King of the Wilderness

Stan shook his head and explained in a low voice, ”It’s not just about that. For professional hunters, GPS coordinates are the only legal basis.”

”Every year, the hunting manual uses extremely precise latitude and longitude to delineate the boundaries of the no-hunting zones, such as ’from the estuary of a certain river to the ridge line of a certain mountain peak.’

”Signposts are just an auxiliary reminder. Even if there are no signs, as long as you cross the coordinate line and fire a shot, you are breaking the law.”

”But... but the patrol officers from the Fish and Game Department would never come to such a forsaken place!” Little Eagle was still unwilling to accept this. He thought that as long as he fired the shot and dragged the deer away, no one would know.

Stan spoke to Little Eagle with a serious tone, ”Kid, listen to your father, when we hunt, we must stay within the rules to receive nature’s gifts. The hunting rifle in your hand is not a tool for sneaky tricks. It is your honor.”

Barton’s voice rang out again, this time with the tenderness of a loving father.

”Little Eagle, this is your first hunt. I need to teach you an important lesson on why you cannot fire this shot.”

”In Alaska, illegal hunting is a serious crime. Once caught, a fine of over ten thousand US Dollars is just the beginning. Your gun will be confiscated, and more importantly, you will have your hunting license revoked for at least five years, or even be banned for life.”

”Do you want your life to be stained with the blemish of a poacher from today?”

”Don’t think the patrol officers won’t find out. Their planes are flying above us every day. If they see us handling a deer in a no-hunting zone from the air, they can land and arrest us directly.”

”Moreover, any hunter who discovers we are breaking the law has the right to report us to the Fish and Game Department and can even receive a large reward. In the wilderness, you must guard not only against wild animals but also against humans.”

Lin Yu’an gently pressed down on the gun barrel that Little Eagle was still holding up, whispering to him, ”Little Eagle, Barton and Stan are right. Law and regulations are the only guarantee we have for hunting here long-term and with respect.”

”We have seven legal tags, which means we have seven legitimate opportunities to take on the challenge. We don’t need to resort to this sneaky way to gain a dishonorable trophy.”

”Trust us, and trust yourself; we can surely hunt something even better in the right way.”

Under the collective guidance from the three elders, addressing values, community rules, and cold laws, the impulsiveness and reluctance on Little Eagle’s face slowly transformed into understanding, fear, and shame.

He slowly lowered the gun in his hand, watching as the elk leisurely finished drinking water and disappeared into the forest of the no-hunting zone.

Though they lost a perfect prey, Barton looked at Lin Yu’an with eyes full of praise and approval.

This minor episode not only taught Little Eagle a valuable lesson on ’hunting ethics’ but also confirmed for Barton that Lin Yu’an, the outsider, was a truly trustworthy partner sharing the same values.

On the morning of the seventh day, a thin river mist hung in the air, casting a slight gloom over everyone’s mood.

Just as they were preparing for the final routine patrol before returning to camp, a turning point finally appeared.

Through binoculars, Lin Yu’an observed some fresh elk tracks in an inconspicuous muddy area.

He immediately called quietly over the walkie-talkie, ”Barton! 3 o’clock direction, across the mudflats, there are fresh tracks!”

Barton silently guided the boat closer, jumped onto the mudflats, squatted down, and pinched a bit with his fingers. His expression instantly became extremely serious and focused, eyes flashing with a hunter’s excitement upon finding prey!

”No more than one hour! It’s a large elk herd! They’re nearby! They’re preparing to cross the river!”

With those words, the team’s morale, dormant for six days, was instantly ignited! The frustration on Little Eagle’s face vanished, replaced by intense excitement.

They immediately returned to the boat, turned off the engine, and quietly drifted toward the S-shaped crossing point Barton had assessed, like two leaves blending into the environment.

They arrived at the crossing point, hiding the two small boats in the dense reeds on both sides of the river channel.

What followed was a wait that tested their patience even more than the previous six days.

After more than an hour, there was finally some movement in the woods across the river!

A massive group of twenty to thirty elk slowly emerged from the forest, gathering at the riverbank. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Led by the most robust male elk, the entire herd began to wade into the water! Their massive bodies stepped into the cold river, creating huge ripples.

Soon, the water reached over their bellies, and they started swimming with a unique posture, heads held high as they strained forward!

At that moment, the wide river surface seemed entirely occupied by the massive moving heads and antlers of the elk!

They cleaved through the water, nostrils releasing white spray, creating a majestic migratory scene brimming with life energy!

”The time has come.”

Barton’s voice came through the walkie-talkie, filled with calm and intensity: ”Prepare positions; listen for my command.”

David, in an extremely low voice, asked Lin Yu’an a curious question: ”Lin, firing from a boat at animals swimming... is that legal in Alaska?”

Lin Yu’an, his gaze never leaving the scope, responded in the same low tone, ”In Alaska, hunting crossing elk is legal, but it comes with extremely strict legal stipulations.”

”First and foremost is the most important law.”

”You absolutely cannot use motorized boats to chase, harass, herd, or corral the herd to force them into your shooting range.”

”Our boats can only conduct passive intercepts downstream. Any active ’driven hunting’ is a serious crime and is punished with hefty fines and long imprisonment.”

”Secondly, the law explicitly forbids firing from any boat ’in powered motion.’ Our outboard motors must be completely off.”

He pointed to his own boat, ”For example, my boat is in a completely docked state, making it a fully legal shooting platform.”

He continued, ”Lastly, and most importantly for hunters, the law mandates that if a game falls into the water, the hunter must do everything possible to retrieve it, preventing waste from the game being washed away.”

”If a patrol officer finds that you have downed a game but lack the ability to retrieve it, you will also face severe penalties. This hunt tests not only our spear technique but also our retrieval skills.”

This brief yet hardcore lesson provided David and Mike with the material they wanted to capture.

At this moment, Barton’s command came, ”Stan, you take the biggest one on the left flank! I’ll handle the one with the most symmetrical antlers on the right!”

”Lin, the large one trailing behind is your target! That belongs to your non-resident tag!”

”Little Eagle, you’re responsible for observing and learning. No firing without my order!”

When the elk herd swam to the center of the river, their massive bodies moving sluggishly in the water, perfectly exposing their sides, Barton’s command came.

Barton suddenly issued an order that made David and Mike’s hearts skip a beat!

”Stan! Lin! Start the engines! Let’s move in!”

David immediately gasped in a low voice, ”Barton! Wait! The law prohibits...”

”The law prohibits driven hunting!” Barton’s voice was firm and decisive.

”Look closely! The elk herd voluntarily entered the river channel, and their migration route is set! We are not driving them but moving parallel to their predetermined path, seeking the best shooting window! This is a completely legal tactical approach!”

With his command, the outboard motors of the two small boats instantly roared to life with a suppressed growl!

————

(Three more updates tonight!)