Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Tender Branch Bait Trap

On the morning of the thirtieth day, Lin Yu’an had a simple breakfast, donned his rain pants, took up his gear, and headed to the beaver area he had observed the previous day.

This was a dam near the riverbank formed by accumulated mud and branches, with some branches on the water surface that had been gnawed by beavers.

He crouched down, keeping his upper body as low as possible, and carefully observed underwater. In the murky creek, he vaguely saw a dark hole with a diameter of about thirty to forty centimeters at the base of the dam.

“This is the spot,” Lin Yu’an muttered softly.

He took out several hardwood stakes with sharpened ends from his supplies, as well as a thicker steel wire made by twisting multiple strands of wire fishing line together, known for its superb toughness and strength.

He cut a segment of steel wire about two meters long and started making the first lasso.

First, he bent one end of the steel wire about five centimeters, then tightly wound the other end of the steel wire around the bend, forming an extremely sturdy small steel ring.

Next, he threaded the other end of the steel wire through this small steel ring, forming an adjustable noose!

He repeatedly pulled and tested it, ensuring the noose could smoothly tighten under force, and the small steel ring wouldn’t deform or come loose under pressure. He adjusted the noose’s diameter to be slightly larger than the hole, about forty to fifty centimeters.

Then it was time to fix the lasso and set the trigger. He picked up a stake about one meter long, which would be used as an “anchor stake.”

He then tied the non-loop end of the steel wire lasso to about one-third of the way down the anchor stake from the non-pointy end, using a combination of steel wire and tough fine vines, with a fisherman’s knot capable of withstanding tremendous tension.

“This anchor stake must be solid. Beavers are strong, and if it’s not secured, it could easily drag the trap away.”

After completing the anchor stake connection, he carefully observed the riverbank, ensuring no beavers were nearby before putting on his rain pants and choosing a spot with relatively gentle water flow to go into the water.

He began setting the trap at the entrance to the underwater nest, gently inserting the hardwood stakes diagonally into the mud on both sides of the entrance.

Then, using supple water grass that matched the underwater environment’s color, he loosely hung the looped part of the prepared steel wire lasso between the two supporting stakes.

In this way, the lasso’s opening would face the entrance of the nest and remain naturally open, with minor disturbances from the water unable to easily displace it.

He adjusted the hanging points and looseness several times to ensure that when the beaver’s head or most of its body entered the lasso, even a slight touch would let the lasso slip from the water grass points and quickly tighten under the anchor stake’s pull!

Another crucial aspect was the placement of several fresh branches as bait at the lasso’s key position; no beaver can resist the temptation of fresh branches.

Just as no normal man can resist the temptation of an “Under 18, Do Not Click” warning.

Lin Yu’an narrated to the camera, “The key to this trap is its natural and sensitive setup. There can’t be any trace that makes the beavers uncomfortable or wary, or those clever creatures won’t be fooled.”

He carefully checked the lasso’s opening angle, its distance from the entrance, and the sensitivity of the trigger to ensure everything was foolproof.

After setting the first lasso, he set a second steel wire lasso using the same meticulous method in another narrow underwater passage that seemed likely to be used by beavers nearby.

The entire process took Lin Yu’an over half an hour.

“Alright, the two underwater steel wire lasso traps are set.”

“I hope these highly concealed traps will tempt the beavers that have never encountered humans when they’re active underwater!”

“The steel wire’s strength and our designed anchor stakes should be sufficient to handle their struggles; let’s wait and see!”

“But remember this saying: ’No one escapes the beaver’s curse,’ so unless necessary, it’s best not to provoke the beavers in the wild!”

Lin Yu’an did not linger on site for long. He swiftly cleaned up all traces left on the riverbank, then quietly retreated into the depths of the forest.

Now, all he could do was wait patiently. Beavers typically operate at dusk and night, so he planned to check the traps’ results the next morning.

From afternoon to evening, Lin Yu’an mainly focused on gathering firewood for winter, as well as tidying up some of the weeds around his shelter.

He was also preparing to make a sturdy wooden door for his shelter using willow branches to weave a wooden frame, continued attempts at fishing, and making pottery ovens for grilling, among other tasks. There were always countless chores to do in the wilderness.

After eating a bit of stored food, he crawled into his sleeping bag, exhausted.

When the next day was dawning.

Lin Yu’an donned his rain pants again and set out for the stream’s edge. This time, he felt even more tense and expectant than when he set the traps!

He once again observed from a concealed spot on the riverbank for a moment. In the morning, the water appeared even more mysterious, yet ripples broke through the otherwise calm surface!

Lin Yu’an cautiously stepped into the water, moving toward the first trap that was causing water to splash.

As he approached the entrance to the first den, his heart suddenly skipped a beat—he felt his probing stick bump against something!

Immediately, he felt the top of the anchor stake marking the spot and found that the steel wire connected above was drawn taut in an unnatural manner, conveying the struggle of something underwater!

“Got something!”

Lin Yu’an was overjoyed; he hadn’t expected to catch a live beaver!

He bent down, completely submerging his arm in the icy water, groping along the taut steel wire.

Soon, his gloved fingers touched a furry, violently writhing object underwater!

The steel wire lasso had gripped tightly around the beaver’s midsection, near its forelimbs!

This beaver had apparently just been caught. Due to the lasso’s toughness, the more it struggled, the tighter the noose became. The anchor stake connected to the lasso even shifted from its powerful pulling, but the wooden stake still effectively prevented the beaver’s escape.

This wild beaver was evidently in extreme panic and rage over such a sudden restraint.

It thrashed and kicked wildly in the water, attempting to bite through the accursed steel wire, but its sharp teeth were useless against the hard steel, causing the lasso to tighten further instead.

Lin Yu’an hesitated not for a second, swiftly drawing out his multi-tool knife from his waist.

One hand clutched the steel wire firmly, steadying the continuously thrashing beaver, while the other, using his understanding of beaver anatomy, decisively aimed the sharp knife at the position of its carotid artery!

“Whimper! Ugh!”

“Whimper! Ugh!”

The beaver let out a low, complex cry, seemingly warning its companions to flee!

A hot red liquid quickly spread through the cold creek water, and the beaver’s struggle abruptly weakened, twitching a few more times before going still.

Lin Yu’an finally breathed a sigh of relief, freeing the now-dead beaver from the tight noose.

This was an unusually plump adult beaver, even larger than he had anticipated, heavy in his hands, and weighing at least over twenty pounds, he estimated.

Lin Yu’an dragged the beaver ashore, his face unable to hide the excitement, showcasing this hard-earned prey before the camera.

“Guys, look at this build! The first one was a big one!”

As the adrenaline gradually subsided, Lin Yu’an couldn’t ignore the beaver’s cries before death, feeling a pang of discomfort.

But he soon adjusted his emotions, acknowledging that this was the wilderness, this was nature; slaughter was for survival! It perfectly epitomized the principles of survival of the fittest.

All he could do was to offer some gratitude to this beaver in front of the camera.

“Sorry, brother, I’m also doing this for survival! Thank you for your sacrifice! Thank you, nature!”

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