Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Deer Hunting Achievement Unlocked!

The waiting time was short, but for Lin Yu’an, it felt exceptionally long.

He listened intently to the sounds in the forest, hoping to catch the sound of his prey collapsing to the ground.

When he felt the time was about right, he carefully stepped out from behind his cover and headed towards the spot where the arrow had hit.

On the ground, a pool of bright red blood stood out starkly against the yellowed fallen leaves and dark green moss.

“The color of the blood is very bright,”

Lin Yu’an squatted down and observed carefully, using a small twig to gently prod the bloodstain.

“Look here, there are also some fine bubbles mixed in, which indicates an injury to the lungs or major airways!”

This discovery thrilled him even more, meaning the wound caused by the arrow was very severe, and the buck would not last much longer.

Lin Yu’an started to follow the clear blood trail, chasing in the direction of the fleeing buck.

This time, the tracking no longer required painstaking searching for subtle clues.

The trail of tiny blood pearls and occasional larger pools of blood was the clearest roadmap.

However, the path of pursuit was not all smooth sailing.

Driven by survival instinct, the wounded buck specifically chose to flee through dense shrubbery, trying to use the thick vegetation to brush off the arrow on its body.

Lin Yu’an had to constantly push aside thick branches and leaves, even climbing steep, shrub-covered slopes using both hands and feet.

“Even though it was hit in a vital area, large animals have incredibly strong life energy, and they can explode with amazing endurance after being injured.”

“I must have enough patience and not give up any trace. At the same time, I must remain vigilant; even injured herbivores can be more aggressive.”

After tracking for about ten more minutes, suddenly! Ahead, there was the faint sound of branches being disturbed, followed by heavy breathing!

Lin Yu’an immediately stopped and cautiously raised his bow and arrow, with a second arrow already nocked and ready.

He carefully took a few steps forward, and finally, under a patch of shrubbery, he saw the prey that had haunted his dreams!

This mature buck lay on its side under the bushes, its body still slightly twitching, with foamy blood continuously flowing from its mouth and nostrils.

The deadly arrow was still firmly lodged in its left rib, the fletching stained red with blood.

Its eyes were still open wide, but they had lost their spiritual light, leaving only pain and unwillingness.

Lin Yu’an did not immediately approach but kept a safe distance.

He quietly observed for a few minutes, preventing a dying animal from mustering one last burst of strength to harm him.

When he confirmed that the deer’s convulsions were weakening and its breathing was barely audible, he slowly lowered his bow and arrow and walked closer.

He reached the side of the deer and gently nudged its body with his foot, receiving no response.

It had completely breathed its last!

Lin Yu’an let out a long breath, an indescribable exhaustion and immense joy surging simultaneously in his heart!

“I did it… guys… I did it! This beautiful buck is mine now!”

His voice trembled slightly with excitement as he reached out and gently stroked the still-warm fur of the buck.

A complex and overwhelming emotion, like a flood breaking a dam, instantly swept away the tension he had felt for days.

Looking at this massive prey before him, at the arrow deeply embedded in its body, at the blood-stained earth.

The food shortages for days, the challenges brought by harsh weather, the uncertainty and anxiety about the future, and the enormous pressure of surviving alone in the wilderness.

At this moment, it seemed to all find an outlet for release!

His eyes brimmed with uncontrollable tears, his vision beginning to blur.

He lowered his head and vigorously wiped his eyes with his sleeve, trying to stop the tears that naturally came from his intense emotions.

“Hoo… hoo…”

He panted heavily, his chest heaving dramatically, as if trying to expel all the accumulated frustration from his heart.

These were not tears of weakness, nor tears of sadness.

But a release of success finally achieved under extreme pressure! A cathartic grasp of hope on the edge of despair!

He thought of his experiences and challenges over the past days, thought of her gentle smile, and the two little lives waiting for him to return!

All these days, he had worried constantly, worried about failure, worried about having to use the food in the space!

Worried about failing himself! But now, it’s all good! He doesn’t have to use the food from the space! He managed to hunt a big one on his own!

And he had recorded the entire process! Giving him a legitimate food source!

No longer having to worry about being marked as a cheater by public opinion!

After a while, when the overwhelming excitement finally began to subside.

He stood up, looked at the massive prey before him, filled with awe and gratitude for nature, and spoke to the camera again.

“Guys, excuse my tears; I’m really not someone who usually cries… It’s just too overwhelming.”

“Sometimes, pressure can really push a person to their limits! But luckily, I made it through successfully!”

“Now, the real work begins; I need to process it as soon as possible, without wasting any of nature’s bounty.”

“Although this buck has already lost quite a bit of blood after being shot, to ensure the quality of the meat, it’s still necessary to let as much remaining blood drain out as possible.”

“If blood remains in the muscles, it accelerates meat spoilage, affecting flavor and drastically shortening storage time.”

Processing a large game animal is a very time-consuming task, and I need to hurry to get it done before nightfall!”

He found the location near the buck’s neck close to the lower jaw artery and skillfully pierced the spot with the sharp tip of his knife, slicing a deep enough cut.

Lin Yu’an had earlier taken out the waterproof storage bag that held his sleeping bag from his large backpack.

“This storage bag for holding the sleeping bag is made of highly waterproof nylon material, which is completely fine for temporarily containing liquids.”

He carefully positioned the bag’s opening under the bleeding cut on the deer’s neck, collecting as much of this precious liquid as possible.

The fresh deer blood carried a unique warm metallic scent, with wisps of steam visibly rising in the cold air.

The storage bag had a large capacity, and he estimated it could collect over a liter of deer blood.

When the bag was nearly full and the blood from the deer’s neck noticeably reduced, Lin Yu’an removed the bag.

He drew the string tightly and tied a secure bow knot to ensure the bag was fully sealed, preventing any blood leakage.

“I’ll set the deer blood aside for now and decide what to do with it once I’ve processed this deer.”

Next, he turned his attention to the deer’s limbs.

“Now we need to handle a very important part, the glands on the deer’s legs.”

“Near the tarsal joints on the hind legs of a buck, there are odorous glands with a strong smell that must be thoroughly removed, or they can easily contaminate the surrounding meat.”

With his fingers, he located the area and carefully cut open the skin with the knife’s tip, avoiding puncturing the gland.

He removed the area around the gland, skin and fur included, and discarded it quickly.

Then Lin Yu’an adjusted the deer’s body into a supine position.

This left its belly facing upward, limbs naturally splayed, making it most convenient for subsequent gutting operations.

“To ensure the quality of the meat, the primary task is to gut the deer and remove the viscera quickly, allowing the carcass to cool rapidly and prevent bacterial growth.”

“When gutting, it’s crucial to be very careful, especially in this abdominal area,”

he gestured at the deer’s soft belly and explained to the camera, “The skin and muscle layer here are very thin, and just beneath is the stomach and intestines.”

“If you’re not careful and puncture them, the digestive contents and bacteria will contaminate the entire abdomen and surrounding meat, and the taste would be… unimaginable.”

He first used the knife’s tip to make a small incision along the midline of the deer’s belly, approximately between the end of the sternum and the pelvis.

The depth was just enough to cut through the skin and thin abdominal muscle layer.

“See, just like this, a small cut is enough!”

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