American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 205 Simultaneous Activation of Water and Land Traps

On the morning of the twenty-ninth day, the sky was a hazy, fish-belly white.

Lin Yu'an didn't oversleep; his biological clock and inner anticipation made him wake up before dawn.

Today was the day to test the results of his gamble. He put on a heavy coat and stuffed the heavy "underwater scent bomb" wrapped in birch bark into his backpack.

He trudged through the deep blue snow toward the glacier. When he arrived at fishing spot number one, the ice fishing shed still stood silently like a sentinel, only this time it was dressed in a white military uniform.

"Crack!"

The sharp blade of the ice drill emitted a series of teeth-grinding cutting sounds as Lin Yu'an steadily and powerfully rotated it.

He ignored the previous net-closing point and immediately began a new operation. The spiral blades efficiently ejected powdery ice shavings upwards, which, in the beam of his headlamp, resembled a small white fountain.

"Good morning, guys." He said to the camera while turning the ice drill, his breath appearing like solid smoke under the headlamp.

"Today's action plan will be executed strictly according to the 'odor bomb' plan I formulated last night! Therefore, every step today must be efficient, and no time can be wasted."

He put down the ice drill that had already made the first hole, walked in front of the camera, and took out the bait wrapped in layers of birch bark from his backpack.

He carefully opened a corner of the package, and a domineering smell, a mixture of blood, fermented sourness, and the distinctive fishy odor, immediately filled the cold air.

"This is my masterpiece from last night. Its effect will directly determine my fate for the next two weeks."

Lin Yu'an looked at the pale red bait, his eyes gleaming. "To be honest, I'm a little excited and a little nervous. This is a high-stakes gamble, and the stakes are all my 'scraps'. I hope to win back a substantial profit."

He repackaged the bait and began to explain his strategic deployment to the huge sand table of the ice, like an officer formulating a battle plan.

He pointed to the ice surface: "The key to baiting and chumming is control. If I throw it directly into the net, it will create a single, high-concentration scent point underwater."

"It does attract fish, but most of the scent is carried downstream by the water flow, quickly diluted, and has a limited range of effect. It will also be lost quickly. That's like using my most precious 'scent bomb' to conduct a completely inaccurate barrage."

"So what I need to do is not simply feed them, but to establish a continuous 'scent field' that can precisely cover the area of ​​my fishing net."

"I need to create a base upstream of the fishing net, consisting of multiple odor sources, so that the odors, like fog, can evenly and continuously cover the entire water area, forming an inescapable olfactory trap."

After saying that, he began to put this sophisticated theory into practice.

Returning to his previous position, about five meters upstream of the fishing net, he drilled three new ice holes, each about the size of a bowl, parallel to the underwater net, at precise intervals of about one meter, measured with his boots.

His movements were precise and powerful; with each downward press and rotation, he coordinated the power of his entire body to transfer to the ice drill, demonstrating extremely high efficiency.

Next, take out the huge, light red solid bait and strike it with the back of the axe in a short, powerful motion, breaking it into three evenly sized bait balls with a "bang".

"Okay, now we're facing a crucial issue. The bait I made is essentially held together by the starch in the cattail root. In water, it will dissolve and disperse slowly, like a waterlogged, compressed biscuit."

“If I just throw it in, judging by the current speed at the bottom of the river, it will be washed away and broken down without a trace in half an hour at most. In that case, all my hard work all night will only get me half an hour of temporary effect. It’s too much of a loss.”

He stood up, his eyes scanning the surrounding natural environment quickly. "I need a device. A device that can slow down its dissolution rate and hold it in the place I want."

“Remember this old friend? A piece of discarded commercial trawl net.” He took a piece of the fine net from his backpack and spread it out in front of the camera.

"The 15-meter-long gillnet I used underwater was cut from the best part of this trawl net. It can be said that it has made a great contribution to my work."

"Last night, I cut out an even finer mesh, which is the perfect material for my plans today!"

He held the net up to the camera so viewers could clearly see its texture. "It's tough enough to withstand water damage, and the mesh is small enough to catch small pieces of bait. At the same time, it's transparent enough to allow the scent to diffuse freely."

Without the slightest hesitation, they immediately began production.

He piled all the broken bait pieces in the center of a net about 30 centimeters square, and like wrapping a dumpling, he lifted up the four corners of the net and gathered them together.

Finally, he used a small piece of thin nylon rope to wrap around the closed opening of the net, tying it into a secure sailor's knot.

In less than five minutes, a slow-release bait pack was created.

"It will play two key roles. First, it will counteract the physical scouring of the water flow, which can only carry away dissolved scents but cannot break up the main body of the bait. Second, it will prevent small fish from nibbling on it, as they can only smell the bait from the outside but cannot eat the food inside."

"So, this simple device is essentially a physical slow-release system. It can extend the effective time of my underwater decoy from a maximum of half an hour to several hours."

He then tied a long hemp rope to the knot at the top of the "bait bag," and the other end to a small wooden stick used for marking and securing.

With everything prepared, he went to an ice hole about five meters upstream of the fishing net. He slowly lowered the bait bag, filled with "scent bombs," into the icy water.

"The underwater pheromone bomb has begun operating; now we just wait for the harvest."

As he walked, he explained to the camera, "But based on the water flow rate and the solubility of the bait, I estimate it will take at least two to three hours to form a sufficiently large scent field."

“I will use this ‘fermentation period’ to execute my second plan: upgrade my land traps.”

"Both probability-increasing systems, one in the water and one on land, must be activated simultaneously. I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket."

Without pausing, he slung his bow and axe over his shoulder and took the carefully prepared "temptation ointment" from the glacial region, plunging headlong into the western coniferous forest.

He moved through the forest, his steps light yet alert. "My underwater fishing grounds are taking shape. Now, I'm going to set up my land-based hunting grounds. The target is—red foxes."

"But in this snow-covered environment, any complex traps that require dealing with the ground are foolish."

"I can't fight the environment; I have to use it. To deal with a clever and cunning animal like a fox, you have to be more patient and more cunning than it. It's not about simply setting traps, but about creating an option that it can't refuse."

He quickly found his ideal spot beside a wildlife trail: a dense thicket of dwarf juniper shrubs covering more than ten square meters, almost impassable.

"This is it."

He stopped and pointed to the thicket: "Look, it's like a natural wall. Any animal passing by will instinctively choose to go around it."

"And what I need to do is to open a door for them in this wall, a shortcut that seems to save a lot of effort!" He took out his logging axe and carefully cleared away the branches blocking his way, one by one, using the back of the axe and the blade.

After nearly half an hour of effort, he managed to clear a straight passage, about thirty centimeters wide and only wide enough for a fox's body to pass through, from the center of the bushes.

Next, he placed the bait. He took out the "lure oil," applied it to a section of tree trunk that he had cleaned, and then put it in the center of the bushes.

Finally, it's about setting a trap.

Lin Yu'an made a lasso about 20 centimeters in diameter and tied the fixed end of the lasso tightly to the thickest main stem of the bush.

Then, using the dense branches of the bushes, he cleverly secured the wire lasso vertically to the entrance of the passage, making it blend completely into the dark entrance.

“Alright, now let’s review the entire hunting process.” He stepped back from the bushes, carefully erasing all traces he had left behind, and pointed the camera at the seemingly unremarkable bushes.

"Foxes are attracted by strong scents and follow the smell to this bush. They will find that the scent is coming from the center, but the surrounding branches are too dense to enter."

"Just then, it will discover this unique, dark, and seemingly natural 'shortcut'."

"An animal's instinct will drive it to choose the most efficient route; it will not hesitate to stick its head into that dark passage, ready to get the food inside."

"And just as its head and neck are completely through the almost invisible lasso, preparing to walk toward the bait, its shoulder—the widest part of the fox—will touch the lasso."

"As it continues to lunge forward, the noose will tighten around its neck in an instant! It has almost no room to struggle effectively in the narrow passage and will soon lose consciousness due to suffocation."

He stood up, looking at his perfect masterpiece, his tone full of confidence. Using the same method, and spending a great deal of time and effort, he set up two similar bush traps along the other two possible animal trails.

After doing all this, he estimated the time; nearly three hours had passed.

Then, he returned to the glacier as quickly as possible. He crawled into the familiar wicker shed and skillfully lit the stove in the tin bucket. Orange flames rose, quickly dispelling the stagnant chill in the shed and bringing a long-lost warmth.

Instead of returning to the shelter to rest, he took out his ice fishing rod and began his regular fishing.

"The land traps are now complete. It's time to test the effectiveness of my underwater traps."

As he baited his hook with blood, he calmly explained to the camera, "I'm staying here for a very clear purpose."

"I need to know if what I've put down will be useful. This opening is my only window into the underwater situation."

"By observing the frequency and force with which the fish bite the hook, I can most directly determine whether my 'scent bomb' has truly attracted the fish."

Time began to slip away in patient waiting; inside the cramped ice fishing shed, the world seemed to be divided in two.

Half of the space was warm and bright from the flickering flames in the tin stove, while the other half was cold and dark beneath the ice cave. The wind outside the shed grew sharper, whipping up ice crystals that lashed against the willow branches, making a rustling sound.

Lin Yu sat quietly, like a rock integrated into this icy plain. In this extreme silence, his senses were amplified infinitely, filling the air with an invisible tension.

His mind was racing, a silent battle between reason and anxiety.

“The concentration of the bait should be fine, and the cohesion of the cattail root powder has also been tested, but could there be unexpected branches in the underwater currents? What if a current carries the scent in a completely opposite direction…” A doubt flashed through his mind, but he immediately suppressed it.

“No, the location I chose for the fishing grounds is based on multiple observations. It’s upstream of the main channel of this waterway, and the coverage area should be the largest.” He took a deep breath, the cold air making his mind clearer.

He told himself that the plan had been executed, and now all he could do was trust his judgment and wait patiently.

Just then, the tip of the rod suddenly trembled very slightly, so slightly that it was almost negligible, as if it had been brushed by the wind.

Lin Yu'an's pupils contracted instantly, and all the muscles in his body tensed instinctively, preparing to cast his line. However, the tremor only lasted for a moment before there was no further movement.

He wasn't disappointed; instead, a slight smile played on his lips as he whispered to the camera, "See? A false signal, but it's also a good one. These are small fry testing the waters, the little guys at the very bottom of the food chain."

"This proves that my 'scent bomb' has begun to take effect; these are the first small fry attracted. They will soon become live bait to lure out the big guys I really want. My judgment was correct; now, all that's left is to wait."

However, this tranquility did not last long. Just when he thought he would have to wait even longer, the situation suddenly changed!
The previous slight, tentative pecking movements completely disappeared. In their place, the still rod tip suddenly plunged downwards without warning, as if it had been violently yanked!
Immediately afterwards, the homemade wooden fishing reel in his hand suddenly emitted a rapid and ear-piercing hissing sound, which was the sound of the fishing line being pulled out at high speed and rubbing against the reel!
"Here it comes!" Lin Yu'an's eyes narrowed, and his body reacted with lightning speed. With a flick of his wrist, he lifted the rod upwards, and with a short and powerful motion, the hook pierced the fish's mouth even deeper.

This was the first time in all the days he had been here that he had encountered such a rapid and decisive bite while ice fishing!

Instead of trying to pull the fish back by brute force, he stabilized the rod with his left hand and gently pressed his right thumb on the spool of the fishing reel, skillfully maneuvering it by controlling the friction.

He could clearly feel the vibrations coming from the other end of the fishing line, from the guy shaking his head and thrashing about underwater.

When the fish lunges forward with great force, he slightly loosens his thumb to allow the reel to release its power, letting the fishing line be pulled out to wear it down. When the fish's strength eases, he immediately and quickly turns the crank to reel in a few meters of line.

Inside the small ice fishing shed, only the crisp "clatter" of the fishing reel turning and his steady breathing could be heard. After all, this was the first fish to test his success, and he needed to "fight" the fish to get a feel for the underwater situation.

The whole process lasted less than a minute; a one-pound fish wasn't enough to put him in a tough fight.

When he felt the struggling force underwater weaken significantly, Lin Yu'an began to rock the fishing reel at a steady pace!

With a crisp splash of water, a silver-white figure with dazzling spots was successfully pulled out of the ice cave and landed on the snow inside the ice fishing shed!

It was an Arctic char, over thirty centimeters long, covered in beautiful spots, with a distinctive orange-red tinge along the edges of its fins! It writhed and bounced wildly on the snow, displaying tremendous vitality.

"Ha! YES!" Lin Yu'an couldn't help but let out a low roar, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Look at this beautiful thing! It weighs at least a pound! This is definitely the first decent thing I've ever caught with a fishing rod here!"

He stepped on the struggling fish, quickly removed the hook, and ended its suffering in the fastest way possible.

Holding the hard-earned breakfast up to the camera, his eyes gleamed: "Guys, this is a signal, a very important signal. Such large predatory fish are starting to bite like crazy near my fishing spot. What does that prove?"

"This proves that my 'scent bomb' not only successfully attracted a large number of small fish as basic bait, but also attracted the 'big guys' who feed on these small fish!"

"The underwater ecosystem... has been artificially disrupted by me!"

(End of this chapter)