dkrc Chapter 61 Outdoor Freezer, Hunting Wild Boar!
Chapter 61 Outdoor Freezer, Hunting Wild Boar!
The heavy snow that had lasted for three days finally came to an end around noon. Once the snowstorm had completely subsided, the once lush green forests were now covered in a blanket of white, a silent and still landscape, as if the world had turned completely white at that moment.
After changing into snow boots and walking on the soft snow, Yuan Linghan held a homemade wooden shovel and began clearing the snow from the campsite. Having not experienced playing in the snow for years, he even rolled snowballs in the camp.
He piled the snowballs he had rolled behind the barricades, creating a high platform. Yuan Linghan thought that with some time and effort, he might be able to build an ice castle in the camp using the accumulated snow.
Yuan Linghan tamped down the snow inside the previously constructed well-shaped wooden frame, instantly transforming the logs into a large outdoor freezer. Any prey caught later could be directly placed inside for refrigeration.
On top of the frame, he used mortise and tenon joints to create a solid wood cover. Once the cover is closed, even if a black bear smells fresh meat inside, it won't be able to find a place to bite, unless it can gnaw through the solid wood encased in ice and snow.
"Great! The outdoor freezer is finished. Now we just need to figure out how to hunt more food and store it in there. I just don't know if it will continue to snow. We have to be extra careful when hunting in this kind of weather!"
For Yuan Linghan at this moment, the food he had stored in advance was enough to last him for a long time; even without going out hunting, he could still survive for at least a month. The problem was, he participated in this program specifically to hunt legally!
The heavy snow had just stopped today, and Yuan Linghan thought it would be easier to search for prey tomorrow before heading into the mountains. They had all been huddled in the shelter for three days during the heavy snowfall, and he assumed the animals in the jungle were also seeking shelter from the wind and snow.
Now that the snow has stopped, the snow will freeze even more solid overnight. Considering the depth of the snow, Yuan Linghan felt it necessary to make himself a pair of snowboards in advance. With snowboards, walking through the jungle would be much easier and faster.
Thinking of the untanned wolf pelts, he felt that making a pair of animal hide snowboards would be a good choice. In any case, the snow in the camp had already been cleared, and the remaining time was perfect for making the snowboards.
After several hours of work, a simple set of snow walking gear was successfully completed. After trying it on a few times outside the camp, Yuan Linghan found it very practical. When he saw the rabbit and sheep skins he had collected, he felt that they should also be made into gear.
"Let's wait a bit! This is just the first snow in Black Bear Bay; there should be more snowy days to come. Let's find a sunny day to tan the rabbit and sheep skins, and then we can make gloves, hats, and fur rugs."
Now that these furs have been collected, they should definitely be put to good use. Although Yuan Linghan's physique is different from that of ordinary people, he still hopes to add more warm clothing when hunting outdoors.
Leather gloves ensure that fingers don't stiffen when drawing a bow and shooting arrows. A leather hat protects against cold winds and chilly air when going out. As for a leather mattress placed on the kang (a heated brick bed), it naturally makes sleeping at night warmer.
Yuan Linghan would make the most of any pelts he hunted, ensuring they were put to good use. If he had the chance to hunt a black bear, he wouldn't mind making a leather coat out of it by hand.
The next day, after breakfast and gathering his gear, Yuan Linghan saw that the weather seemed to be improving and decided to go into the jungle to look for hunting opportunities. The more prey he hunted, the greater his chances of surviving to the end.
"Let's go check the west side! We found traces of wild boars foraging there before. We don't know if they've moved away from that area yet, but the chances of hunting wild boars there should be higher than elsewhere."
On the way to that area, Yuan Linghan described the road conditions in detail. The audience was astonished by his account and finally understood why he had been patrolling the area near the campsite.
Besides hunting, he was also familiarizing himself with the terrain. The snow-covered jungle also harbored unknown risks. A slight misstep into a snowdrift could easily lead to injury. If injured, the only option would be to call for help.
Now, returning to this area, Yuan Linghan can accurately pinpoint the locations of pits, allowing him to effectively avoid them during his journey. This remarkable memory has left a deep impression on many international viewers.
Looking at the animal tracks left in the snow, Yuan Linghan remarked, "It seems the jungle was quite lively last night. Those animals that had sought shelter from the blizzard all came out to forage. It's a pity the jungle is too dangerous at night!"
As he recounted these events, Yuan Linghan finally arrived at the spot where he had previously discovered the wild boar herd. After circling the area and looking at the messy footprints left in the snow, he exclaimed excitedly, "They really are here!"
Following the tracks left by the wild boar herd, Yuan Linghan finally arrived at a valley that offered effective shelter from the wind and snow. Hearing occasional grunts from ahead, Yuan Linghan quickly crouched down and swiftly unfastened his snowboard.
"There's movement ahead. To avoid disturbing any prey that might be roosting in the valley, I must sneak over there quietly. If I manage to hunt one, it will greatly increase my chances of winning!"
He removed the iron-framed bow wrapped in fur, drew an aluminum alloy arrow meant for hunting medium-sized prey, and crept downwind. As he drew closer to the source of the sound, he finally spotted a herd of wild boars frolicking in the valley ahead.
"Wow, looks like I'm in luck. It's a herd of wild boars. Although there aren't many, for me, successfully hunting just one will bring me one step closer to the championship."
Carefully approaching a position less than a hundred meters from the wild boar herd, Yuan Linghan aimed his first arrow at a female wild boar weighing about a hundred pounds. He had little interest in the larger male wild boars.
Even if you manage to hunt this kind of wild boar successfully, without seasoning, the stewed meat would probably taste worse than wolf meat. On the other hand, the meat of a female wild boar weighing around 100 pounds is just right. There's absolutely no need to shoot wild boars that are too small.
As soon as he locked onto his target, Yuan Linghan keenly sensed that the boar leader, who had been on guard duty, seemed to have detected the danger. Just as the eyes of the man and the boar locked, the arrow in Yuan Linghan's hand transformed into a streak of light and shot out.
The moment the female wild boar let out a mournful cry, the previously leisurely frolicking herd erupted into chaos. The other startled boars immediately darted into the valley, while only the male boars chose to go the other way.
Seeing that the boar leader with sharp tusks seemed to be completely enraged and launched a boar charge attack at him, Yuan Linghan, who had just fired the first arrow, had already prepared another, even sharper, heavy arrow, locked onto the target, and fired it again quickly.
As the heavy arrow struck the charging wild boar with pinpoint accuracy, Yuan Linghan, without hesitation, drew a second heavy arrow. Seeing the boar still charging desperately despite being hit by the arrow, he fired a second shot.
The arrow was extremely sharp, piercing the boar's skull. Such a fatal arrow, even with the boar's formidable defense, could not withstand the damage. The boar instantly swayed as if drunk, staggering and falling headlong into the snow.
He killed two wild boars with three arrows in less than a minute, which is enough to demonstrate how skilled Yuan Linghan was at archery. He then approached the still convulsing male boar, drew his hunting knife, and stabbed it again.
The once pristine white snow was instantly stained with the flowing pig's blood. But Yuan Linghan did not stop. Carrying his blood-stained hunting knife, he walked straight towards the sow that had been shot by an arrow and had not run far before dying.
This female wild boar was his intended prey; the male boar was simply courting death. However, he wasn't really interested in the male boar's meat. Besides, the two boars together weighed four or five hundred pounds; how could he possibly carry them all back in one go?