American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 133 "Hunter's Reward"

After dealing with the internal organs, old George returned to the most classic part.

With an almost reverent attitude, he carefully and meticulously separated the two long pieces of tenderloin, known as the "hunter's prize," from both sides of the spine.

These two pieces of meat, deep red like jewels and almost entirely devoid of fat, are the most sacred parts in the eyes of hunters.

He solemnly handed them to Stan, who had returned with dried red willow branches.

Stan laughed and said to Lin Yu'an, "Kid, get ready to taste the best steak you've ever had!"

As the division began, a wild and primal scent filled the air.

It wasn't the strong, gamey smell of domesticated sheep, but a unique, crisper aroma, a blend of the metallic scent of fresh blood and the fragrance of alpine plants.

While Stan went to prepare lunch, old George's class officially began.

"Kid, remember, the tip of the knife should always point upwards."

Old George, using his Havalon peeler, instructed Lin Yu'an, "Use the belly of the blade to cut, and let your fingers go in front of the blade."

"Use your fingertips to feel the translucent fascia between the skin and flesh. Your fingers will tell you where you can make the incision and where there is resistance."

Lin Yu-an drew his sharp "Benchmade" hunting knife and began his first dissection of a Dorgo goat.

In his first-person perspective, his sharp hunting knife precisely cuts into the skin, then the tip flicks upwards, smoothly slicing a perfect straight line along the path indicated by old George.

"Stay calm, don't rush," old George said, offering advice from time to time.

"When you get to the knee joint, don't cut hard. Use the tip of the knife to find the gap at the joint, and gently lift it. Do you see that white ligament?"

"Yes, cut it off, then twist it like this... See? It separates on its own. It's much easier than chopping it with an axe for ages, and the cut is clean."

Following his instructions, Lin Yu'an easily and perfectly separated a joint. Although he knew this technique, it was the first time he had used it on a Dorgo.

Instead of completely peeling off the skin, they laid it out like a heavy coat, fur side down, on the cold rocks, forming a natural, clean "cushion".

"Alright, let's begin the 'boneless method' treatment now."

As old George spoke, he switched to a smaller, more agile boning knife.

"Leave the bones to the mountain; that's a feast for wolverines and eagles. We'll only take the best parts."

He pointed to a thick, milky-white layer of fat on the sheep's belly and said to Lin Yu'an, "Look at its fat, do you see it? It's pure white and evenly thick."

"This means that it had a very comfortable summer with plenty of food and was in excellent health. The meat of such a sheep is absolutely top-quality."

Just as they had successfully peeled off a whole piece of front shoulder meat along the direction of the bone.

Stan skillfully built a makeshift fire pit with stones, and soon a bright flame rose up.

Instead of touching the two precious tenderloins first, he cut off a few slices from the warm lamb liver and moistened the light little iron pot with a small piece of lamb fat.

"Fuck-"

With a pleasant, soft sound, a unique aroma with a slight rusty scent instantly filled the air.

"Try this first, a gift from the mountain god." Stan handed the slightly charred liver slices to the two of them.

"This stuff can replenish the iron and vitamins we lose the fastest; it's a superfood in the wilderness."

Old George readily accepted, and Lin Yu'an also took a bite. The powdery and glutinous texture was much more delicate than that of pork liver, but not as delicate as that of foie gras.

After finishing the appetizing liver, Stan solemnly began to prepare the tenderloin.

He cut the meat into half-inch-thick patties and greased the pan again with mutton fat.

"Can you smell it, kid?" Stan took a deep breath, his face full of ecstasy.

"This is the taste of top-quality Dorgo goats. They eat the purest lichens and alpine herbs their whole lives, so they don't have that greasy muttony smell at all."

"Especially this strong, mature ram king, which is not in its mating season now, its meat is the highest quality that this mountain range has given us."

Stan carefully placed the first steak into the hot oil.

"hiss--!"

The surface of the pork chop instantly shrank, and he quickly seared both sides until golden brown. The whole process took no more than two minutes. Once it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, he immediately took it out and sprinkled it with a few grains of coarse sea salt.

“George! Lynn! Stop working and try this first!” Stan shouted.

The two stopped what they were doing and came over. Old George cut off a small piece of meat with his knife, put it in his mouth, closed his eyes and chewed it slowly, his face full of satisfaction and reminiscence.

"It's the same taste... After all these years, it still tastes the same," he murmured to himself.

Lin Yu'an also tried a piece. This was the first time he had eaten Dol goat meat, and he was instantly captivated by its amazing taste!
The meat is extremely lean, yet exceptionally tender and juicy. When you chew it, you first experience the caramelized aroma on the surface and the salty umami of the sea salt. Then, the partially cooked meat inside bursts with rich, flavorful juices.

It also has an indescribable sweetness and nutty flavor, and is completely free of the traditional muttony smell.

This is the second type of lamb he has eaten that doesn't have a gamey smell; the other is Ningxia shallow-water lamb, which also has no gamey smell at all after cooking.

Stan laughed smugly, "See? I wasn't wrong, was I? This stuff is even more flavorful than an A5 steak!"

The three of them said no more and just sat around the campfire, frying the freshest pork tenderloin piece by piece.

The piping hot steak dispelled their fatigue and chill, providing them with a powerful source of energy for the arduous work ahead.

After eating and drinking their fill and regaining their strength, they resumed their work of dividing the materials.

Old George continued his instruction: "Look here, the hind leg has the most meat, but also a lot of fascia. You need to keep your knife close to the bone."

"Imagine you are 'undressing' a bone, not cutting meat, so that the meat you take off will be the most intact."

Under Old George's guidance, Lin Yu'an's operating skills became more and more proficient.

Lamb hind leg meat, lamb shoulder meat, lamb neck meat, lamb rib meat... every edible part is carefully removed, categorized according to part, and neatly arranged on clean lambskin.

When they got to the last hind leg, old George reminded him, "Lin, there's a little detail to watch out for here."

"The ram's scrotum should not be completely removed from this piece of meat, but rather left to remain 'naturally connected' to the hind leg along with the tissue."

"We must retain evidence that proves the sex of the prey and the legitimacy of the species."

"Now that we have the skull and horns of the Dol goat to prove its size, we also need this piece of evidence for its sex, and the whole chain of evidence will be perfect."

“Any rookie state trooper who sees this will know that we shot a Dor ram, not a protected ewe.”

In less than an hour and a half, the entire Dor ram was processed. Under the wide-angle lens of the DJI Action 2, a small mountain of Dor ram meat was piled on the snow-white hide, creating a strong visual contrast with the clean skeleton next to it.

The low temperatures and dry air at high altitudes are the best natural refrigerators, and a thin protective film has already formed on the surface of the meat, making it the perfect time to pack it up.

"We've really come back with a full load this time. This ram is really fat; we've got at least eighty pounds of good meat from it," Stan estimated, his face beaming with joy.

They carefully packed the cold pieces of mutton into breathable game bags and then distributed them reasonably among the three men's backpacks.

Stan and old George each received a piece of hind leg meat, adding more than twenty pounds to the weight of each person's backpack.

Lin Yu'an then voluntarily packed his two front shoulder muscles, neck muscles, and all the loose pieces of good back muscles into his backpack, which weighed nearly 30 kilograms.

The final and most meticulous task was to process the ram's head, the trophy that carried the weight of glory.

This is not simply a matter of cutting off the head; it is about creating a perfect "head and shoulder specimen" for future professional specimen preparation.

Lin Yu-an used a magnet to fix Action 2 to a rock nearby, recording the creative process of the old hunter, George.

Old George switched to a tiny scalpel, its blade as thin as a cicada's wing, and carefully made a circular incision behind the shoulder blade of the Dol goat.

Then, with extreme patience, the fur on the neck and shoulders of the Dol goat is peeled off completely forward, like taking off a pullover.

His movements were gentle and focused, as if he were not skinning a goat, but unveiling a rare treasure.

Finally, when he removed the enormous Dol goat skull, complete with its shawl, from its neck, a perfect trophy was born!

Old George let out a long sigh of relief. He carefully wiped the blood off the ram's horn with a clean cloth and then secured it firmly to the top of his backpack with paracord.

This heavy trophy itself weighs over twenty pounds.

He walked in front of the camera, and like a triumphant general, proudly displayed his spoils of war to that small lens! Only then did Lin Yu'an press the stop recording button.

With this, all the processing work is now complete.

They cleaned up the site and dragged the remaining skeleton and internal organs to a cliff edge far from the water source.

“Go back, go back to the mountains,” old George said softly.

This is part of the ecological cycle and a way of giving back to the wilderness.

The three returned to the spot where they had left their heavy backpacks, picked up their previous equipment, and began their journey home.

On old George's backpack, the pair of enormous ram horns reflected a golden light in the afterglow of the setting sun.

That was not just a trophy, but a man's promise to his wife that transcended life and death.

This harsh land has given its steadfasts the richest and most sacred reward!

However, the physical weight of this sacred reward is relentless.

When they shouldered their packs again and embarked on their journey home, the joy of victory was quickly replaced by the weight of reality.

In Lin Yu'an's backpack, besides 25 kilograms of equipment, there were also more than 30 kilograms of the finest mutton.

This is equivalent to carrying a frail adult on your back while walking on a rugged mountain path.

Even though Lin Yu'an had already shared most of the burden, Stan and George's backpacks became significantly heavier as they took on the remaining mutton, sheepskin, and huge horns.

The weight made every step the two elderly people took exceptionally difficult.

The descent was far more dangerous than the ascent. The heavy load made them unsteady, and they had to use their trekking poles to brace themselves for each step on the scree slope to prevent slipping.

They walked in silence, the only sounds in the valley being three heavy breaths, the click of trekking poles against the ground, and the muffled thud of chunks of meat colliding inside their backpacks.

They continued walking for nearly an hour, and as darkness fell, they had only covered less than two kilometers.

George took out a map and looked at it: "The closest place to us where the plane can land safely is that gravel riverbed about five kilometers downstream."

"The terrain there is open and the ground is relatively solid. We just need to persevere for a while longer to get there."

"Since airplanes can enter the hunting area jungle, why don't we call Hank now and have him fly directly to our vicinity?" Lin Yu'an asked with a puzzled look.

Old George knew it was time to teach this novice hunter the most important lesson.

"Lin, that's a good question, and it's the most important thing that every hunter who comes to Alaska must have ingrained in their bones."

"Remember, in Alaska, airplanes are for transportation, but they must never be used for hunting. There is an ironclad rule: no hunting on the same day as a flight."

"It means that anyone who has been in the air in an aircraft is absolutely prohibited from engaging in any large-scale hunting activities until 3 a.m. the next day."

"You can't let airplanes help you with reconnaissance, you can't let them help you locate your position, and you certainly can't let them help you drive your prey."

Following this logic, Lin Yu'an deduced, "So, we've now ended all hunting activities and only need transportation, so calling a plane is legal?"

"Absolutely right! Our role has changed from hunters to cargo to be transported."

He pointed to the riverbank they were about to visit on the map: "And we chose that place because we had to get out of this area, which is designated as a wilderness reserve, first."

"Within the core protected area, any motorized vehicle, including aircraft landing, is strictly prohibited."

"We must first use our own two feet to lead ourselves and our prey across that invisible boundary."

This detailed explanation gave Lin Yu-an a deeper understanding of Alaskan hunting culture.

"Alright, stop resting." Stan stood up again and dusted himself off.

"In order to get on Hank's damn 'flying pickup truck' as soon as possible, we'll have to be mules for a few more hours. Let's go, guys!"

The group made their way to the riverbank five kilometers away with difficulty, stopping and starting along the way.

Shortly after, old George glanced at the sky, estimated their current location, and made a decision.

"We can't go any further today. The load is too heavy, and we won't be able to get over that ridge before dark."

"The cave where we took shelter from the rain a couple of days ago is not far ahead. Let's continue to spend the night there."

“Great idea! I am indeed a bit tired.” Stan immediately agreed.

"That place is sheltered from the wind, much more comfortable than pitching a tent outside, and we can also have a proper celebration feast!"

The proposal was unanimously approved. On their way back to the cave, they collected some dry branches and a piece of old, crooked pine root to prepare for the campfire that evening.

(End of this chapter)