Sergei Zhukov was graduated from St. Petersburg University in Leningrad, Russia, and wanted to be a physicist. However, World War II was just starting, and the Germans were on the Russian doorstep. During a college project, he had developed a long-range bear-hunting rifle, and the Russian Army was interested in him and his ability to develop an even longer-range sniper rifle. He did so, and the Army High Command commissioned him to go out and follow the German SS Panzer divisions that were invading Russia and shoot as many of their high-ranking officers as possible. He was very successful. In three years, he was in many engagements, some lasting only one day and others lasting many months. He and his spotter and two wolf dogs lived off the land any way they could to survive. The German SS sent out hunters after him on many occasions. The German SS had also put an extremely large, ever-growing bounty on him. His response was to send back the bounty posters to the SS division commanders attached to the well-chewed SS hunters, with a message: "The Eye of the Wolf is upon you." He became an enigma to the German SS and a folk hero to the Russians. His missions started at the Poland/Russia border and went on to Moscow. He was then sent to the Crimea, then Stalingrad. He then went back north to Leningrad, and each time, he engaged the German SS panzer divisions.