novelaction Chapter 284 Group Bear Hunting
Chapter 284 Group Bear Hunting
At this moment, a large group of hunters had gathered at the entrance of the forest farm. They were chatting loudly in groups of two or three.
"Good heavens, this is more than just dealing with a bear," Wang Ergou said in a low voice.
Li Xiangyang nodded, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Xiangyang! Ergou!"
A familiar voice came from the crowd.
Li Xiangyang turned his head and saw Lao Zheng squeezing through the crowd and walking quickly towards him.
"Uncle Zheng, what's going on? Why are you here too? Didn't a black bear kill two people and seriously injure another?" Li Xiangyang asked in confusion.
Old Zheng lowered his voice: "Yes, but definitely not entirely. Think about it, the forest farm has guns and explosives. Even in the most tragic incidents in recent years, they kept the news tightly under wraps. Why would they need to ask for outside help? Why would they need to come to an old guy like me who's practically buried in the ground?"
"In my opinion, there's probably more than one. It's the season for crucian carp to swim upstream, so the catch is plentiful. It's not unusual for many bears to be gathering along the riverbank to feed."
Just then, a middle-aged man in a military green uniform stepped forward and patted Old Zheng on the shoulder: "Old Zheng, almost everyone's here. Would you like to say a few words to them?"
"Thank you for your kind offer, Director Zhang," Old Zheng grinned, scratched his head, and said with an honest expression, "In my opinion, let's just forget about it. Anyone who dares to come must have some skills. If I go up there and spout nonsense just because I'm old, wouldn't that just make me unpopular?"
Director Zhang nodded upon hearing this, and without pressuring anyone, turned to the crowd and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Fellow villagers, first of all, on behalf of the forest farm, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone for stepping forward in this critical moment! You put aside your own affairs and rushed here despite the danger; the entire forest farm will remember this kindness..."
"The responsibility for such a tragedy happening here in the forest farm naturally lies with me, but now is not the time to discuss that..."
"To be honest, this time we're not just dealing with one bear, but a whole group. Before we set off, I want to reiterate a few words: everyone must prioritize their own safety. Protecting yourselves is the best way to protect this forest. Black bears are terrifying, but as long as we work together..."
After the manager finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a horn sounded, and everyone began to gather on the truck.
"Come with me, get in this car." Old Zheng led Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou toward the truck at the front.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou squeezed onto the truck and sat with Lao Zheng.
By this time, the carriage was already packed with people. Some were familiar faces, like Lao Zhang and Liu De, while others were unfamiliar hunters, all of whom had come fully armed with dogs and guns.
Seeing this, Li Xiangyang whispered to Old Zheng, "Brother Zheng, to be honest, my brother and I came here unprepared. We just wanted to check things out, but as soon as we arrived, we were immediately pulled into the car."
"Stop talking nonsense. You're already here, and Director Zhang has already expressed his gratitude. You'll be with me from now on. I've made ample preparations; didn't you see I brought two other hunting dogs besides Nightshade? You two will lead them."
As Lao Zheng spoke, the car bumped along the dirt road deep into the mountains.
Wang Ergou looked around, clicking his tongue in amazement: "So many people, it doesn't look like a hunt, it looks like a war."
Old Zheng snorted coldly: "Even if we're going to fight, it'll be a pointless battle. Director Zhang means well, thinking that more people will make things easier, but he doesn't realize that in hunting, more people actually make things worse. With so many people, how are we supposed to hide the smell?"
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Li Xiangyang asked.
Old Zheng leaned close to his ear: "The three of us are acting alone. If we don't want to get involved, we have to stay away from the crowd. With this kind of situation, who knows how many idiots have snuck in? As for Director Zhang, he's under pressure from above. Two deaths are no small matter. The families are crying and demanding answers, they're in a complete mess, and there's absolutely no way to calm them down..."
Li Xiangyang nodded in deep agreement.
Two hours later, the convoy arrived at a camp near the scene of the incident.
"We've arrived!" Director Zhang shouted. "Fellow villagers, let's rest here and assign tasks!"
The hunters jumped off the vehicle one after another, gathering in twos and threes to discuss the matter quietly.
Li Xiangyang noticed that many of these people were carrying old-fashioned muskets and homemade guns, and some of them didn't even seem to know how to pull the trigger.
Old Zheng led Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou to a secluded corner to sit down, and pulled a crumpled map from his cloth bag: "This is a topographical map of Forest Farm No. 8. We're here now."
He pointed to a small dot on the map, "The incident occurred five miles to the north, by a stream. The bear killed two people. Another was seriously injured and taken to the hospital; his chances of survival are uncertain."
"The crucian carp are swimming upstream, so the bears will naturally gather along the riverbank. In my opinion, we need to act quickly and seize advantageous terrain on the hillside as soon as possible."
Just then, Director Zhang walked over: "Old Zheng, we'll split into five teams to search later. Which team would you like to lead?"
Old Zheng chuckled, "Manager, these old bones of mine aren't up to the task anymore, so I won't lead the team. But these two young men and I can go off on our own and check upstream."
After a moment's hesitation, Director Zhang nodded: "Alright, you're experienced, so please be careful. The rest of you will be divided into four teams, searching in four directions."
After the camp manager left, the three of them packed up their equipment, quietly left the camp, and headed upstream along the stream.
As darkness fell, mist began to spread through the forest.
Li Xiangyang walked at the front, Lao Zheng in the middle, and Wang Ergou at the rear.
The three of them slowly climbed up a hidden path.
"This road was made by lumberjacks, and not many people use it. Even Black Bear isn't familiar with it," Old Zheng explained in a low voice.
After walking for about an hour, the three of them arrived at a platform on the edge of a cliff.
Looking down from here, you can clearly see the stream meandering below, surrounded by an open area with several fallen trees lying across the stream.
“Great spot,” Li Xiangyang exclaimed. “A wide field of vision, and good cover.”
The three of them crouched down behind a large tree, quietly observing the movements below.
As the sun gradually sank in the west, the stream shimmered with silver light in the twilight.
Suddenly, Li Xiangyang noticed some movement by the stream.
“Look over there!” he whispered, pointing to a thicket of bushes about a hundred meters downstream.
The bushes swayed gently, and a huge dark shadow emerged from them, slowly walking towards the stream.
It was an adult black bear, quite large indeed, with glossy fur that shimmered in the afterglow of the setting sun.
“It’s a male bear,” Old Zheng squinted, “weighing at least four hundred pounds.”
The black bear came to the stream and poked at the water with its front paws, seemingly looking for fish.
A moment later, it suddenly slapped down with its paw, splashing water, and then caught a struggling big fish in its mouth.
"Wow, this bear's fishing skills are pretty good!" Wang Ergou exclaimed.
Old Zheng frowned: "Strange, black bears should be quite plump this season, but this one looks a bit thin."
Li Xiangyang also noticed this: "Look at the fur on its back, aren't there some bald spots?"
Old Zheng nodded: "Yes, it looks like he's been in a fight or been injured."
Just then, a gunshot rang out in the distance, followed by shouts from the crowd.
The black bear alertly raised its head, stood up abruptly, and looked in the direction from which the gunshots came.