Chapter 880
New Ideas
Yue Feng led the main force of the hunting team, following the path taken by the wild boar herd as they descended the mountain, going upstream and tracking them in the opposite direction towards the forest.
At this time of year, the leaves on the mountain haven't turned yellow yet, let alone rustled. Occasionally, a few animals move through the forest, their footprints almost negligible, and the vegetation quickly recovers on its own.
However, when wild boar herds move in large numbers, footprints and paths are a different story.
The trampling of numerous wild boars has created a bright trail on the ground. If you chase them in the opposite direction, you won't get lost even without hunting dogs.
Yue Feng and his group followed the direction the pigs fled, slowly leaving the cornfield and green sorghum fields at the foot of the mountain.
In previous years, there were readily available ambush points for large-scale sieges, and Yue Feng remembered a few good locations.
Once the counter-tracking reached a nearby area with slightly higher terrain, better visibility, and less obstruction, Yue Feng temporarily stopped and observed with confidence.
"Brother Zhao, Uncle Li, what do you think of this marked location for an ambush?" Yue Feng turned to look at the two people who had come into the mountain with him.
Zhao Hongbo carefully observed the surrounding situation and shook his head slightly: "Hamagou has no advantage! It only has the advantage of a wide view, but the terrain is not good."
If a southerly or southeasterly wind blows from here, the wild boar herd, located downwind, will be easily exposed.
Before I came, my father-in-law specifically told me to go and take a look at Erdaoliang!
In previous years, wild boar herds would come down the mountain to fatten up for winter, and the area around Erdaoliang was the best spot!
Li Wentong chimed in, "Hongbo is right. When you're hunting pigs, go downwind. Right now, the mountain winds are mostly from the southeast, so they can't stay put here! Before they even see the real culprit, the pigs will have already run off!"
Yue Feng nodded: "Alright, let's go take a look around Erdaoliang first!"
The group continued their pursuit along the animal trail, crossing two small terrain features before arriving at the Second Ridge that Zhao Hongbo had mentioned.
Erdaoliang has two distinctive mountain ridges that form a funnel-shaped terrain. The two sides are relatively steep, while the bottom of the gully in the middle is a passageway. Wild boar herds return smoothly through the bottom of the gully, which perfectly matches the actual situation that Grandpa Zhao told his eldest son.
This is the embodiment of the top-level experience of the older generation of hunters. The pattern will repeat itself. In many cases, the experience that hunters have accumulated over half a lifetime in the mountains and forests can be repeatedly used in specific situations.
"This is a good spot! We can ambush people on both ridges. Once the firepower crosses, there's nowhere to run!" Xiao Tao was the first to rush up the highest ridge, and after looking around, he said with satisfaction.
"Get down here, stop showing off! Standing so high and talking so loudly will scare the beasts away!"
Li Wentong whispered a reprimand to his son, immediately calling him back.
Even though Xiao Tao is already a capable and independent player on the mountain, he still acts like a greenhorn in front of his father, which is quite amusing.
Yue Feng carefully observed the terrain details of Erdaoliang, and then went through the surrounding situation in his mind.
For a large-scale manhunt to be successful, one must have a good understanding of the terrain, where the prey will appear, how it will react after close contact, and which direction it will flee. There are variables, but more are the certainties.
As the person in charge of this large-scale village-level hunting operation, Yue Feng had to be fully aware of what he was doing.
After careful observation and consideration, there was no problem; Grandpa Zhao's advice was as sharp as ever.
"Let's choose Erdaoliang as our ambush site!" Yue Feng decided.
"Are we lying in ambush here, waiting for the pigs?" Xiaowen asked.
Yue Feng nodded: "We didn't bring the dog. The most important thing now is to find out where the main force of the pig herd is! Aunt Ma encountered the pig herd during the day, but we don't know where those wild boars went. There's a high chance they escaped back to the mountains! We'll have to wait another day after the food in our stomachs is digested!"
Li Wentong nodded: "If only we had come earlier to guard the area, it would have been much better. These kinds of pigs are much easier to hunt when they go uphill than downhill!"
Uncle Li's words are absolutely based on experience.
The so-called "mountain-going pigs" are individuals that have eaten and drunk their fill and returned to the mountains. Each one has a round belly, has moved around a lot, and has lost its strength.
Boars that come down from the mountain have empty stomachs. After a day of rest and digestion, they are full of energy and have greater mobility.
Of course, theory is theory, and Yue Feng couldn't let the wild boars continue to harm the autumn seedlings; he would wait until they were full before fighting them.
This further highlights the preciousness of the Erdaoliang terrain.
Zhao Hongbo had just carefully observed the situation on the animal trail and suggested to Yue Feng, "Xiao Feng, did you notice just now that this large group of pigs is not a single group, but rather several small groups gathered together?"
Look at the area next to the main beast path; there are two or three slightly worn marks. I guess they were left by a small group passing by!
Yue Feng also noticed this situation and asked, "Brother Zhao, do you mean that the pigs should disperse when they come down the mountain, and then gather together again to go back after they have eaten and drunk their fill?"
"Yes! Otherwise, these animalistic characteristics wouldn't be apparent!"
There is competition among pigs, but once they are well-fed and watered, they can live in peace!
When we went to the ravaged cornfield, the details confirmed this: these pigs were both eating and destroying food! So much was wasted! This kind of situation only happens when they're fighting for food!
Yue Feng nodded: "That makes sense! If we want to succeed in one go, it would be better to wait until the pigs pass by one by one and are activated and driven back by the villagers below before we find an opportunity to fire!"
Zhao Hongbo nodded: "Yes! That's what I meant too!"
My dad told me that about twenty years ago, a large herd of wild boars came down the mountain to fatten up for winter in the Erdaoliang area.
At that time, the production team organized strong laborers from several villages to work together! They killed more than seventy wild boars of various sizes in one go!
Judging from the footprints, a large proportion of these pigs were piglets from that year!
The wild boars in our mountainous area go into heat and circle around from October to December, and give birth to piglets the following April!
Those piglets from back then are only four months old now, just before they develop a gamey smell, and their meat is at its best!
"Um?……"
Hearing this, Yue Feng was taken aback.
He hadn't even considered that possibility.
Those piglets back then, four months old wasn't even that big!
Based on Yue Feng's understanding of wild boar cubs in the mountains, a four-month-old wild boar cub can grow to about twenty or thirty pounds, roughly the size of a half-grown dumb dog.
The meat is good, but it's such a waste to kill such a small bird.
Just then, Xiaowen gently nudged Yuefeng and whispered, "Brother, what's wrong? Why are you spacing out?"
After a moment's thought, Yue Feng said in front of everyone, "I suddenly remembered something!"
These piglets from back then, it's only early autumn now, they weren't even that big! It's a shame they all died!
Upon hearing this, Xiaowen immediately understood: "You're planning to take these native piglets to our Huangjing Mountain area?"
After hanging out together for a long time, the way the guys think about problems has become similar.
Yue Feng nodded: "It's easy to set up an ambush here, but catching them alive is a bit of a challenge!"
Last winter, Qiao Muzhou's men wreaked havoc on our mountain pigs. If we're lucky, we can add some piglets and feed them, and by the end of the year, they should weigh at least 70 or 80 pounds!
Zhao Hongbo and Li Wentong exchanged a glance, and then Zhao Hongbo said with great expertise, "When catching them alive, guns are not suitable! Traps are the most effective!"
But with such small piglets, the clamps can't be too big, or they might break their legs, delaying their growth and leaving them half-crippled even if they survive! If you want to catch them alive, Erdaoliang isn't the right place!
The terrain at the bottom of this ditch is too narrow, and the pigs are too concentrated in one area!
Yue Feng nodded: "Let's not rush. They'll most likely come down the mountain from here anyway. Let's observe the situation first! Maybe there aren't as many offspring as we think!"
"That's right! You can't get fat in one bite. Let's gather enough intelligence first!"
Raising animals is more profitable than simply hunting them. The squirrels my family raised in response to the call for action are already starting to show results!
"However, there's one thing: if you're planning to catch them alive, we can't just ambush them here right now. We need to continue exploring the mountainous terrain and find suitable places to set traps!" Zhao Hongbo continued.
"If there are no major losses in a wild boar herd, and the lead boar is unharmed, the calves generally won't run away!"
Even if we don't succeed today, they'll most likely still be active around tomorrow! There's still time! Yue Feng said.
Zhao Hongbo: "Then let's walk forward and take a stroll! The rest of you stay here to observe, and the two of us will walk a little further?"
“Okay!” Yue Feng did not refuse Zhao Hongbo’s kindness and readily agreed.
Although Yue Feng's hunting team had the most impressive record and reputation, Yue Feng knew that in terms of true family tradition and experience in the mountains, Zhao Hongbo, who was apprenticed to his father, Grandpa Zhao, understood the details better than Yue Feng and his team.
After all, practical experience takes time to accumulate. Old Master Zhao at the village entrance, like Master Zhao Dashan of Yuefeng, had been hunting all his life.
The two greeted the others and continued to explore along the beast path. Yue Feng made various records along the way, firmly memorizing the information.
After walking for another half hour, the sound of flowing water came from the dense forest ahead.
“There’s a spring of fresh water ahead!” Yue Feng said confidently.
“The spring might be where the pigs drink water. If so, it’s a good place to set traps to catch piglets!” Zhao Hongbo said.
"Let's go take a look!"
Yue Feng, carrying a gun on his back, walked ahead and strode through the woods.
After circling around for about ten minutes, the two arrived at the source of the water sound.
A spring with flowing water continuously flows down, forming a pond below. The edge of the pond is a large shallow area where many water-loving plants grow haphazardly.
"Look over there in the southeast corner!"
Yue Feng looked in the direction he was looking and immediately knew he had come to the right place.
On one side of the shallows, there was a large area repeatedly trampled by wild boar hoof prints, and a little further ahead, it even formed a small mud pit.
Summer temperatures are high and there are many mosquitoes. These wild boars are also very clever; they will roll in the mud to get covered in mud and repel mosquitoes.
"This place, if we use some bait, will definitely work well for setting traps!" Zhao Hongbo said.
"Then, shall we observe for one night and go back tomorrow to set up the traps?" Yue Feng suggested.
Although Yue Feng has been leading hunting teams for several years, he uses a cooperative hunting model that combines hawks and hounds with shotguns.
Yue Feng and his group don't do the kind of 'business' that lone hunters do, like setting traps and snares.
Grandpa Zhao at the village entrance is a master at this. He finds the right spot, prepares specially processed bait and uses traps, and just as Zhao Hongbo said, he catches them every time.
"Okay, let's go back first and check the overall condition of the pig herd before we talk about it!"
This spring must have been dry for several years, but it has only recently started to reappear due to heavy rainfall!
There are few water sources nearby, so once the pigs have taken a liking to something, they're unlikely to give up easily! All of this is advantageous to us!
Yue Feng nodded repeatedly: "Yes! Your analysis is reliable!"
After obtaining the information they wanted, the two returned the way they came.
Xiao Tao and Xiao Wen had already taken cover in a sheltered spot on one side of the ridge. The forest was still a bit hot with the autumn heat, but the group was unusually quiet in the shade, afraid of scaring away their prey.
"How's it going, Xiaofeng? Have you found anything?" Li Wentong, who was left behind, asked.
"Yes, Brother Zhao and I found a spring. Those wild boars went there to drink water, and there are footprints all over the ground!" Yue Feng said truthfully.
"In the northwest, there's a slight drop in elevation at the spring, and below it is a small pond?" Li Wentong asked.
"Yes, that's right! There's a shallow puddle below!"
"That's Dog Urine Spring! The water vein is quite ordinary, flowing only intermittently, and it had been dry for many years! This is because the groundwater level has risen, and it's started to flow again!"
Li Wentong had visited this place more than once in previous years, so after finding out the details, he spoke fluently.
“With fresh water, those pigs are safe!” Li Wentong said confidently.
Water is the lifeline of animals. In winter, there is snow and water is not scarce anywhere, but this is not the case in summer and autumn. Regular water collection points are of great strategic value to wild animals.
Zhao Hongbo said, "I discussed it with Xiaofeng, and we'll go home tomorrow and bring some bait and traps! As long as the pigs come, they're sure to catch us!"
Li Wentong nodded: "Set traps at Dog Urine Spring. It's best to go to the southwest corner. The southeast corner is muddy, while the southwest corner is clean and has shallow sand. Once the traps are set, they'll be hard to spot if you cover them up a bit!"
"Okay, let's go take a look again tomorrow! Let's finish gathering information today before thinking about the next step!"
"Mmm!"
……
After finalizing the important matters, the six people fell into a brief silence.
Everyone has patience, but in this desolate wilderness, there are plenty of mosquitoes and other insects, and it's a bit unsettling for a cat to wait here for prey to appear at any time.
Xiao Tao and Xiao Wu, the two brothers, were the most impatient. They were suffering from mosquito bites when Li Wentong brought back some unknown plants from outside.
Following his instructions, several people crushed the leaves and applied them to their bodies. A faint herbal scent filled their bodies, and the vicious mosquitoes disappeared.
The sky gradually darkened, and soon it was completely dark.
No one dared to light a fire, so they hid and waited patiently until midnight.
A rustling sound came from afar, accompanied by the rustling of grass and trees, and the few people who were dozing off opened their eyes.
Yue Feng knew the wild boar herd had returned. (End of Chapter)