How to catch a ... deer? hunt lesson

Rudyard had put a good deal of thought into how he would handle his first lesson to a group of wolves at once.  Some had different skill sets of already knowledgeable of fighting or healing and such as well as a new wolf he didn’t know well.  Rudyard loved being unpredictable and could hardly come up with something dull and common.  It was also true that fun new things often stuck in one’s mind better and also made the student more likely to want to learn even more.
The night before it was time to give his lesson he informed his students to meet him as the sun was setting at fossil ridge.  Rudy had thought up a fun game that would hopefully work well.  The motley grey wolf was ready for his students, having a couple of hours out there in advance for the day.  Now that he’d thought up what to do he was looking forward to the game.

Every member of the pack got greeted as they showed up and once present he explained how things would work.  “Hello, friends.  As some of you might know I’m not one for boring stuffy lessons whenever I can get around them and I’d hate to push that on anyone else.  So a few quick basic details and then we get into the game portion of this evening's meet-up.  Some of you already are good at fighting and would have no problem once you can get your teeth into the food, some of you likely know anatomy well for the fastest kill possible.  So we are going to focus on finding the prey and not letting the prey know you are coming.”

That really still might not sound so hard for some.  The basics of hunting factually weren’t hard to memorize, it was getting one’s body to do what it should.  Subtle details are easy to overlook as you head toward your prey.  “When you are hunting you need to avoid letting prey see you, letting them hear you, and not letting them scent you.”  Keeping prey from scenting him had been a hard thing for Rudy to get past, the wind was annoying in refusing to blow where and when he wanted.  Patience was a hindrance and nuisance.  “Hunting down other predators really is easier than say a deer or other prey animal.  Predators have the ability to defend themselves in a fight, prey know if you sneak up on them they are dead so they are constantly alert to everything.  So, easy right?  Don’t let them see you coming, sneak up on them, and take them down.”  

Rudy glanced to the horizon and the sun starting to lower, the shadows starting to stretch out.  This would work great for the wolf of mixed grays who blended so well in shadows and why it was his favored time to hunt.  “So, it's all about muscle memory and having patience, and the best way to learn it is just practicing over and over.  So, for today's game, you're going to hunt me!”  Rudy lowered his head, showing off the all too obvious antlers, and swishing the puff tail that was all he had left, “the prize deer to catch!  You will be waiting here another twenty minutes and I’ll go find a spot to wait.  You have to find me, sneak up on me, and if I spot you I will run.  Can you catch me?”

Rudy took a stride away pausing to glance back, “Oh, and while I’d give your pets a run for their money, this time they don’t get to participate.  Other than that, you are free to try anything that comes to mind.  After the game ends I can answer any questions and if I notice you nearby I’ll share with you what gave you away.”  Rudy’s scent was all over the landscape, he’d been sure to run all about earlier to make following him just by scent a hard task.  Could they figure out the freshest scents or find him by strategy of best spot to hide out?  

“Time starts,” said Rudy as he strode away a few steps, making sure no one did speak up with any questions that couldn’t wait but if no one spoke he’d run off quickly.  Quickly enough he’d run up a hill slope and leap down.  Out of sight, Rudy took an already planned path that included a good bit of twists and turns before stopping underneath a natural ledge of grassy hill.  It was small, but he would be easy to run past if one wasn’t careful, and a bird flying overhead would only see the ground above him.  Rudy's body was mostly under the ledge, but his head peeked around, hidden naturally in the lengthening shadows.  His hiding spot was on a slight rise so that he'd be able to keep an eye on his students to offer advice on how to improve later.  The best way to know what everyone needed to work on was seeing them make an attempt first.  Would they work alone or as a team?  Rudy had intentionally left that up to them.  Regardless, this would be fun.

"Rudyard Carpathius"