HUN Chapter 88: Rattlesnake Ranch

The day after Lin Yu'an obtained his hunter safety education certificate, he prepared to first find a suitable place in Texas for his first legal hunt.

Old Cat and the others had already started urging him for new content! Sigh, urging, urging, urging! A happy trouble.

After several days of consideration, he decided to make a video about his own "legal hunting" experience.

He first contacted through Facebook, eventually reaching a Texas old cowboy who had quite a reputation in the local hunting circles and owned vast private farmland, Buck Jones.

This Buck, according to reports, was also a legendary figure in his youth, not only with godlike marksmanship, but equally skilled with bow and arrow.

More importantly, he was generous and righteous, very friendly to young people who genuinely loved hunting culture and respected the rules.

He was a kind, non-racist old cowboy who was quite well-regarded on Facebook.

In his email, Lin Yu'an sincerely explained his situation: he was an international student from China who had just obtained his hunting license.

He hoped to have the opportunity to experience a legal bow hunting for wild boar on Buck's ranch.

At the same time, he hoped to film the process and create a video program showcasing Texas hunting culture and outdoor spirit, expressing his willingness to pay the appropriate fees.

Unexpectedly, after Buck saw the email and learned that he was the contestant who had won "Alone" and hunted a black bear with bow and arrow, he showed tremendous enthusiasm and immediately called him back.

"Oh ho! So it's you, young man!"

Buck laughed heartily, "I watched that show! Your performance at Chilko Lake was absolutely awesome!"

"Especially that intense scene where you took down that bear with a bow and arrow, it made this old bag of bones' blood boil!"

"Alright! Absolutely no problem! My ranch welcomes real hunters like you anytime! As for the hunting fee... to hell with it!"

"You coming to help me clear out a few wild boars that are ruining my crops, I should be thanking you! But son, Texas wild boars aren't like black bears, they travel in packs and are cunning as hell, you'd better be prepared to come back empty-handed!"

Buck's enthusiasm and straightforwardness delighted Lin Yu'an.

The two hit it off immediately, agreeing to hunt together on a weekend. Buck also said he would invite several experienced hunters and hunting dogs to assist.

Since he was hunting wild boar on Buck's private ranch with Buck's permission, he didn't need to purchase the $22.71 "hog tag."

Having settled the hunting location and guide, Lin Yu'an was in great spirits.

Friday afternoon, after saying goodbye to Aliya, Lin Yu'an dressed in a complete Arc'teryx Alpha SV series outfit, looking very sharp and capable.

He drove his used pickup truck with great anticipation toward "Rattlesnake" Ranch, located deep in the Texas hills.

After nearly two hours of driving, the scenery outside the window changed from urban prosperity to rolling hills and farmland, with the air filled with the fresh scent of dust and pasture grass.

Finally, at a fork in the road, he saw the ranch's entrance.

A sign built from rough-hewn logs bore a warning full of Texas-style dark humor: "Rattlesnake Ranch, Private Property, Trespassers Beware of Bullets (and may be eaten by wild boars!)"

He slowly drove his car in, following the gravel road to the main farmhouse.

A burly man with a full beard, wearing cowboy work clothes and a flannel shirt, was already laughing as he came out of the farmhouse to greet him.

He wore a wide-brimmed hat, with a leather gun holster at his waist containing a hefty Colt revolver.

"Lin! You finally made it! Welcome to my godforsaken Rattlesnake Ranch!"

Buck Jones's booming voice carried from far away as he opened his arms and gave Lin Yu'an a solid bear hug.

"Mr. Buck! Thank you so much for the invitation! Your ranch... is truly huge! Very magnificent!"

Lin Yu'an responded with a smile while sizing up this old cowboy.

Buck's eyes were sharp and full of vitality, and his rough, powerful handshake conveyed calluses earned through long experience.

"Haha! Magnificent my ass! It's almost been gnawed bald by those damn wild boars!"

Buck waved his hand dismissively, then introduced the other two companions who came out of the house.

One was an old hunter of similar age to Buck, thin but with eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

His name was Earl Davis. He emanated an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance, only giving Lin Yu'an a lukewarm nod with a hint of caution in his eyes.

Buck introduced him respectfully, "This is Earl, don't let his usual quiet demeanor fool you, but once he picks up his precious Winchester, flies within three hundred yards better not even think of escaping!"

The other was a young cowboy in his early twenties, tall and robust, named Chad Smith, with a brilliant smile, a typical young redneck.

"This kid is the fastest-running cowboy on our ranch, and also my most capable hunting dog assistant!" Buck said, patting his shoulder with a laugh.

"Hey! Lin! I watched your show on TV! It was so cool!"

Chad enthusiastically shook Lin Yu'an's hand, curiously firing off questions like a machine gun, "Did you really take down a big black bear with just a bow and arrow? Were you scared at the time?"

Lin Yu'an could feel that besides Buck's enthusiasm, old hunter Earl carried scrutiny and distrust, while young Chad's enthusiasm was mixed with some recklessness and stereotypical impressions.

Before Lin Yu'an could answer, Chad couldn't help but whistle, speaking in a half-joking, half-serious tone.

"But... speaking of which, Lin! In my impression, you Chinese people seem to be better at studying in school or doing research in laboratories, right?"

"Are you really one hundred percent ethnically Chinese?"

Although these words carried some joking elements, the faint contempt based on stereotypical impressions still made the atmosphere suddenly somewhat subtle.

Lin Yu'an's smile stiffened slightly, but he didn't immediately lash out, saying instead.

"Of course I'm one hundred percent Chinese. I was raised by a veteran who participated in the Vietnam War! So being excellent in combat isn't surprising."

"Chad Smith! You shut your damn stinking mouth!"

A thunderous roar erupted from Buck's throat.

"You brainless idiot! Lin is a truly respectable hunter!"

"He survived alone in that godforsaken place Chilko Lake for over ninety days and took down a black bear three times your weight!"

"In America, we respect every courageous tough guy, no matter where he comes from!"

Chad seemed to realize the inappropriateness of his words and immediately apologized to Lin Yu'an, "Sorry, Lin, I didn't mean it that way! I was just curious..."

Lin Yu'an looked at this young man who might just be loose-tongued, and the displeasure in his heart had already dissipated.

He smiled and patted Chad's shoulder, saying, "It's okay, stereotypes exist everywhere. I'll use my strength to change your stereotypical impression of Chinese people."

This small episode, like a touchstone, let Lin Yu'an initially feel the atmosphere within this circle.

There was simple enthusiasm, direct offense, but more than anything, respect for the strong.

Chad's gaze fell on Lin Yu'an's compound bow with its tech-filled design, and he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Wow! Lin! This is the latest Mathews model, right? I've only seen it in magazines! Along with your Hamskea arrow rest and Spot Hogg sight, the whole set must cost at least three thousand dollars, right?"

Lin Yu'an just smiled, gently stroking the bow grip, calmly saying.

"You get what you pay for. In hunting, a trustworthy partner is very important!"

"I also want to use this powerful compound bow to test the training effects from my ninety-plus days in Alone."

Buck added from the side, "That's right, when you're only a dozen yards from an angry boar, you definitely don't want your equipment to fail in any way. Your investment was very wise."

That evening, in front of the fireplace at Buck's farmhouse, everyone sat together, enjoying roasted beef and ice-cold beer.

Lin Yu'an quickly integrated into this rough and enthusiastic atmosphere, humbly asking Buck and Earl many questions about wild boar behavior and hunting techniques.

After dinner, Buck took Lin Yu'an to visit the kennel.

Inside were several robust, alert-eyed hunting dogs, including two athletic Catahoula Leopard Dogs and three stocky Plott Hounds.

"These little guys are all treasures I've trained myself!"

"Especially these three little ones, they're brave babies who dare to take on mountain lions one-on-one!"

Buck introduced them proudly, "Without them, catching those cunning wild boars wouldn't be so easy!"

Lin Yu'an looked at these hunting dogs full of wildness and intelligence, his eyes also full of affection.

The idea of owning his own hunting dogs quietly took root in his heart.

The next morning at dawn, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, the entire ranch had already awakened.

Lin Yu'an was already fully dressed and equipped, and Buck, Earl, and Chad were also ready.

Under Buck's command, the hunting team silently entered the hilly area on the south side of the ranch.

Lin Yu'an lowered his voice, softly narrating to the action camera fixed on his chest.

"We're now entering typical Texas hill terrain. This freshly turned soil on the ground is clear evidence of wild boar activity."

They soon reached a location where wild boars might frequently appear.

The hunting dogs shot into the brush like arrows released from bowstrings, quickly discovering a clear set of wild boar tracks.

The team immediately heightened their vigilance, carefully beginning to track the trail.

Lin Yu'an's steps were light and agile, his hawk-like eyes constantly scanning the surroundings with vigilance.

"Lin, your stealth skills don't seem like those of a beginner!" Buck, walking in front, turned back with approval.

Suddenly, Earl, who was observing from high ground with binoculars, raised his hand to signal a stop.

He pointed toward a willow grove by the river about two hundred meters ahead, "There's movement ahead! At least seven or eight dark shapes!"

Everyone's nerves instantly tightened! Preparing to enter hunting mode!

Buck quickly made tactical arrangements! Earl would provide covering fire from the high point, Chad would take the hunting dogs to flank from the right, driving the wild boar herd toward the open ground in the middle.

Lin Yu'an would ambush with him in the center, responsible for the crucial precision strikes.

Lin Yu'an and Buck quickly took cover behind a dense thicket.

He drew a heavy hunting arrow with a gleaming point from his quiver and gently nocked it on his newly bought compound hunting bow.

Modern compound bows have a let-off ratio of 80%-90%, meaning that after drawing this 70-pound bow, he only needed about 14 pounds of force to maintain full draw.

This allowed him to aim leisurely, and the stable arrow rest would let him complete stable release shots even after vigorous movement.

Suddenly, Chad's whistle and the hunting dogs' frenzied barking came from the right side!

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