Reborn in the 1980s: I made my fortune hunting wild game in Changbai Mountain

After chatting for a while, the meat cooking in the pot was ready.

Number One couldn't wait to fill his own rice bowl with soup, then scoop out a few pieces of meat, and started eating and drinking like a starving ghost, without even caring that it had cooled down completely.

It's clear that Number One had a tough time during those three days away. Now, after having a bowl of hot soup and some cooked meat to fill his stomach, his expression finally returned to normal.

After eating and drinking their fill, Number One went to check on Number Two's injuries.

After discovering that there was no serious injury, they laughed at their companions. It was surprising that the poachers who had touched a few bears had gotten injured. For a moment, the atmosphere in the camp was quite cheerful, and the oppressive atmosphere from the previous night, where someone had been injured, was clearly relieved.

After breakfast, Yue Feng gathered everyone together for a meeting.

The fourth and fifth soldiers went down the mountain to take the wounded. It is still uncertain when they will be able to return to the team. Currently, there are three soldiers in the camp, plus the two brothers Yue Feng and Xiao Tao, and the two wounded brothers Xiao Wu.

Of the seven people, only five are allowed to go out.

After a brief discussion, Yue Feng decided to move the campsite tents to the vicinity of the ravine where the hanging sheep was discovered.

So, they split into two groups: Yue Feng and Xiao Tao, along with No. 3 who was in good condition with a full beard and tail, continued to investigate the trail of the hanging sheep and the subsequent terrain.

Number One and Number Two, along with the two brothers Xiao Wu, packed up their tents and belongings at the campsite and then moved towards the mountain valley.

As for those number four and five who went down the mountain to see others off, they left behind signs in their tents that they could understand, so that even if they came back, they could find the main group based on the signs.

After the tasks were determined, everyone got busy with their own tasks.

Yue Feng, along with his companions, falcons, and hunting dogs, set off early, heading straight for the mountain hollow where the sheep were spending the night.

When Yue Feng arrived at the location where he had watched the battle the night before, he saw the eagle owl that had been killed by the big black eagle from a distance.

The carcass of the great owl was discovered in the middle of the night by some small animal. Its head and some of its internal organs were gnawed into a mess, and there were a lot of feathers and scattered bloodstains on the ground.

Moving forward from the location of the eagle owl's corpse, Yue Feng slowly approached the edge of the cliff in the mountain valley and began to carefully examine the area below.

Yue Feng quickly located the source of the sound yesterday.

This is a protruding platform less than ten meters above the cliff. Next to it grows a low pine tree, and beside the pine tree is a clump of shrubs whose name I don't know.

Overall, the terrain here is quite rugged and not very conspicuous, but I never expected that the ram would spend the night in such a small place.

"Number Three, look at that platform with pine trees and bushes down there. Tie a rope to it. Can you go down?" Yue Feng asked, pointing down.

Number Three looked down for a while, then frowned slightly: "The drop is quite large, and there aren't many good places to step on or grab onto! It's a bit dangerous!"

"If it's dangerous, then forget it, I'm not going down!" Yue Feng hurriedly waved his hand when he heard this.

Going down there is just to check the details of the places where people stay overnight, which helps with the overall assessment, but that's about it. It's not worth taking too much risk.

At this point, Number Three continued, "Going straight down would be exhausting, but if we go around in a circle, I can get to that spot!"

"Can we go down?"

“Yes, look, about thirty meters to the south, there’s a steep slope that I can use for leverage. I can go around it from there, it should work!” Number Three pointed to the path he had chosen and told Yue Feng.

"Okay, let's tie a rope for safety. Try to see if you can get down! If it's too difficult, let us know and we'll pull you up. Let's not take risks we can't handle!"

"Don't worry, if I say it's okay, it'll definitely work! I can handle the rope, so let's get started!"

Number Three performed a series of stretching warm-up exercises, temporarily removed his weapons and other odds and ends, took the rope handed to him by Xiao Tao, tied it around his waist, and then began to move down the cliff.

Yue Feng had already witnessed the soldier climbing the cliff once before, but this time the impact on the two of them was even greater.

Climbing ability number three was clearly stronger than that of his companion from last time. He was quite fast after descending, and his body was very agile. Like an ape, he used the terrain to his advantage and gradually approached the stone platform.

When they arrived at the location, Number Three waved his hand upwards: "I see it, this is indeed the place where we spend the night. There's a lot of feces, footprints, and hair and other details!"

"Take a thorough look around, and come up when you're done!" Yue Feng shouted, making a megaphone shape with his hand.

After hearing this, Number Three looked around for a while, then returned the way he came and climbed back up the cliff.

"Tell me the specifics!" Yue Feng asked impatiently as soon as the people came up.

Number Three organized his thoughts and said, "It's just a tiny place, no bigger than the palm of your hand. The stone platform is no more than one square meter in size. The bushes act like a fence, which can just block out the space inside the stone platform."

The pine tree looks very close to the stone platform from above, but it doesn't actually grow on the stone platform; it grows in a crevice on the side!
There were quite a few droppings on the ground, the same shape as the ones we saw up there, and a few hairs, probably left from molting!

Upon hearing this, Yue Feng continued, "Are there any horizontal branches on that pine tree nearby where I can hang from? Or any other similar structures or terrain features that could be used for hanging from?"

Number Three frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then shook his head decisively: "No! If I'm not mistaken, the suspended sheep slept on that platform! There were the fewest droppings in the middle, and there were obviously more at the edges!"

Upon hearing this news, Yue Feng felt much more at ease.

Field investigations have shown that the practice of hanging sheep overnight is not as legendary, where they must be hung on a tree trunk.

This means that if you startle a cliff today and it runs away, it may not necessarily need a place to cling to when it looks for a foothold later.

This greatly expands the range of terrain options available.

After listening to Number Three's analysis, Xiao Tao turned to Yue Feng and asked, "Brother, what's our next move? Should we just wait here and wait for them to come to us?"

Yue Feng shook his head: "Since we can spend the night on the stone platform, the alternative terrain left for the hanging sheep will be much easier!"
Let's not scare it yet, let's destroy its rock salt nest first!

"Come on, take the rope in and keep going north along the cliff edge!"

Xiao Tao and Number Three were a little confused, wondering what Yue Feng was up to. However, they didn't need to make any judgments; they just needed to obey and follow.

The three greeted their teammates from the moving team and then continued their search towards the north.

Last night's fleeting glimpse gave Yue Feng a clearer understanding of the explosive power and movement speed of the hanging sheep, and he also had a preliminary plan for arranging the rock salt nesting operation and how to choose the location.

The original plan of placing rock salt along the cliff edge to lure the goats "ashore" and then ambushing them while using a falcon to blind them and capture them alive, as intended, needs further adjustments. If the distance is only ten or twenty meters from the cliff edge, a frightened goat can escape in a few breaths at most, leaving no room for maneuver in actual combat.

The plan had to be adjusted. For Yue Feng, the best solution now was to have a gentle slope below the cliff.

Even if the goat escapes and falls off the cliff, the gentle slope can cushion the fall injury to some extent after it becomes blind.

It doesn't have to be perfect, just make sure you don't die or get seriously injured from the fall.

Having made up his mind, Yue Feng led his men to focus their search on similar terrain and landforms.

As the saying goes, "Heaven helps those who help themselves," and they actually found it.

About two kilometers north of the mountain pass, there is a terrain that basically matches the 'battlefield' environment that Yue Feng had planned.

The originally steep cliffs underwent an unknown change at this point in the mountain range. The slope became much gentler, and many small structural features such as intermittent crevices and stone platforms were added.

The gentle slopes can retain some fallen leaves and rainwater, which is why many low shrubs and other plants have grown there.

If the final operation is to be carried out in this area, using an eagle to blind the goat will cause it to accidentally jump off while blind, increasing its chances of survival by at least several times.

"This area should be fine!" Yue Feng concluded after observing the surroundings several times.

"What should we do? Just sprinkle the salt here?" Xiao Tao asked curiously, taking his backpack off his body as he did so.

Yue Feng shook his head: "No, if we leave a human scent, the sheep with its sharp nose will definitely not fall for it!"

"Take out the rock salt we brought, I'll handle the rest! Wear gloves when handling the salt blocks."

"Okay!" Xiao Tao was very obedient. He immediately put on gloves and took out the rock salt from his backpack.

Rock salt is edible salt that is naturally obtained from rocks.

This stuff was arranged by Brother Jun. It consists of chunks about the size of a fist. It hasn't been refined, so it has obvious impurities and color. When held up to the sunlight, it emits colors ranging from pink to yellowish-brown.

After taking out the rock salt, Yue Feng used the handle of his knife to break a few pieces, stuffed them into the kettle, and shook it vigorously. Then he selected a few slightly larger pieces and began to arrange them around the edge of the cliff.

First of all, rock salt cannot be buried in the soil; rock salt will not grow in the soil. This is common sense.

The rock salt must be placed on the edge of a cliff where the rocks are exposed.

Secondly, the placement of rock salt should be considered from two aspects: whether it is easy for the ram to spot and whether it is more advantageous for the hunter to take action later.

After a selection process, Yue Feng arranged several large pieces of salt in suitable positions, then took a water jug ​​and poured it directly onto the artificially 'planted' rock salt crystal clusters.

Pouring salt water onto rock salt not only dilutes the taste after handling it, but also causes the salty water to flow onto the rocks below, forming a thin layer of salt.

Wild mountain animals all love salt. This substance seems readily available to humans, but it is extremely difficult for mountain animals to obtain.

Throughout the long course of evolution, animals such as deer, goats, and even wild boars have developed the ability to detect salts through their sense of smell, sight, and taste.

Salt water evaporates quickly when it falls on a stone, but the salt can adhere to the surface of the stone.

It is almost impossible for humans to perceive the existence of this substance, but for a ram, as long as it is within a certain range, it can definitely be detected!
After Yue Feng meticulously arranged the rock salt, he had Xiao Tao break off a branch from a distance and walk backwards to clean up the footprints and scents left behind as much as possible.

After setting everything up, Yue Feng said, "Alright, this salt pit is done. Let's set up another one further away!"

So the group continued moving north and, based on the previous criteria, chose a second salt flat.

The same formula and the same procedure: first place the crystal clusters, then sprinkle in salt water of a certain concentration, and finally treat details such as footprints.

Before 10 a.m., the two salt pits were set up.

After that, all you need to do is observe with a telescope at regular intervals during the day to determine if the hanging sheep has been found.

The criteria for judgment are quite simple: once this thing finds salt and confirms there is no danger, it will definitely lick it.

Rock salt can dissolve; licking a relatively sharp edge will melt it into a rounded shape. Once you've confirmed that the ram has recognized it, all you need to do is wait in a hidden spot for it to reappear before you can make your move!
The three men set up the location of the salt pit, and the second team moved the tents and other supplies to the new location.

There is no shortage of water on Changbai Mountain. You can find springs or ponds by walking along a few mountain ridges.

The second group set up their tent on a sunny slope very close to the spring. The straight-line distance from the tent to the ravine where the first traces of the hanging sheep were discovered was no more than two miles, which was already considered very close.

"How's it going, boss? Any new discoveries?" Number Two greeted Yue Feng with a smile as he returned with his men.

Yue Feng nodded: "It's alright. Your comrade went down to check the location I found last night, and then we set up two salt pits. If everything goes smoothly, we should have results in a day or two or three days!"

Did you see any sheep during the day?

Yue Feng shook his head: "No! We don't know the specific habits of this thing, and we've never seen it before!"
"Let's wait patiently for the next few days! If the salt pit method works, catching it alive should only be a matter of time!"

"Hmm! Let's hope so. Our superiors are waiting!"

Yue Feng nodded but didn't respond.

The soldiers all knew that time was of the essence, so how could Yue Feng not know?

However, these things cannot be rushed. Yue Feng had been on edge and busy since the first day he arrived. Now that he had discovered the target's trail and used his first move, it could be considered a partial victory.

I wonder if the legendary, incredibly cautious and intelligent Xuan Yang will fall for it!
……

On the other side, Li Fei sent out two soldiers, Xiao Hu and Xiao Lin, who had been following Number One through the mountains for several days without seeing a single person. By the time they realized they had been tricked, it was already too late.

The two men, covered in filth and looking like refugees, returned to the forward base.

Seeing their haggard appearance, Li Fei couldn't help but ask, "What happened? Did you two get robbed by bandits?" (End of Chapter)