American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

The heavy tracked vehicles rolled across the snowfield, producing a dull, rhythmic roar.

The tracks compacted the more than half-meter-deep snow, leaving two wide tracks that stretched towards the distant white mountains.

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was so heavy it was suffocating.

The engine's low growl was the only background noise.

Aruk huddled in the corner, his usually radiant face now silent, his eyes filled with tension.

The other two candidates, Dennis with a thick beard and Eric, a young man, also remained silent, their bodies tense, unable to hide their nervousness.

The oppressive atmosphere throughout the carriage stemmed from the man sitting at the very front, Blake.

He sat there motionless and silent.

Su Wei leaned against the cold car wall, feeling the continuous vibrations coming from beneath his feet.

His body was relaxed, but his mind was highly tense.

This soon-to-be-obtained professional hunter license is his only hope of paying off his debts.

It was also his legal route for hunting large prey.

The herd of Roosevelt deer still in the U-shaped valley were waiting for his arrival.

He has to get it.

More than an hour later, the tracked vehicle stopped in an open valley surrounded by mountains.

The temperature here is lower than in the town, and the wind is much stronger, stinging the exposed skin.

Blake was the first to jump out of the vehicle, his military boots making a dull thud as they stepped into the deep snow.

"get off."

The instructions were brief and devoid of any emotion.

The four people jumped down one after another.

A cold wind swirled with snowflakes, and the air I inhaled was sharp and stinging.

Aruk couldn't help but shiver.

Blake took a .30-06 rifle, which was kept in a well-maintained state, and a rangefinder wrapped in tarpaulin from the car.

He walked to a spot 100 meters ahead, where several target positions had already been set up.

"The first item is the shooting test."

Blake's voice was exceptionally clear in the empty snow valley.

He untied the cloth covering one of the targets, revealing a mimicry target the same size as a real black-tailed deer.

On the side of the target, a tiny, lethal area is marked with a red circle, covering the heart and lungs.

"One hundred meters, stationary target."

"Use this rifle to fire without support."

Blake leaned the rifle against the stand next to him.

"Two bullets each."

He raised one finger.

"Rule number one: you must hit the vital area. Any shot that misses will cause unnecessary pain to the prey and contaminate the finest meat. It is an insult to life."

He then raised his second finger.

"Rule 2: The area of ​​impact between two bullets must not exceed one inch."

Blake paused, his cold eyes sweeping over everyone.

"What I want is a fatal blow, while ensuring the meat remains intact."

"A hunter is not a butcher."

"If we take a life, we must give it respect."

"Total score is one hundred. Let's begin."

He read out the first name.

Dennis White.

A burly, bearded man stepped forward. He took the rifle with steady movements, clearly an experienced soldier.

He walked to the firing position, raised his gun, and aimed.

The only sound in the valley was the howling of the wind.

boom!

Gunshots rang out, echoing through the valley.

Dennis maintained his shooting posture for a moment before lowering his gun.

The target in the distance remained completely still.

Blake picked up the binoculars hanging around his neck and glanced at them.

"Missing the target".

He put down his binoculars without offering any further comment.

Dennis's face instantly turned pale.

Sweat beaded on his palms, and his arm trembled almost imperceptibly as he raised the gun again.

He spent a long time adjusting his breathing.

boom!

A second shot rang out.

This time, a small clump of debris burst open on the side of the deer target.

It hit its mark.

But it was at least a foot away from that red circle.

Dennis dejectedly lowered his gun.

Blake didn't even use the binoculars again; he just walked over.

You hurt it.

He spoke plainly and directly.

"It will run through the forest wounded, and die painfully for hours or even days due to infection or excessive blood loss. Its flesh will become sour due to stress and become inedible."

"Not only did you fail to complete the hunt, you also created a pointless ordeal."

Blake turned around and looked at Dennis, whose face was deathly pale.

"Thirty minutes. You can go back now."

Dennis's body completely collapsed. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word. He simply put the rifle back in its place and walked back to the tracked vehicle.

The oppressive atmosphere grew even heavier.

The young man named Eric had a look of disdain on his face, as if he were mocking Dennis's incompetence.

Eric Shaw.

Blake called his name.

Eric confidently stepped forward, picking up his rifle with a touch of theatrical nonchalance.

He barely aimed carefully before firing.

boom!

The bullet hit the edge of the red area precisely.

A pretty good result.

Eric's lips curled into a smug smile.

Blake remained expressionless.

Eric prepared for his second shot, hoping to achieve an even better result, ideally hitting the center of the circle.

boom!

The bullet struck the target again, again at the edge of the red area, but this time it was a full three inches away from the first bullet.

"The technique is flashy but lacks depth."

Blake's assessment was accurate and scathing.

"You only have the bullseye in your eyes, but no pursuit of perfection. In the wilderness, this mindset will make you miss out on top-quality prey."

"Sixty-five points."

Eric pursed his lips. Although the score wasn't low, Blake's evaluation made him extremely unhappy.

He almost roughly threw the gun back onto its mount and walked away arrogantly.

"Aruq Cash".

Upon hearing his name, Aruk's body trembled violently.

He walked over almost simultaneously, and his fingers were cramping when he picked up the rifle.

"Oh My God……"

He groaned in a voice only he could hear.

Su Wei watched his friend's retreating figure; this guy probably just wanted to find a snowdrift and bury himself alive.

Aruk stood at the firing position and took several deep breaths before he could barely stabilize the gun barrel.

boom!

The bullet whistled out and hit the lower edge of the red area.

It grazed the edge and hit the target.

Aruk breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if half his life had returned.

But he could feel Blake's emotionless gaze, and the pressure instantly increased.

He closed his eyes and then suddenly opened them again, trying to clear his mind of all distracting thoughts.

boom!

The second shot.

The bullet hit the edge of the red area again, much further away from where the first shot landed.

The assessment was passed, but the results were definitely terrible.

Aruk walked back dejectedly, not daring to look at Blake or Suvi the entire time.

Blake glanced at the target.

"Your heart is unsettled."

"You're not afraid of me, you're afraid of taking responsibility for firing the gun."

"Sixty points, passing grade."

Aruk felt both relieved and incredibly frustrated. He shrank back into a corner and remained silent.

Silence returned to the valley.

Blake's emotionless voice rang out again.

"Suwei Yang".