amaotonovel Chapter 387 Variables
Chapter 387 Variables
After finding a suitable spot to set up the net, Li Xiangyang returned to the camp, took out a small bag of coarse salt from his bag, poured it into a wooden bucket, added water, and stirred it well.
"Ergou, call Li Daqiang and Zhang Weiping, take this bucket of brine, let's do some preparation."
Li Daqiang and Zhang Weiping rushed over upon hearing the commotion, curiously looking at the salt water in Li Xiangyang's hand.
"Xiangyang, what are you doing?" Li Daqiang asked, scratching his head.
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Whether it's a human or an animal, their bodies need salt. Let's sprinkle this salt water on the tree trunks where we'll set up the nets, so the deer get used to licking them at fixed times. Once they have a routine, it's not too late to set up the nets."
Everyone suddenly realized and nodded in agreement.
The four men carried the salt water to the spot that Li Xiangyang had chosen.
Li Xiangyang carefully walked to a few large trees and evenly applied the salt water to the trunks about one meter above the ground.
"Remember, you must control the height carefully. If it's too high, the deer won't be able to reach it; if it's too low, other small animals will lick it clean," Li Xiangyang instructed while demonstrating.
The other three also found a tree and applied salt water according to Li Xiangyang's method.
"Let's paint over the main trees in this area to create a bait zone. Don't waste any; make sure each tree is painted evenly. This way, when the deer come, they won't just focus on one tree, which will make our subsequent encirclement and capture easier."
After dealing with this area, Li Xiangyang led everyone to the vicinity of the water source, where they also applied salt water to several large trees.
"This way, whether they come to drink water or walk along the animal trails, they will have a chance to discover these salt sources," Li Xiangyang said with satisfaction.
As dusk fell, the four returned to their camp.
The other members of the hunting party had already started a fire and set up a pot, preparing to cook dinner.
"So, have you found a suitable place yet?" Chen Chen asked as he approached.
“We found it, and we’ve even done some preparations,” Li Xiangyang explained briefly about their operation.
As they ate dinner, the group discussed their deer-hunting plan. The firelight illuminated everyone's faces, and their eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Starting tonight, we'll take turns keeping watch, mainly observing when the deer come to drink, how many there are, and what their route is."
Li Xiangyang assigned tasks, "Ergou and I will be in the first shift, Li Daqiang and Zhang Weiping in the second shift, and the rest of you in the third shift. Each shift is four hours long. If you hear any noise, don't act rashly; just observe and record."
As night fell completely, the temperature in the mountains and forests plummeted, and the breath exhaled into the air condensed into frost.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou sat quietly in their makeshift hideout, waiting.
Only a small pile of fire remained, just enough to ward off the chill without being too bright to disturb the wild animals.
The two wrapped their cotton-padded coats tighter, their eyes scanning the surrounding shadows warily.
The mountain forest was not peaceful at night; rustling sounds could be heard from afar from time to time.
The calls of several owls, sometimes near, sometimes far, sounded particularly eerie in the quiet night.
"Shh—" Li Xiangyang suddenly whispered, pointing to the lakeside.
Following his gesture, Wang Ergou saw three sika deer approaching the lake, cautiously looking around, their noses twitching slightly as if sniffing the air.
The two held their breath and remained motionless.
The sika deer slowly approached the lake, carefully stepping across the thin ice, and lowered its head to drink.
After drinking their fill of water, the lead deer raised its head, seemingly smelling something, and led the other two towards the direction where they had previously applied the salt water.
“Look, they can smell the salt,” Li Xiangyang said in a low voice.
Sure enough, the three deer soon discovered the tree trunk coated with salt water and began to lick it greedily.
“They’ve taken the bait.” A hint of excitement flashed in Wang Ergou’s eyes.
"Don't rush, this is just the beginning. We need to let them get used to it first," Li Xiangyang reminded them.
Over the next few hours, several more deer came to drink water and lick salt.
Li Xiangyang silently noted down their numbers and the times they appeared, and already had a general plan in mind.
The next morning, Li Xiangyang told all the members of the hunting team about the results of his observations the night before.
"Seven deer came by last night. Today we'll continue to reinforce the treatment, apply the salt water again, and start preparing the area for setting up the nets, but we won't set them up yet."
Over the next few days, the hunting team acted according to Li Xiangyang's plan.
We consistently applied salt water at the same time every day, while carefully observing and recording the activity patterns of the deer herd.
As time went by, the number of deer began to increase, and their behavior patterns became more and more fixed, mainly appearing in the evening and early morning.
"It seems they've gradually adapted." Li Xiangyang nodded in satisfaction. "Starting tomorrow, we can begin preparing to set up the nets."
On the morning of the fourth day, the hunting team split into two groups.
One group, led by Li Xiangyang, was responsible for setting up nets near the water source; the other group, led by Wang Ergou, was responsible for setting up nets in the saltwater area.
"The net must be well hidden, covered with branches and fallen leaves, so the deer don't notice anything unusual," Li Xiangyang repeatedly instructed. "The rope must be long enough. We'll hide at a distance and wait until the entire deer herd enters the netted area before pulling it in together."
Setting up the nets was an extremely difficult task, requiring utmost care at every step to avoid disturbing any nearby animals.
Especially those jobs that require climbing trees to secure ropes test a person's endurance and skills.
Finally, both large nets were set up and hidden under fallen leaves and twigs, almost blending into the surrounding environment.
"We'll move out tomorrow morning when the deer herd arrives!" Li Xiangyang said to the group, patting the dirt off his hands.
Night fell again, and the atmosphere in the camp was both tense and excited.
Tomorrow is the crucial moment. All the hard work of the past few days will depend on whether we can succeed in one fell swoop tomorrow.
"Everyone, get some rest. We need to get up at three o'clock tomorrow morning to make final preparations," Li Xiangyang instructed, while he and Wang Ergou checked the two traps one last time.
As night deepened, only a few people on night duty remained at their posts in the camp.
Li Xiangyang lay on the simple straw mat, his mind replaying every detail of tomorrow's operation.
Just as he was making sure that nothing was overlooked, suddenly, a wolf howled in the distance, followed by several echoing howls.
Li Xiangyang sat up abruptly, looking warily in the direction of the sound, and frowned, saying, "We need to be careful with tomorrow's operation. These wolves have clearly set their sights on the deer herd as well."
Following Li Xiangyang's instructions, everyone else's expressions also turned serious.
About half an hour later, the wolf howls gradually faded away, but Li Xiangyang's worries did not lessen.
The appearance of the wolf pack undoubtedly adds uncertainty to tomorrow's operation.
However, given the circumstances, all they could do was move their operation forward slightly and allocate manpower to deal with the threat posed by the wolf pack.