Wilderness Survival with Druid System

After observing the animals across the lake as well as those on this side, Chen Wen’s satisfaction with this lake soared.

This area seemed to gather many animals from the Qiangtang Region, allowing Chen Wen to capture them all without needing to travel far, which was convenient for him to acquire entries.

Chen Wen went to the lakeside to check the situation but didn’t rush to fetch water; instead, he walked along the lake shore.

He was still looking for more signs of animals.

Soon, he saw some burrows on the ground.

The burrows weren’t very large, indicating they weren’t marmots.

Since they weren’t marmots, then they were pika.

Chen Wen thought as he looked at the burrows.

Pika resembles a mouse but is actually a rabbit, a very peculiar creature.

They’re not very large, about the size of a big rat.

Active during dawn and dusk, they burrow to survive.

On the prairie, opinions on pika are mixed.

Some believe that pika, skilled in burrowing and breeding like rabbits, feed on grass and weeds, leading to desertification; thus they are considered harmful pests, with some places even calling for their eradication.

But others believe the main cause of prairie desertification is overgrazing rather than pika. Pika, in fact, benefit the ecosystem, maintaining biodiversity, improving soil structure, and hydrological functions, thus they are considered beneficial animals and should be protected.

Whether pika are good or bad, Chen Wen wasn’t sure.

Because many things aren’t simply black or white; pika might be harmful in one area but beneficial in another.

However, Chen Wen knew very well that pika can be hunted!

Moreover, due to their large numbers, there were no restrictions on hunting pika!

Before coming here, he had planned to make pika the main food source for domesticated carnivorous animals.

Because these creatures are easier to catch, and their taste should be good.

Thus, Chen Wen called out to the Snow Leopard and Golden Eagle drinking water by the lake to come over.

”Look at these burrows, can you sense anything inside?”

Chen Wen asked.

Smelling the scent, the Snow Leopard approached and sniffed.

With a thoughtful expression, it said, ”It seems... familiar, but I’m not quite sure; there should be animals I’ve eaten before inside.”

The Golden Eagle looked at the burrow entrances and asked, ”It wouldn’t be those animals that look silly, would it? I remember they live in burrows too.”

”Not marmots; marmots are larger.”

Chen Wen replied to the Golden Eagle, ”These are pika, also, stay away from marmots in the future, especially those standing on the ground during the day and looking dazed; they carry deadly viruses!”

Upon hearing this, the Golden Eagle became timid.

”Deadly? Really! If true, will I be in trouble now?”

A panic-stricken Golden Eagle asked.

Chen Wen waved his hand, ”Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. You had brief contact last time; just keep it in mind moving forward.”

Actually, Chen Wen told a little lie here.

The plague could be fatal, but that’s for humans like Chen Wen.

As for the Golden Eagle.

The risk of death was very low.

However, with Chen Wen saying this, the Golden Eagle would likely stay away from marmots.

”Although you can’t catch marmots, you can try hunting pika.”

Chen Wen turned the topic back, shifting the Golden Eagle and Snow Leopard’s focus to the pika.

”Pika come out to forage at dusk and dawn, but we arrived a bit late; they’ve all burrowed back in for now.”

Chen Wen said.

Through the burrow traces and some tiny droppings nearby.

He could tell that pika were living in these burrows.

”So you can try hunting them tonight. If you find them easy to catch and they taste good, you can keep hunting them as your main food source.”

Hearing this, the two animals became intrigued.

They began whispering nearby, evidently discussing how to hunt these pika.

Chen Wen didn’t interfere much, as hunting pika posed no threat to either of them.

Besides, the Snow Leopard was an apex predator on the plateau, even yaks and blue bears wouldn’t dare provoke adult Snow Leopards easily.

Therefore, Chen Wen wasn’t worried about the Snow Leopard being threatened, as long as it didn’t invade the wolves’ territory like last time.

As for wolves, there would definitely be none around here.

On the plateau, territorial consciousness is very strong among wolves, and their territories are vast.

With two wolves around here, a third wolf wouldn’t appear near this mountain.

Plus, with the Golden Eagle around, it would immediately alert the Snow Leopard if danger arose.

...

After arranging the two animals’ tasks, Chen Wen continued searching for traces along the lake shore.

Soon, he spotted some droppings.

These droppings likely belonged to large herbivores.

Could be yak or river curve horse.

Chen Wen roughly examined them; they could be used as fuel for burning.

However, he didn’t have the right tools now to collect droppings, making it hard to pack them.

Droppings can’t just be held by hand, after all.

Chen Wen inspected and judged these droppings to be left within the past week.

Walking further, there weren’t many more traces.

But just as Chen Wen considered going back to fetch water, he suddenly noticed some very fresh droppings right next to the lake.

Quickly walking closer.

Chen Wen found these droppings similar to those he just saw, but they were wet and clearly fresh from the animals this morning.

”Such a big heap, it’s either wild yak or river curve horse!”

Chen Wen confidently said.

Actually, Chen Wen hoped these droppings were from wild yak.

Compared to the cautious river curve horse and Tibetan horse, wild yak were easier to hunt!

Wild yak, though a national first-class protected animal.

Yet Chen Wen and his team could hunt one wild yak.

It wasn’t about treating wild yak differently; these big creatures had few natural enemies on the plateau.

Wolves disliked hunting wild yak, Snow Leopards were only interested in stray yak calves, and blue bears preferred eating rotten animal carcasses over bothering wild yak.

In short, except humans, wild yak was nearly invincible on the plateau.

So their numbers grew yearly, and currently, the preserve considered lowering wild yak to second-class protection status.

But given their higher value compared to Tibetan antelopes, downgrading could lead poachers to take risks.

Therefore, downgrading wild yak was just talk on the surface.

Nobody genuinely proposed it.

However, the participants this time had the benefit of hunting one wild yak.

Generally, one or two people couldn’t hunt wild yak.

When few in number, it’s better to turn away upon seeing wild yak, rather than be targeted.

Because wild yak can harm humans!

Even lethally!

Chen Wen examined the droppings again, then circled around.

Soon, he saw several fresh hoofprints.

Now Chen Wen was utterly sure these were traces left by wild yak.

”Wild yak...”

Chen Wen softly mumbled the name, similarly adding it to the hunting target list.

Others feared wild yak, but that was them.

As for Chen Wen.

In his view, it was wild yak that should yield to his prowess!

With entries and long spear in hand, Chen Wen absolutely had the capability to face and even directly kill wild yak alone!