They also keep an eye on Steffens. The trackers make sure I don't go over. One time Steffens was tracking so intently at night that he walked into a low-hanging tree limb that held a family of sleeping raccoons. The racket they made just about gave me a heart attack. I had no idea they were there.
Rescue operations are also team efforts.
His latest rescue involved a pair of hunters who got lost while scouting deer country on a warm, sunny afternoon. Because they only intended to be gone a short time, neither brought water or any type of survival gear. An hour later, their friend realized something was wrong. He was able to find their tracks, but couldn't find them. By the time we were called in it was 11 p.m.