey we have has a new set of ideas," Grant said.

"Every (trick) works a little bit. Some things just work better than others, for longer than others."

In one episode the prey made special shoes. However, Grant never had the opportunity to see the tracks.

"The two guys that put the shoes on with the tread backwards ran through the bush for four hours. Well I can't track them through the bush anyway, so they really defeated their own purpose," he said.

The area around the Sturgeon River Ranch presented an even advantage for the trackers and the prey. Low brush provided coverage for prey to hide, but sandy trails made tracking footprints easy.

Having the show filmed in the Big River area has been a huge advantage to the local businesses.

"It's been a big thing for my business. I couldn't have bought a better promotion and I didn't have to buy it, which was the real good thing," said Vaadeland.

The episode is being screened tonight at the Big River Community Centre and Grant came back to the area to watch it and participate in a meet-and-greet.

Vaadeland said having a "Mantracker trail" for riders has been a big boost to business.

"It's just been a huge benefit, I can't even explain how good it's been for my business," he said.

"It's increased our profile so much. People want to come and ride."

The show benefits Grant as well.

"I could probably travel across Canada now and never have to get a hotel room. I can just stop at my guides or (with) one of the prey ... you meet friends and see new country," he said.

Looking back, Vaadeland said he would change just one thing about his riding experience.

"For the first half a day or more I was very competitive. In retrospect ... Terry's competitive enough, I should have just had more fun," he said.

He might get that chance. The crew was very pleased with their stay in Big River and, according to Vaadeland, the "course setter" who picks the prey's route has been in touch with him about other locations in the immediate area.

Vaadeland has already made one suggestion and looking to give one more "and we'll go from there," he said.

"I'm sure hoping we can do it again because I'd sure like to..."

ahill@paherald.sk.ca

along for the ride

Gord Vaadeland said watching the work of the cameramen for "Mantracker" was amazing.

"The cameramen are impressive. They are top notch, world-class athletes and they are the best at what they do and it's amazing what they do," he said.

"There's two with the prey and one with the horses and they just run and they run and they run and they run. It's impressive and they don't give things away."

- HILL