Donald Trump Jr. David Becker/Getty Images

Luke Dittrich, a writer for The New York Times Magazine, managed to track down Donald Trump Jr. after President Donald Trump's eldest son had ditched his Secret Service detail and embarked on a bow-hunting expedition in the Canadian wilderness.

In an article published Wednesday, Dittrich said he received a phone call from a friend who was in Whitehorse, in Canada's Yukon Territory, and spotted a man who resembled Trump Jr.

However, mysteriously absent from the younger Trump's side was the gaggle of Secret Service agents charged with protecting him.

Dittrich recounted the call he had with his friend:

"'Are you sure it's him?'

"'Yes.'

"'What's he wearing?'

"'I don't know … outdoorsy gear. Gore-Tex. Khakis and boots. Baseball cap.'

"'Is he with anyone?'

"'Yeah … older guy, squat and short. And a young kid, maybe early 20s. Southern accents.'"

Trump Jr.'s social-media accounts went dark after multiple news outlets reported that he had voluntarily given up his federal security detail in search of privacy.

With help from his friend, some background knowledge of the younger Trump's penchant for hunting, and an understanding of the area's hunting activities, Dittrich eventually triangulated his possible location - and even the type of animals he may have been hunting.

Eventually, Dittrich and Trump Jr. found themselves in the same airport. He recalled walking over to the president's son:

"'Hey,' I said. 'I'm Luke.'

"I held out my hand, and he shook it.

"'I'm Don,' he said.

"I told him that I heard he was in the area, that I was with The New York Times Magazine and that I'd love to talk to him about his trip.

"'The Times,' he said. 'I never know where you guys are coming from.'

"I asked if he bagged anything.

"'I can't really tell you that,' he said. 'Let's just say it was a good hunt.'

"'Was it a moose?'

"'I can't … look, I can't say.'"

After a brief chat off the record with Dittrich, Trump Jr. left, returning later to a much more crowded airport. The reporter noted the gravity of the situation. The US president's eldest son, in the middle of a busy airport, with no Secret Service protection, whose exact location was tracked down by a reporter with minimal effort and resources.

Trump Jr. was back under Secret Service protection this week, CNN reported on Monday.

Read The New York Times Magazine's report here »

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