American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 228 Polar Bear Ice Fishing (5K long chapter, please vote with monthly tickets)

On the thirty-fourth day, as dawn broke, Lin Yu'an opened her eyes precisely on time during the regular "awakening service" of December.

Without the roar of the blizzard, the area outside the shelter was deathly silent.

He skillfully completed all the morning routines: recording the temperature and humidity in the shelter, preparing a new breakfast for December with 8% more milk, and carefully washing and sterilizing the bottles. All of this had become as natural as breathing in his life.

His weight in December was steadily displayed on the electronic scale at 11.2 kilograms, an increase of nearly 400 grams. This amazing growth rate filled him with a sense of solid satisfaction.

After settling December, who was struggling with a red rubber ball on a wolfskin bed, Lin Yu'an put on his thickest gear and pushed open the door of the shelter.

His primary task today is to harvest the fruits of his hard work over the past day and night: the first batch of cold-smoked red trout.

In front of the snow-covered fumigation chamber, the soapstone stove was completely cold, and the smoke was much less.

As he opened the snow-brick door, a rich but not pungent aroma, a unique blend of cool wood scents and the rich fragrance of fish oil, instantly wafted out. He took a deep breath, a satisfied expression spreading across his face.

He bent down and entered the dimly lit fumigation chamber. After more than a night of continuous work, the thick white smoke had become very faint, but it still stubbornly emerged from the flue and slowly swirled under the dome.

The red-spotted salmon hanging on the wooden pole had completely changed. Their originally pinkish-white bodies were now tinged with an extremely beautiful reddish-brown color from the smoke, like the finest mahogany.

The surface was dry and glossy, each one like a meticulously crafted work of art. He carefully took one off and held it out into the bright sunlight outside the fumigation room.

I held the fish up to the camera and gently touched its skin with my finger. The skin had become like a tough leather, firm and slightly sticky to the touch—a result of the perfectly solidified "protein membrane."

"It's perfect," he exclaimed sincerely.

Lin Yu'an drew his hunting knife from his waist and cut off a small piece from the thickest part of the fish. The blade sliced ​​through the tough fish skin with a slight "snap," and when he cut into the flesh, he could feel a firm yet elastic resistance.

He showed the camera the perfect cross-section, with a deep-colored "smoked ring" on the outermost layer, about a few millimeters thick, while the fish meat inside still retained the enticing deep pink color of the red-spotted salmon, and the flesh shimmered with a crystal-clear luster in the sunlight.

He put that small piece of smoked fish into his mouth, closed his eyes, and savored it carefully.

The first sensation on the palate is the complex aroma from the blend of dwarf willow and birch smoke. This is followed by a concentrated and pure savory flavor, enhanced by the smoking process after being cured with salt and juniper berries.

As he began to chew, the firm yet elastic fish meat released concentrated fish oil between his teeth, like a hidden protagonist making its final appearance, perfectly balancing the richness of the smoke and the saltiness of the salt.

"It's a success." He opened his eyes, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

"Flavor, texture, color... everything met my highest expectations."

The success of this batch of smoked fish means that he has his first batch of high-protein food that can be stored at room temperature for a long time, which will become the perfect protein snack for him before the end of the competition.

Lin Yu-an's main task this morning will be dealing with yesterday's most important spoils—porcupine fat.

Rendering fats was a key step for him to completely get rid of the fat crisis and achieve energy freedom.

He took the thick, pure white pieces of subcutaneous fat, several centimeters thick, that he had peeled off from Yukii's refrigerator. At the extremely low temperature, they had become as hard as ice, and even made a crisp sound when tapped.

First, he placed the fat chunks by the fire pit, letting the radiant heat of the fireplace soften them slightly. Then, with his sharp Damascus hunting knife, he carefully chopped them into small cubes about one centimeter square.

The diced fat was placed into the large, cleaned iron pot, which was then placed on the fireplace and slowly simmered over a charcoal fire instead of an open flame.

This is a process that requires patience and focus. He cannot leave; he must stay by the pot at all times, stirring constantly and slowly with a long birchwood spoon to prevent the fat cubes at the bottom of the pot from burning and becoming bitter due to uneven heating, thus ruining the entire pot of precious oil.

As the temperature slowly rises, a wondrous transformation begins. The edges of the milky-white fat cubes become translucent, and gradually, clear liquid oil seeps out. The pan emits a soft, sizzling sound, as delicate and pleasant as spring rain.

The entire shelter began to be enveloped by an extremely domineering aroma of meat and fat. This smell was richer and more penetrating than any food he had ever cooked before, and it was full of primal energy.

Time passed amidst the continuous stirring and sizzling sounds. The liquid oil in the pot increased, while the diced fat continued to shrink in size.

Their color gradually changed from milky white to an alluring golden yellow, and they began to float to the surface.

Lin Yu'an knew that the cooking time was almost right. When all the cracklings turned golden and crispy and no more oil seeped out, he removed the iron pot from the flame and placed it on a stone slab to the side. Using the residual heat, he continued to stir it for a while, allowing the temperature to drop slowly.

In the end, the pot was full of clear, golden liquid porcupine fat, and floating in the oil were golden and crispy "oil residue".

“Alright, we have obtained the two most important products.” He looked at the camera and scooped up a spoonful of boiling oil with a wooden spoon, the golden oil glittering in the firelight.

"This is pure, high-energy porcupine oil. After it cools, it will solidify into a milky white, fine solid, making it a top-quality energy source whether used for cooking or consumed directly in an emergency."

He then scooped up a few more golden and crispy cracklings: "These are byproducts of the cooking process, cracklings. They are concentrated essences of fat and protein, making them excellent snacks and a quick energy booster."

He then carefully filtered the scalding porcupine oil through a simple funnel made of birch bark to remove the oil residue, and poured it into several birch bark boxes he had prepared beforehand to wait for it to solidify.

After doing all this, he scooped a small handful of still-steaming oil residue from the pot, sprinkled it with a few grains of coarse salt, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

"Click——"

The ultimate crispness, accompanied by a crisp sound, burst open in his mouth. Immediately afterwards, a rich, sizzling oil, a blend of caramelized aroma and wild meaty flavor, exploded on his taste buds.

It's a sinful yet irresistible, ultimate deliciousness derived from fat.

“That’s great,” he said contentedly. “This is exactly what I need, the purest calories.”

After the oil was rendered, the aroma in the shelter reached its peak. December, who had been awake and observing curiously for a long time, naturally could not resist this domineering fragrance.

It circled restlessly around Lin Yu'an's feet, making longing whimpering sounds in its throat, trying to get a share of the food from this huge two-legged creature.

Looking at its greedy little cat-like appearance, Lin Yu'an formed a well-thought-out decision in his mind.

He crouched down, looked into December's eyes, and said, "Little guy, you should be almost three months old now. In the wild, cubs of this age are already starting to try to tear and eat some solid food under the guidance of their mothers."

"Your body also needs to start adapting to food sources other than milk. This is crucial for your gut development and future weaning."

He decided to try solid food for the first time in December, which is called "starting eating meat".

However, he didn't feed it fried pork cracklings directly. He first had to use games to further stimulate its interest in and ability to process solid food.

Lin Yu'an first took out the processed snowshoe rabbit skin. He had already scraped off the fat inside the skin, and now it was a tough raw hide with thick white fur.

He tossed the pelt in front of December, who was immediately drawn to the fresh scent of the rabbit skin. Curious, it approached, sniffed it, and then tentatively reached out a paw and patted it.

After confirming that the rabbit skin was not dangerous, its hunting instinct, which was hidden deep in its genes, was fully activated!

It pounced, opened its little mouth, and with its not-yet-fully-grown but already very sharp milk teeth, bit down hard on a corner of the rabbit skin. Then, it began to violently shake its little head from side to side!

“Yes, that’s it!” Lin Yu’an said encouragingly from the side, while providing professional commentary to the camera.

"This is the core hunting move of all carnivores, the 'death swing'! The centrifugal force generated by this violent swinging action tears apart the muscles of small prey and breaks their cervical vertebrae!"

December seemed to understand his encouragement and swung even harder. Its small body burst forth with amazing power, making the not-so-light rabbit skin whistle loudly.

After playing for a while, it changed its approach. It used its two front paws to press down hard on the rabbit skin, then arched its body and used its two hind legs to kick the center of the rabbit skin violently, just like a rabbit.

"A hind leg kick—a technique possessed by both felines and bears, used to tear open the belly of large prey and attack their soft internal organs. Well done, December!"

This is not just play; Lin Yu-an is using these props to guide and strengthen December's innate, deadly skills that she will rely on for survival in the future.

After nearly exhausting himself by December, Lin Yu'an finally took the rabbit skin away and picked out a golden-yellow oil residue.

"Alright, training over. Now it's reward time." December's attention was immediately drawn to the little thing that smelled so good it was almost burnt. Its little nose sniffed the air hard, its bright black eyes filled with curiosity and longing, and it even unconsciously licked its lips.

Lin Yu'an squatted down, placed the golden oil residue in his palm, and slowly handed it to December.

"Come on, try this, it's really good stuff."

December cautiously approached, first sticking out her small, pink tongue to tentatively lick the piece of fried dough.

A flavor completely different from milk exploded on its taste buds! It was a perfect combination of the caramelized aroma of fat, the savory taste of protein, and the wild flavor of meat!

Its eyes widened suddenly, as if the entire bear cub's world had been illuminated by this unexpected delicious treat!
After confirming that it was edible and extremely delicious, it no longer hesitated, and with a flick of its long tongue, it rolled the entire piece of fried pork crackling into its mouth!
Then, a crisp, pleasant sound rang out from inside the shelter.

"Crunch—crunch—crunch—"

In December, with its not-yet-fully-grown but already strong baby teeth, it excitedly chewed its first real solid food. The crispy bits of oil crackled between its teeth, making a "crunch" sound.

With each chew, more concentrated oil and meat juices burst forth from the cracklings, making it so happy that its eyes narrowed into slits.

This was its first experience of the pleasure of "chewing," a sensation completely different from drinking milk, requiring the use of teeth to conquer and crush food—the most primal satisfaction of a carnivore.

It was so engrossed in eating that when Lin Yu'an reached out to touch its head, it nudged him away with its little head, as if guarding its food.

After finishing its meal, it seemed to want more and immediately brought its whole little head close, rubbing its wet nose against Lin Yu'an's fingers and palm.

It even stuck out its tongue and licked Lin Yu'an's fingers clean. Its affectionate and greedy appearance almost melted Lin Yu'an's heart.

Lin Yu'an smiled with satisfaction as he looked at its adorable, still-enjoying appearance.

He immediately and solemnly recorded this important complementary food introduction event on the electronic recorder: "At 2:30 pm, the first attempt at pure solid food supplementation was made. Food: unsalted porcupine cracklings, about 4-6 grams, fed directly. The pup has good chewing ability, accepts it very well, and shows a strong desire to eat. Its digestion and defecation need to be closely observed in the future."

After a full day of "production" and "teaching," Lin Yu'an glanced outside. The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and the world after the snow was quiet and peaceful—a perfect time for outdoor activities.

Without the pressure of fat and food, he became more relaxed than ever before.

He no longer needed to hunt with a specific purpose for survival, and finally had a little "leisure" to enjoy the wilderness itself.

"Come on, little one."

He said to December, who had almost digested the food and was starting to feel energetic again, "Staying indoors all the time will be suffocating. Let's go fishing." He dressed himself and then took out his ice fishing gear from the corner.

This time, he didn't carry December, but opened the door and let it follow him out on its own. December didn't care whether Lin Yu'an carried it or not, and happily followed behind him.

They arrived at the ice fishing spot. Lin Yu'an first went to the ice hole where they had previously set their fishing nets, intending to check their catch for the day.

Use the end of the spear shaft to break the newly formed thin ice on the surface of the ice cave, and then slowly begin to pull in the net.

"Hmm, it seems that without blood bait, the effect is indeed much worse." He said to the camera as he collected the bait.

The fishing net was very light, and in the end, only three medium-sized red-spotted salmon were pulled out of the water.

"However, something is better than nothing." He wasn't disappointed; with a calm smile on his face, he skillfully prepared the three fish on the spot.

He precisely cut open the fish's belly with a hunting knife, carefully removing the internal organs and avoiding the gallbladder. Then he threw all the fresh fish entrails into the dark ice cave.

"By using the scent of these internal organs, we can create an underwater scent center, hoping to attract fish from the surrounding area."

After cleaning the internal organs, he looked at the three clean red-spotted salmon in his hand and suddenly had a new idea.

“Since today is about enjoying life, fishing alone would be too monotonous,” he said with a smile. “Let’s have an iced afternoon tea. These three fish will be perfect as my snacks.”

He threaded the prepared fish onto a rope and set it aside for the time being. Then, he led December to the "ice fishing shed" he had built earlier, which was not far away.

He didn't rush to start fishing. Instead, he first took the tin bucket he had used to transport charcoal, placed it securely, and then lit a small campfire inside.

Soon, a warm, flickering flame rose from inside the tin bucket, bringing not only light and heat but also warming the entire interior of the wooden shed.

"Alright, you can play here, don't run around." He instructed December, then sat down in front of the ice cave.

He skillfully baited the hook with fresh porcupine entrails, then slowly lowered the fishing line into the bottomless ice cave.

After settling everything in, he picked up the three red-spotted salmon and used three sharpened, damp wooden sticks to skewer them one by one through their mouths.

Then, insert the other end of the stick into the snow around the tin bucket, so that the fish is at an angle close to the flame and roasted by radiant heat.

December was filled with curiosity about the dark, chilly ice cave, but soon its attention was drawn to another fragrance.

As the temperature rises, the fat under the fish skin begins to melt, making a sizzling sound. Drops of golden fish oil fall onto the snow below, instantly melting small pits.

A rich aroma, a blend of the smoky scent of fish and wood, began to fill the small wooden shed.

Thus, a tranquil yet vibrant scene appeared on the frozen lake.

A fully armed man sat leisurely in front of the ice cave, holding a simple fishing rod in one hand and occasionally turning the wooden sticks used for grilling fish in the other.

At his feet, a snow-white polar bear cub lay on a warm animal skin, sometimes looking curiously at the ice cave, sometimes smacking its lips and making longing "humming" sounds as it was tempted by the aroma of roasted fish.

The small tin bucket campfire, with its glowing silhouettes and the working snow hut smoking chamber, added an extreme touch of warmth and life to this cold world.

The world was so quiet that only the occasional cracking sound of ice, like the low murmur of a whale, and the sizzling sound of grilled fish could be heard from the depths of the ice.

However, the fish didn't seem to be cooperating much today.

Lin Yu'an waited patiently for nearly an hour, but apart from a few tentative nibbles from small fish, his fishing rod did not produce any significant movement.

He wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he picked up a red salmon that had been grilled until golden brown and crispy, blew on it, tore off a piece of the crispy outside and tender inside fish, and put it in his mouth, enjoying the leisurely feeling of having nothing to do.

But the weather began to change.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the light became less warm, and the wind on the lake began to pick up, whipping up the floating snow on the ground and hitting our faces with a biting chill.

Lin Yu'an glanced at December, who was lying on the snowdrift and had already begun to curl up in a ball because of the cold, and knew that today's outdoor activities should come to an end.

"Well, it seems today isn't a good day for fishing."

"However, we got a delicious afternoon tea, so it wasn't a complete loss."

He wrapped the remaining two grilled fish in birch bark and then carefully extinguished the campfire in the tin bucket.

Finally, I picked up December, who was shivering from the cold, and wrapped her tightly in my arms.

“We’re home, little one. There’s a warm fireplace and a bigger dinner.”

He braved the rising chill of the wind, carrying the day's harvest and weariness, and returned to the shelter with satisfaction.

This day, though lacking any thrilling adventures, was filled with a sense of the solidity of life.

Ten days passed peacefully for the man and the bear. Then, on the forty-fourth day, Mark called.
(End of this chapter)