King of the Wilderness-Chapter 47: Tracking the Prey

Aside from flotation devices, Lin Yu’an also prepared for the possibility of spending the night on the island.

"The situation on that island is completely unknown, and I’m not sure if I can return smoothly today, so it’s necessary to bring some overnight gear."

"In any case, I can’t be without the means to make fire; I must bring ignition material and the magnesium rod. If trapped on the island, the chances of survival will greatly increase."

He also checked if the bear spray was working properly and slung the newly made handsaw, along with the bow and quiver, across his body with a nylon rope.

After a round of tense yet orderly preparations, Lin Yu’an put on his rain pants again and went to the lakeside. He carried the canoe towards the shore closest to the island by direct line distance.

He pushed the "Pioneer" into the icy lake once again, then jumped nimbly onto the boat, shouting, "Let’s do this! Damn it!"

He picked up the two simple paddles made of spruce wood and struggled against the wind and waves, paddling towards the island!

The "Pioneer" rose and fell perilously in the waves, and with every crest, the boat let out a creaking sound of strain, but fortunately, it was still quite sturdy.

Lin Yu’an gritted his teeth, muscles in his arms tensed, using all his strength to control the rhythm and direction of the paddles.

The cold lake water was whipped up by the wind into fine droplets that splattered all over him,

but he couldn’t spare any attention for that, focusing all his concentration on the battle with the wind and waves and on maintaining the correct direction towards the island.

"The situation is worse than I expected!"

"The side wind is very strong, constantly pushing my boat aside! I have to correct the direction at all times, or it’s too easy to go off course!"

Lin Yu’an’s voice sounded a bit broken in the howling wind as he desperately adjusted the direction of the canoe.

He could clearly feel the canoe’s bow being lifted high every time it met a wave crest, only to slam down heavily, splashing up vast sprays of water.

Lin Yu’an’s heart tightened. "No, I must speed up!"

He stopped conserving energy, his arms’ paddling frequency suddenly increasing, each stroke deep and powerful, trying to cross this treacherous stretch of water in the shortest time possible.

His gaze remained locked onto that small island in the wind and waves, aiming there as his sprinting target!

This short 200-meter waterway now seemed incredibly long.

Finally, after enduring nearly ten minutes of fierce struggle, the boat’s cabin had accumulated a layer of shallow water when Lin Yu’an finally managed to wobble the canoe to the island’s shore.

He chose a sheltered shallow beach covered in pebbles and low shrubs to land.

When his feet touched solid ground again, he almost collapsed, sitting on the ground, gasping for breath.

"Phew... Phew... finally... here!"

Lin Yu’an wiped the water droplets off his face and said to the camera, "This is definitely the most thrilling boat ride of my life!"

He found some large stones to prop under the boat’s hull, then turned the canoe over, bottom side up.

Using the nylon rope he brought, he tied the bow and stern firmly to two sturdy tree trunks to ensure it wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.

After doing all this, Lin Yu’an finally let out a sigh of relief. Then he leaned against a tree trunk, recovering his strength.

Not long after, he stood up, rearranged his gear, especially adjusting the bow and arrow to the most convenient position, and checked the safety of the bear spray again.

"Now, I need to start looking for that deer’s tracks on this island."

"But I must say, although this island is densely wooded, it would be a good spot for ice fishing when the river freezes over in winter."

"And while the island doesn’t seem particularly large, its vegetation is very lush, and the terrain is somewhat undulating. That deer, after coming onto the island, might find a hidden place to rest or continue foraging."

He first went to the spot where he found tracks earlier, near the shallow beach closest by direct line distance, and began searching carefully.

He quickly rediscovered those familiar hoof prints! They extended clearly from the water’s edge towards the center of the island.

"Great! It definitely came ashore from here!" Lin Yu’an felt a surge of excitement!

Following the hoof prints, he began exploring deeper into the island, finding the environment more primitive and complex than he had expected.

Tall coniferous trees and dense shrubs intertwined, forming natural barriers.

The ground was covered in thick layers of fallen leaves and humus, with many areas also hosting slippery moss and low ferns, making walking require extra caution.

Lin Yu’an cautiously pushed away obstructing branches, speaking softly to the camera.

"Tracking in this environment is really challenging. I have to constantly pay attention to the hoof prints on the ground and any possible signs on the surrounding vegetation."

"Like broken twigs, chewed leaves, or even fur caught on tree bark."

His sharp eyes scanned every detail, his footsteps light and rhythmic, trying to avoid making any unnecessary noise.

After tracking for about over a hundred meters, the hoof prints began to lose clarity.

The ground’s hard rocks and thick needle layer made it hard for the hoof prints to leave clear imprints.

"In such cases, I need to observe the ’signposts’ more carefully."

Lin Yu’an crouched down, pointing at a low shrub branch that was broken, the fracture still fresh.

"This branch is bent upwards with signs of tearing, usually indicating a deer breaking it while moving with its body or antlers."

He also pointed to some faint parallel light scratches on the bark of a nearby small tree.

"And here, perhaps left when it was scratching or marking territory. These marks can tell us about the game’s general direction of travel and some behavioral habits."

The tracking process was fraught with hardship and uncertainty, requiring Lin Yu’an to maintain high focus, as any slight lapse could lead to losing the target.

Finally, he found the hoof prints seemed to lead to a thicket of dense Saskatoon berry bushes, their branches still bearing some dried, purple-black berries, a favorite food of many animals, including deer.

Carefully parting the waist-high berry bushes, he found on the ground inside some leftover remnants and a few fresh deer droppings.

"Looks like it had a hearty meal here!" Lin Yu’an’s eyes lit up.

This discovery greatly boosted his confidence; he knew he was on the right track and was getting closer to his target.

He continued following the clues provided by the nibbled berry bushes and deer droppings, continuing his difficult trek through the dense woods.

Gradually, the difficulty of tracking began to increase, with the terrain becoming more complex, featuring many steep slopes and ravine-like areas filled with loose stones.

"The tougher the environment, the more it tests a hunter’s patience and skill; it’s the first lesson I learned from an old hunter in my life."

"You can’t be impatient; when tracking, you must think like your prey, predicting its thoughts and analyzing possible movements."

Lin Yu’an knew that deer, when not startled, usually chose these relatively energy-saving paths.

So he would also select relatively spacious trails for tracking.

After nearly an hour of arduous tracking, Lin Yu’an had already delved into the island’s interior.

The forest here was even more primitive, with a distinct scent of spruce and cold air mingling in the atmosphere.

Just as he was about to feel fatigue from the dual strain of physical and mental exertion, his "Sixth Sense" suddenly sent a strong tremor!

He stopped abruptly, his gaze fixed on a clearing surrounded by several ancient spruce trees not far ahead.

There seemed to be some unusual movement there!

————————

(PS: Things are about to take a turn for the better! Just to emphasize once more, this book’s stance on the Golden Finger is like getting guaranteed admission to Peking University but still choosing to take the college entrance exam to challenge your limits. It’s like having a fallback plan and experiencing the process with the outcome in hand.)