Hunting Wilderness: Starting with the Butcher

Chapter 56 Hunting Goats, Encountering a Lone Wolf!

Having chosen a different direction, Yuan Linghan resumed his mountain hunting expedition. As for camp security, he figured there was nothing to worry about. Even with freshly caught rabbits still smoking on the grill, ordinary wild animals couldn't possibly enter his camp.

As the crew observed, the camp was surrounded by barricades. Even if a black bear smelled the aroma of meat, it would likely take considerable effort to climb over the barricades. The smoked jerky was stored in the shelter.

Unless the black bear knows how to pick locks, it will have to rely on brute force to pry open the wooden roof and walls. Although fishing is planned for the afternoon, it won't take much time, so we can explore the jungle surrounding the campsite first.

On his patrols, Yuan Linghan would take the time to bend down and pick wild mushrooms and vegetables if he saw them. Compared to meat, he wouldn't waste any of these ingredients, which would be difficult to gather if he didn't collect them now, especially after snowfall.

On the contrary, Yuan Linghan would also pick some ripe and large berries to eat as snacks. If he came across a thicket of berries growing densely, he would remember the location and come back to collect them all next time he had time.

Occasionally, Yuan Linghan would also seize any plants he found that could be used as seasonings. Since his bag could hold them all, even if he didn't catch any prey, gathering more other ingredients made him feel that his time was not being wasted.

After walking for nearly an hour, Yuan Linghan said with some regret, "The signs of wild animal activity in this area are clearly not as strong as in the direction we went yesterday. It seems that if we want to hunt in the future, we should go that way, as it's closer to the deep mountains."

To Yuan Linghan's surprise, just as he was about to head home, he suddenly saw an animal cautiously foraging for food in the low bushes ahead. Yuan Linghan instantly bent down and crouched behind a large tree to observe carefully.

"These must be wild goats, right? I never expected to find them here. If I have the chance to hunt one, maybe I can even enjoy authentic goat hotpot at the shelter on snowy days!"

As he spoke softly, Yuan Linghan untied the cloth bag that was somewhat hindering his movements and tucked the hunting knife into its sheath at his waist. He then drew out the feathered arrows he used to hunt medium-sized animals; these arrows had iron shafts made of aluminum alloy.

Before participating in the program, Yuan Linghan ordered twenty arrows as per the program's requirements. Four of them were lightweight carbon fiber arrows, specifically for hunting small prey such as pheasants or rabbits. The other six were aluminum alloy arrows, intended for hunting medium-sized animals.

The remaining ten heavy arrows are equipped with alloy steel arrowheads and are specifically designed for hunting large animals. Even the most ferocious black bear in the jungle could be pierced through the body by a single shot from one of these heavy arrows.

After all, the iron-framed bow he used was renowned for its formidable draw weight. Without considerable strength, one simply couldn't draw the bowstring, let alone hit the target. And these twenty arrows were the source of Yuan Linghan's confidence in hunting wild beasts.

Locking his sights on one of the rams with long horns, Yuan Linghan approached slowly and quietly. When they were about fifty meters apart, Yuan Linghan took a deep breath, drew his bow, and aimed. Giving the ram no chance to dodge, he released the arrow in an instant.

By the time the ram sensed danger, the arrow had already pierced its vital organs with pinpoint accuracy. When the ram finally realized what was happening, it desperately lunged forward, trying to escape. Meanwhile, the other wild goats had already scattered in panic.

Locating the ram's escape route, Yuan Linghan drew his hunting knife and swiftly dashed out as well. He hadn't expected his arrow to pierce straight through the ram's body. It seemed he needed to work on controlling his strength.

Yuan Linghan found the arrow deeply embedded in the ground, its arrowhead still stained with blood, and then relentlessly pursued the trail of blood left by the ram. In fact, the ram, pierced through the heart and lungs, couldn't have run very far.

Just as Yuan Linghan was about to step forward and finish off the dying ram, he keenly sensed a fleeting gray figure in the bushes ahead. Without any hesitation, he drew another arrow and gripped it tightly.

"It seems there are more uninvited guests eyeing my newly hunted prey. I'm quite certain of my judgment; there was indeed a wild animal hiding in the bushes ahead. To ensure my safety, I must first check the surrounding area for any potential dangers."

As it turned out, Yuan Linghan was right. Just as he slowly stepped forward, preparing to inspect the bushes, a gray wolf suddenly darted out from the undergrowth. The wolf was fast, but Yuan Linghan's reaction was equally swift.

Aiming at the gray wolf charging at him, Yuan Linghan decisively released the drawn bowstring. The arrow, in flight, met the oncoming wolf head-on. As the arrowhead pierced the wolf's belly, the wolf instantly let out a mournful howl.

Having lowered his bow and arrow, Yuan Linghan gripped his hunting knife again and darted forward in a few steps. The gray wolf, wounded in a vital spot by the arrow, was about to pounce and bite, but Yuan Linghan kicked it in the jaw.

Just as the gray wolf was kicked away and fell to the ground, Yuan Linghan reached out and pressed down hard on its neck, instantly slicing open its throat with his sharp hunting knife. With a gush of blood, the gray wolf, which had been struggling desperately, finally stopped breathing.

After confirming that the gray wolf was dead, Yuan Linghan remained vigilant, watching his surroundings. Only after confirming that there was nothing unusual did he breathe a sigh of relief and say, "This should be a lone wolf! Although I don't understand why it appeared here, it was indeed very fierce."

The reason this gray wolf is identified as a lone wolf is primarily because it is a male and clearly bears signs of fighting and biting. If I'm not mistaken, this is likely a lone wolf that failed to become the alpha wolf.

There was only one, and it had been banished by the pack after failing to become the wolf king. The vast majority of lone wolves banished by their packs meet a tragic end. If Yuan Linghan were to encounter a pack, he would likely face another bloody battle.

Looking at the gray wolf he had just hunted, and after confirming that the blood had been drained, Yuan Linghan picked it up and dragged it to where the ram had died. Seeing that the ram had also completely stopped breathing, he didn't forget to make a cut to try and drain more blood.

Although he knew sheep's blood was a valuable commodity, he hadn't brought any tools to collect it while he was in the wilderness. Once the ram stopped bleeding, Yuan Linghan was now facing a headache: how to carry the wolf and the sheep back to camp?

He had previously dragged the gray wolf and estimated that even if it was somewhat thin, it weighed at least over 100 pounds. This ram, however, probably weighed about the same. Should he just carry this nearly 100-kilogram prey back to camp?

He has the power, but it's not suitable to display it on the show. After a moment's thought, Yuan Linghan said, "I originally only wanted to hunt a wild goat, but now there's an extra gray wolf. Bringing them all back to camp is going to be a bit of a hassle."

After saying this, he pretended to think for a moment and said, "On the way here, I remember there was a small stream below. We'll drag the prey to the stream and dissect it directly. We'll empty the wolves and goats of their internal organs to lighten their weight before carrying them back."

After saying these words to the camera, Yuan Linghan began to act. He first carried the wild goat to the stream, then turned around and carried the gray wolf down. He also retrieved the cloth bag and axe that he had thrown down earlier and placed them aside.

Choosing a spot with a good view, Yuan Linghan used the paracord he carried to hang the gray wolf and goat carcasses upside down from the trees. Then, using a hunting knife, he cut open the wolf and goat's bellies and removed their internal organs.

Yuan Linghan chose to discard all of the gray wolf's internal organs, while he kept all the edible parts of the goat's internal organs except for the intestines. The discarded organs were hung on a tree by Yuan Linghan as offerings to the mountain god.

Yuan Linghan gutted the gray wolf and the goat, then tied their four legs with paracord. He chopped off a stick and carried over a hundred pounds of meat towards the camp. Carrying over a hundred pounds of meat wouldn't seem too strange to the audience, would it?