Chapter 59: The Pigeon in the Self-Dropping Net Was Eaten
Although going up the mountain to catch a Great Eagle sounds exciting, only those who have been there know how monotonous it actually is. From setting up the net before nine o'clock, they stayed until half past twelve in the afternoon, and not a single Great Eagle was seen in the clear autumn sky.
At this time, there were no entertainment devices like mobile phones. Yue Feng observed his surroundings through the gaps in the pine needle roof of the shelter. After confirming there were no raptors active nearby, he crawled out of the shelter.
He stretched his arms and legs, then went behind the haystack to relieve himself. After taking care of his personal needs, Yue Feng slung his bag over his shoulder and leisurely went to check the other four self-dropping nets.
The first three self-dropping nets showed no activity, but the last one, even from a distance, showed signs of something happening.
As Yue Feng approached, he found that the net on the south side had fallen, but there was no eagle in the net bag. The pigeon tied in the middle of the net had been eaten by something. The pigeon's head, neck, and breast meat were completely consumed, leaving only a large amount of pigeon feathers on the ground, plus a spine with little flesh.
This is also a drawback of using self-dropping nets to catch eagles. When a person is not present, while it's convenient, there's also a cost. Besides raptors, animals like Leopard Cats, Foxes, or other small predators can also harm the bait.
Yue Feng took out a spare pigeon from his backpack and tied it up, re-hanging the net. He also added some fresh water to the bait in the middle of the net, and then returned to the shelter.
Another half an afternoon passed without any activity.
Time unknowingly reached four-thirty in the afternoon. Just when Yue Feng thought there would be no action today, the Tiger-not-Pull (Hu Bu La) on the pole at the entrance of the shelter suddenly became nervous.
A relaxed Tiger-not-Pull (Hu Bu La) is actually a very lively and active bird. When it's bored, it might flap its wings, preen its feathers, or even peck at the rope tied around its neck. These reactions are all normal.
But at this moment, the Tiger-not-Pull (Hu Bu La), which was normal a second ago, suddenly clamped its wings, shrunk its neck, and squatted motionless on the pole, as if it had encountered a natural enemy.
Yue Feng only needed to look at the Tiger-not-Pull (Hu Bu La) to know there was something going on, so he looked up through the gaps in the shelter.
At an altitude of about seventy to eighty meters, he could see a black shape circling overhead.
It's normal not to see the eagle's markings or color due to the backlight and high distance. Not to mention human eyes, even a mobile phone camera, unless adjusted in professional mode, would likely not produce an ideal image.
Seeing this, Yue Feng immediately pulled the bait in the middle of the net with one hand and gripped the net-pulling rope tightly with the other.
The state of tension lasted for about ten minutes. The Tiger-not-Pull (Hu Bu La) recovered from its nervous state of shrinking its neck and being on guard, returning to a relaxed demeanor.
Yue Feng knew that the eagle in the sky had probably flown away.
This situation is common when catching Great Eagles. Northern Goshawks are actually forest-dwelling raptors, mostly active in the forest during normal times. Only during migration season do they ride air currents and fly to high altitudes.
When hungry, Northern Goshawks in high altitude will also dive down to hunt, but it is not their primary hunting method, so the number of times they can lock onto prey and attack is far less than the total number of migrating raptors.
The sun began to set. Around five o'clock, Yue Feng decided to go down the mountain. The mountain wind is cold at night, and he had a long way to go home, so he needed to descend earlier.
Yue Feng took down the bait and removed the bait from two of the nets.
Various animals are more active in the mountains at night. From small Weasels to large Leopard Cats, they will harm the bait, so Yue Feng would not let all the pigeons stay on the mountain overnight.
He left two baits and took two back. This way, he could ensure the risk was controllable and also try his luck early in the morning, as dawn is a hunting window for raptors.
If he was lucky and went up the mountain just after dawn, he might find that a Great Eagle had been caught in the self-dropping net. In that case, Yue Feng would have completed his task ahead of schedule and would pack up and go home.
The next morning, Yue Feng woke up early, around four o'clock, and went up the mountain without eating breakfast. He grabbed a few mixed-grain steamed buns from the stove and pocketed a few pieces of pickled vegetables, which would serve as his lunch for the day.
By the time he reached Tiger Head Mountain, it was already bright. From more than ten meters away, Yue Feng saw that on the ground of the self-dropping net site he hadn't collected last night, the four surrounding nets hadn't been triggered, but the bait tied inside had been eaten again!
It was the exact same 'crime scene' as yesterday, with large patches of pigeon feathers on the ground and the remaining carcass.
Damn it! What kind of ghost thing has taken a liking to the bait here!
Yue Feng could accept that the net had fallen without catching anything and the bait had been messed with, as self-dropping nets are not foolproof, and it's normal for some things not to be caught after being triggered.
But the four nets were perfectly intact, forming an impenetrable barrier, yet the bait in the middle had been messed with in the same way!
With a mesh size of five fingers wide, small animals like Weasels could barely squeeze through, but the possibility of them entering and leaving without triggering the net is too small.
Yue Feng cleaned up all the feathers and remains on the ground, took out the last spare pigeon from his backpack, and tied it up again. After checking to ensure there were no omissions, Yue Feng walked towards the next self-dropping net where he hadn't collected the bait.
From a distance, Yue Feng saw that the net had been triggered, and there was an eagle entangled in the net on the ground.
Yue Feng's heart was filled with joy, and he quickly walked forward.
As he approached, Yue Feng found a Great Leopard weighing over three and a half catties, with feathers that had turned yellowish-brown, tightly entangled in the net.
This Great Leopard, scientifically known as a Common Buzzard, is a species of raptor closely related to the Common Buzzard that Zhu Erhai traded for a goose. It's one size larger than the Common Buzzard. Judging by the color of its feathers, Yue Feng estimated that this 'great treasure' should be over five years old.
As a Hawk Keeper, Yue Feng knew how difficult it was for these raptors to survive in the wild.
In later years, Yue Feng had seen foreign statistics showing that the probability of juvenile raptors that left the nest in a given year surviving their first winter and molting their down feathers was no more than half. The probability of surviving for three years, having their own territory, and finding a fixed mate was no more than 10%.
The vast majority of raptors are eliminated by the harsh realities of nature. Those that survive and grow to four or five years old are the elite of the elite within their species.
It was also because of his love and reverence for these beautiful creatures that, despite this Common Buzzard weighing three or four catties and being able to provide a meal for his family if butchered, Yue Feng had no intention of killing it and taking it home.
This 'great treasure' that had already reached adulthood could produce a nest of eagle chicks every year. The death of every adult bird is a loss to the natural ecosystem.
Although Yue Feng loved money and his family's life was just starting to get better, his initial love for raptors had never changed. He would only take what he needed and would not cause unnecessary destruction.
Putting on gloves, he removed the net from the Common Buzzard, then checked to confirm there were no injuries. Yue Feng held the Common Buzzard's two talons, then lifted the eagle and threw it forcefully into the air.
There will be another chapter at 8 PM. Keep asking for votes. A little spoiler: I will catch a proper eagle tonight!