I'm just curious if anyone here has some homebrewed rules or ideas that they use to make tracking with survival more interesting? As is I'm not so enamored with, "Roll survival... You found him!" that's kind of already in game.
I usually just fit the description of the tracking to the roll. They just barely make it I describe having to back track, losing the trail etc. If they ace it. I describe it as they see much more detail in how they moved, how much they carried, some little trivial piece of information that could found by just looking at the trail.
If I was going for more I would probably set it up as a chase scene where you would need skills more than just survival. Be aware of course that a series of checks will result in more chances of failure. Some rules purist may not like you changing the mechanic.
For example, You are pursue a guy that has a three hour head start. Unless you can find a way to catch him sooner.
The first check would give the option of a DC 15 survival check to follow the footprints (gain 5 minutes for each every point you exceed the check by) or a DC 25 knowledge(local) check to know that there is a game trail in yonder direction and that is where the pursued is likely to go and gain one hour on the target.
Cut to the next scene, DC 15 survival to continue to follow the footprints or DC 30 perception check to notice they doubled back and gain one hour on the target.
Cut to the next scene, you're at a river DC 15 survival check to continue to follow him. Swim to the other side with DC 15 swim check instead gain one-half hour.
That could work, yeah. Just make it a straight chase, albeit with longer time frames