Joel Hardin: Difference between revisions

Hardin joined the [[United States Border Patrol]], working at the [[United States-Mexico border|U.S.-Mexico]] and [[Canada–United States border|U.S.-Canadian]] borders. During his time on the U.S.-Mexico border he learned tracking from fellow agents.<ref>Mike Nash. (2007). ''Exploring Prince George: A Guide to North Central B. C. Outdoors''. United States: Rocky Mountain Books. <nowiki>ISBN 9781894765497</nowiki> p240</ref> He learned to track illegal immigrants who came into the United States on foot. In 1972 he was sent to [[Bellingham, Washington]] where he worked in an office. In 1974 he began to develop an advanced tracking training program. He retired from border patrol in 1990 and the training program that he developed was the basis for his company.<ref name="Duguid">{{cite news |last1=Duguid |first1=Sarah |title=First Person: Joel Hardin |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a481acac-47ce-11e1-b646-00144feabdc0 |access-date=28 March 2023 |publisher=The Financial Times Ltd. |date=27 January 2012 |archive-date=17 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917191838/https://www.ft.com/content/a481acac-47ce-11e1-b646-00144feabdc0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

During his career, Hardin worked on tracking serial killer [[Gary Ridgway]] and escaped soviet spy prisoner [[Christopher John Boyce|Christopher Boyce]].<ref name="ABA" /> In 1982 while he was still a border patrol agent, the [[United States Forest Service]] consulted Hardin. They brought in Hardin to consult about alleged [[Bigfoot]] tracks which were found near the Mill Creek Municipal Watershed in [[Walla Walla, Washington]]. Hardin determined that the tracks were not made by an animal.<ref name="Jenkins">{{cite news |last1=Jenkins |first1=Sarah |title=Tracker Calls New Bigfoot Tracks a Hoax |url=https://access-newspaperarchive-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/other-articles-clipping-jun-20-1982-3810252/ |access-date=28 March 2023 |publisher=Walla Walla Union Bulletin |date=20 June 1982 |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328230614/https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/?next_url=/ezproxy/r/ezp.2aHR0cHM6Ly9hY2Nlc3MubmV3c3BhcGVyYXJjaGl2ZS5jb20vb3RoZXItYXJ0aWNsZXMtY2xpcHBpbmctanVuLTIwLTE5ODItMzgxMDI1Mi8- |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1989 he was part of the search team in [[Whatcom County, Washington]] assisting with the search for missing teen Mandy Stavik.<ref name="Ferm">{{cite news |last1=Ferm |first1=Carol |title=From Herald archives: Clipper teen presumed kidnapped after disappearing while on jog |url=https://amp.bellinghamherald.com/article189561629.html |access-date=28 March 2023 |publisher=Bellingham Herald |date=26 November 1989}}</ref>

Law enforcement officials occasionally hire Hardin to track suspects. In 1998 he helped police in washington track a criminal who had broke into 75 buildings. He determined the criminal's favorite trails and installed sensors which led to the capture of a suspect.<ref name="AP">{{cite news |title=Police capture Mountain Man who They Say Broke Into Homes |url=https://access-newspaperarchive-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/other-articles-clipping-mar-17-1998-3810243/ |access-date=28 March 2023 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Syracuse Herald Journal |date=17 March 1998 |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328230640/https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/?next_url=/ezproxy/r/ezp.2aHR0cHM6Ly9hY2Nlc3MubmV3c3BhcGVyYXJjaGl2ZS5jb20vb3RoZXItYXJ0aWNsZXMtY2xpcHBpbmctbWFyLTE3LTE5OTgtMzgxMDI0My8- |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since his retirement from the Border Patrol, Hardin is the owner-operator of Oregon company Universal Tracking Services. The company undertakes and trains clients in human tracking.<ref name="ABA">{{cite news |last1=Hansen |first1=Mark |title=He Tries Men’s Soles |url=https://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/he_tries_mens_soles |access-date=28 March 2023 |publisher=American Bar Association |date=1 May 2010 |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322035643/https://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/he_tries_mens_soles |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Linda Jo Hunter. (2008). ''Lonesome for Bears''. [[Globe Pequot Press]]. ISBN: 9781599217024 p.8</ref> He is referred to as an expert tracker and he travels through the United States training other trackers.<ref name="Ledden">{{cite news |last1=Ledden |first1=Nicholas |title=Reading the Signs |url=https://access-newspaperarchive-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/other-articles-clipping-apr-26-2008-3810217/ |access-date=28 March 2023 |publisher=Kalispell Daily Inter Lake |date=26 April 2008 |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328230643/https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/?next_url=/ezproxy/r/ezp.2aHR0cHM6Ly9hY2Nlc3MubmV3c3BhcGVyYXJjaGl2ZS5jb20vb3RoZXItYXJ0aWNsZXMtY2xpcHBpbmctYXByLTI2LTIwMDgtMzgxMDIxNy8- |url-status=live }}</ref>