American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 147 The New Hunting Plan
(At my brother's request, after the non-hunting content, I must update with a chapter about hunting.)
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After that conversation, Lin Yu'an's home entered a wonderful and harmonious new order.

Arya began to integrate Emily naturally into the daily life of the family in a smarter way.

After Beau returned to Montana, every morning Arya would drive that huge F-150, carrying Ethan and Olivia in baby carriers, along with whiskey, to Emily's clinic.

Her reasons were always impeccable: "Hey Emily, I baked some cookies and I'm sending some over to you."

Or, "Whiskey seems a bit listless today, can you take a look?"

Gradually, this became an unspoken understanding between them.

Emily also fell completely in love with the two adorable little ones.

She would put down all her work, carefully take the children from Arya's arms, change their diapers, and feed them.

Her clinic, which was originally quiet and somewhat deserted, was filled for the first time with the babbling of children and the gentle laughter of women, because of the arrival of the two children.

Honey and Whiskey would happily lie by the cradle, gently nuzzling their two little masters with their noses, like dutiful nannies.

Arya would share her parenting experiences with Emily, while Emily would teach Arya how to better care for Whiskey and Honey.

Their relationship quickly warmed up through these daily, trivial interactions, becoming like that of best friends who had known each other for many years.

On this day, Lin Yu'an was busy in his warm and humid greenhouse.

After months of careful tending, the vegetables were laden with fruit. He had just picked a few lush, green cucumbers with blossoms and thorns still attached, intending to make a salad for the women in his family.

Suddenly, his satellite phone rang, and the caller ID showed Hunter Barton's number.

“Hey, Lin!” Patton’s usual concise and powerful voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Are you ready with your shotgun? The time has come."

"The time has come? What do you mean?" Lin Yu'an asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Moose, the big guys are starting to cross the river."

Barton explained, “The annual fall migration has begun, and the community-wide hunting program kicks off early tomorrow morning. Me, you, Stan, and my son—we'll form a team. How about it, interested?”

"Of course!" A hunter's flame instantly ignited in Lin Yu'an's eyes.

“Very well, then come to my place this afternoon. We need to make some preparations and also tell you about the rules.”

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu'an told Ailiya, who was playing with the children, about the news.

"That's awesome!" Arya's reaction was even more excited than his.

"Our food cellar can be filled up now, darling. Be careful, and take the best Winchester with you!"

In the afternoon, Lin Yu'an drove his F-150 to Patton's house.

Patton's cabin is full of rich Athabasca indigenous style, with various animal pelts and exquisite bone carvings hanging on the walls.

Stan was already waiting there, wiping a Remington 700 rifle with a dark-skinned, bright-eyed boy who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old.

“Lin, this is my son, Little Eagle,” Barton introduced.

"Hello, Mr. Lin." Little Eagle was a little shy, but his eyes were full of curiosity and admiration for Lin Yu'an.

"I've seen you on TV, you're so cool!"

"Hello, Little Eagle." Lin Yu'an smiled and patted his shoulder.

The four men sat around the table, and Barton began to explain the plan and rules for the hunt.

"Lin, first you need to understand what our community-shared hunting is."

Barton's expression turned serious: "In Weisman, we have a tradition that every autumn when the moose migrate, the capable hunters in the community form teams to hunt together. The spoils of our hunts do not belong to us alone, but to the entire community."

Stan added, “Yes, there are a lot of old guys in town like George who can’t hunt on their own anymore.”

"There are also families where the man works outside, and the woman and children also need meat."

"The meat we bring in will be divided up. We'll keep some for ourselves and distribute the rest to anyone in the community who needs it."

"This is the rule that allows us to survive here—the strong help the weak, and those with surplus share with those with shortage."

"I understand." Lin Yu'an nodded solemnly, feeling an even deeper sense of belonging to the community.

Barton continued, "This tradition is not just our rule; it is backed by the legal support of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game."

He took out a printed document, pointed to a section of regulations, and explained it to Lin Yu-an and the camera.

“Look here, this is called proxy hunting, which is a very special law in Alaska.”

"It allows eligible residents, such as seniors over 65, to legally authorize another resident to carry out their hunting tagging on their behalf."

David's eyes lit up as he listened; he immediately realized that this was perfect material for a local program.

Stan picked up the conversation and explained in a more colloquial way: "In other words, that old guy George can't climb the mountain himself anymore."

“But he still has the legal right to hunt one moose per year for free, and he can sign an authorization letter to let me or Patton hunt that moose in his place.”

“The meat that we bring back should naturally be shared with him as well; this is the legal basis for our community’s sharing.”

Barton steered the conversation back to the action plan: "So, before setting off, I went around asking around the community."

“This year, a total of twelve elderly people and neighbors with mobility issues have authorized us hunters who are still able to run to use their moose hunting tags.”

He pointed to a stack of documents on the table: "Including our own hunters' labels, this fall, our entire Wiesman community has a total of 21 legal quotas for hunting adult moose."

"Twenty-one?" David couldn't help but exclaim in surprise; this number far exceeded his expectations.

“That’s right.” Barton nodded.

"But this does not mean we can hunt indiscriminately. We must strictly abide by the rules and carry out our plans."

"Therefore, we split into several hunting teams and operated simultaneously in different areas."

“And our team is responsible for hunting seven of the tags.” He pointed to the four people sitting around the table.

He divided the stack of authorization letters into several parts and explained clearly: "I, Stan, and Hawk, the three of us are residents of Alaska, and we have our own three labels."

"At the same time, George and two other elderly people licensed their three labels to me. There was also a neighbor who licensed his label to Stan."

"So, our four-person team will set off tomorrow with the overall goal of legally hunting seven adult moose."

"This meat is enough for ourselves, and for the four neighbors who have authorized us, to get through the winter comfortably."

After hearing this detailed explanation, Lin Yu'an finally understood what this "community shared hunting" was.

This is not only a form of moral mutual assistance, but also a sophisticated system that efficiently utilizes community resources within a legal framework to ensure that every member has access to basic necessities.

Barton looked at Lin Yu'an one last time, his tone becoming equally solemn: "But Lin, you must remember, proxy hunting only applies to residents of Alaska."

"You are still a non-resident, and your license can only be obtained by yourself." "You can only legally hunt one moose, and you absolutely cannot hunt a second one, nor can you act as an agent for anyone. This is the strictest legal red line."

He changed the subject, a smile spreading across his face: "But that doesn't mean you can only watch. During the hunt, you can do everything except fire the last shot for someone else."

"For example, your contributions to tasks such as sailing, tracking, transporting, and cutting will also be counted towards the team's performance."

"When we divide all the moose we hunt, you and your family will each receive your share. Do you understand?"

"I completely understand." Lin Yu'an nodded.

This rule, which both complies with the law and is full of human touch, made Lin Yu'an feel very comfortable.

What he is about to participate in is not just a hunt, but a profound ritual that integrates him into this northern community.

After explaining the rules, they began the actual preparations for the hunt.

This is not just about organizing equipment; it's about tactical planning based on experience and wisdom.

Patton spread out a huge topographical survey map made of waterproof material on the living room floor.

This map is more detailed than any sold in stores.

The river depths, reef locations, and animal migration routes over the years are marked on the surface with different colored pens, information known only to local hunters.

He pointed to a narrow section of the Koyukuk River and said, "My plan is that the river makes an S-bend here."

“The water here is relatively calm, and the banks are low-lying mudflats, which is the most common crossing point for deer herds during their autumn migration. Our goal is to strike when they are crossing the river.”

He looked at everyone with sharp eyes: "When they are in the water, their huge bodies are subject to water resistance, making them the slowest and least alert."

"This is our best chance to achieve the greatest results with the least cost."

Patton emphasized again, "Remember, this time we're only shooting adult male deer or female deer without calves! All shots must be aimed at the lungs or heart area to ensure a fatal blow."

Then he pointed to two overturned boats in the yard that looked very light.

“This is my mainstay, a 16-foot Lowe’s Jon Boat.”

"The flat-bottomed aluminum boat has a shallow draft and is very stable, making it suitable for waterways. It is equipped with a 30-horsepower Yamaha four-stroke outboard motor, which is quiet and fuel-efficient."

Then he pointed to a slightly smaller boat next to him: “This one, which belongs to Stan, is 14 feet and is lighter and more maneuverable. I suggest we split into two boats.”

David, who was listening nearby, immediately understood Patton's intention and asked, "Patton, you mean, one as the main hunting ship, and the other..."

"Yes."

"The other one is your photography boat, which also serves as our support boat, so that you can shoot from different angles without interfering with us."

"Moreover, once we hit the target, it may take two boats working together to drag that massive, thousand-pound vessel from the water to the shore."

This arrangement thrilled David and Mike; they were no longer just "passengers" carrying cameras, but had become part of the entire operation plan.

Next comes checking the equipment and assigning tasks. This is a necessary preparation before every hunting expedition.

Patton took out his battle-hardened Remington 700 rifle.

Stan brought along a classic Luger M77.338 Winchester Magnum, specifically designed to deal with large animals like moose and brown bears.

Hawk used his slightly smaller .270 Winchester rifle.

Lin Yu'an also took out his brand-new Winchester M70 rifle, .300 Winchester Magnum caliber.

Four high-powered rifles were lined up neatly, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen.

They prepared several extremely sharp knives for different purposes: a curved skinning knife for peeling skin, a boning knife for cutting large pieces of muscle, and a bone-chopping axe that could easily cut through bones.

In addition, there were plenty of thick meat bags, enough to hold several moose, and high-strength nylon ropes for binding.

Two high-magnification Zeiss telescopes, one Leica laser rangefinder, and two high-powered walkie-talkies that ensure clear communication in the valley.

During the preparations, Patton looked at Lin Yu'an and suggested, "Lin, I think your F-150 has the most power. Tomorrow, you can tow my main hunting ship."

“Stan drives his own pickup truck to tow his small boat. Also, can you drive this kind of boat with an outboard motor? Our support boat might need you to pilot it.”

"I haven't tried it, but I can learn," Lin Yu'an replied succinctly and confidently.

The next morning, before dawn, two pickup trucks towing two boats arrived at the cold banks of the Koyukuk River.

Instead of setting off immediately, Patton spent ten minutes standing on the shore, explaining to Lin Yu'an in detail the key points of starting the outboard motor, controlling the throttle, and steering.

"Remember, in shallow water, you must lift the engine up a little, otherwise the propeller will hit the rocks."

"Also, the feeling of turning against the current and turning with the current is completely different; you have to experience it for yourself."

Lin Yu'an gave it a try. He first piloted the 14-foot boat, carrying David and Mike, slowly navigating the river.

At first, he was a bit clumsy and the turning angle was always a little off, but after only two round trips in the river, he had completely mastered the knack.

They can even skillfully maneuver a small boat, navigating between several reefs in the middle of the river in a precise S-shaped curve.

"My God, you're a genius!"

Standing on the main hunting ship, Barton watched Lin Yu'an's smooth and skillful maneuvering and exclaimed in astonishment, "The first time I sailed a ship, I almost ran aground on the beach!"

Stan, who was sitting to the side, casually smoking, laughed and said, "I told you long ago, don't judge this kid by normal standards, he's a genius."

With everything ready, the two small boats, one in front of the other, turned off their engines.

In the morning mist, carried by the cold river, using the power of the current, they drifted silently towards that unknown hunting ground...

On the way to the hunting grounds, everyone kept their voices down so as not to disturb the prey.

Barton's fifteen-year-old son, Little Eagle, was assigned to Lin Yu'an's support ship. He sat at the bow, responsible for observation, but his eyes would occasionally dart towards Lin Yu'an behind him.

“Mr. Lin,” he asked in a very low voice.

"What is China like? Does it really have so many skyscrapers?"

“Yes, there are many. More and higher than what you see on TV,” Lin Yu’an replied in a low voice, his gaze never leaving the river ahead.

"Then... what about the Great Wall?" The little eagle's eyes gleamed with longing.

"I've read about it in books; it's a colossal wall that can be seen from space. Is it true?"

“It’s invisible to the naked eye from space; it’s a beautiful legend,” Lin Yu’an explained patiently with a smile.

"But it is indeed one of the greatest buildings in human history, spanning thousands of kilometers. It is very majestic. The mountains you see now look like small mounds in front of it."

"I hope to go to China someday, see the Great Wall with my own eyes, and touch the ancient bricks on those magnificent walls," Little Eagle said earnestly.

Looking at the pure longing in the boy's eyes, Lin Yu'an silently kept this in mind.

He thought that if he had the chance in the future, he would definitely help Patton's son realize this wish.

(End of this chapter)