frightfiction Chapter 320, Part 1: Taming the Hawk
Chapter 320, Part 1: Taming the Hawk
This wisdom has allowed the falconers of Yingtun to be passed down from generation to generation, resulting in an increasing variety of falcon species in the mountains.
Goshawks, red-tailed buzzards, Harris hawks, goshawks, peregrine falcons, and saker falcons can all be trained as hunting falcons and livestock for hunting.
These falcons are not only kings of the sky but also masters of the forest hunt. Their prey ranges from nimble greyhounds and takins to cunning foxes, weasels, and even immature ibex—all tremble before their sharp talons. Each hunt is a perfect demonstration of the harmonious cooperation between eagles and humans.
Li Ju'an once listened to the oral account of Zhao Pao, a legendary figure from Yingtun, and his words were full of awe: "A good falconer can train any kind of eagle; there is no bird that cannot be trained." Some falconers also like to challenge themselves with something different, such as training owls and birds of prey that live at sea.
A true master falconer has a clear mind and nimble hands; there is no eagle in the world that cannot be tamed, and all eagles submit to him.
Upon hearing this, Li Ju'an couldn't help but smile. This mountain area wasn't near the sea, and there were no sea predators, but the pleasure of taming owls was quite unique. These owls were incredibly accurate when catching bamboo rats, catching them one after another.
The bamboo rat is skinned, roasted over a fire, and eaten when it's cooked. It sizzles and oozes oil, then is sprinkled with a pinch of salt. The outer skin is crispy, and the inside is tender and juicy, making for an indescribably delicious taste.
When Zhao Pao saw this, he glanced at him sideways, his tone carrying a hint of disdain and mystery: "Hey, don't underestimate the owl's eyesight. It can catch a lot of prey. You'll know how wonderful it is once you actually use it."
Upon hearing this, Li Ju'an thought about it carefully and realized it was indeed true. Conventional hunting falcons like eagles and golden eagles are usually released into the sky during the bright daytime when visibility is excellent. But owls, with their unique eyesight, can capture prey at night or in dim light.
He laughed and said, "Why do eagles still work overtime? That's going too far!"
At that time, the eagle leaders all burst into laughter.
During his last visit to Zhao Pao, he learned that the latter lived on the edge of Wangxing Village, right next to a vast pasture, in a small hut provided by the pasture. Wangxing Village was adjacent to the pasture, and the pasture's captain, Wang, often had to gather hunters to venture into the deep mountains to hunt wild boars that were harassing the livestock.
Logically, such matters should be negotiated between the ranch and the forest farm first, and then the forest farm should allocate manpower to form a pig-hunting team to go into the mountains. However, last year, Captain Wang sought help from Leader Chen of the forest farm regarding tiger hunting, but Leader Chen made excuses and kept delaying, citing a shortage of hunters. Captain Wang also happened to meet Li Ju'an, who happened to have formed a tiger-hunting team and even invited Zhao Pao.
After this back and forth, this year, Captain Wang of the ranch simply bypassed the head of the forest farm and funded a team on his own. The hunters in Lijiatun were not cheap, but the falconers in Yingtun were more affordable and would take any job that came their way.
It was only 2 PM, and the air in the forest was damp and full of moisture.
Li Ju'an quickened his pace, following the old path to Wangxing Village, and before the downpour had completely started, he carried his basket on his back, led his hunting dogs, and rushed to the guardhouse door of the ranch.
He knocked on the door of the duty room and called out, "Uncle Chen!"
Li Ju'an had met Old Chen, the guard at the ranch, when he was hunting tigers last time, and had even drunk the pine needle tea he brewed.
Old Chen opened the door a crack, and seeing it was him, quickly beckoned him in, saying, "Li Pao, why did you come in alone?"
The duty room wasn't large, but it included a separate rest area with a fire pit. A pot of pine pollen tea was brewing on the wooden table. Lifting the lid released a delicate pine pollen aroma. Looking inside, the tea leaves were a bright yellow-green, with a clear, fragrant pine pollen scent—it smelled wonderful.
Li Ju'an put the basket on the wooden table, took a couple of breaths to catch his breath, and said with a smile, "Uncle Chen, look what good stuff I brought."
Old Chen, the forest ranger, had long suspected that this basket was unusual.
Even though he was somewhat prepared, he was still startled when Li Ju'an pulled out two sub-adult goshawks.
Old Chen jumped up on the spot, his eyes wide open, and shouted, "You can even find this thing? Where did you find it? If Old Zhao sees this, he'll be green with envy."
Li Ju'an was overjoyed. For falconers, sub-adult eagles are extremely precious, and those that can be trained into good eagles are even rarer. These two eagles were Zhao's falconry fledglings, and in terms of talent and intelligence, they were much stronger than ordinary wild eagles, making them much more likely to be trained.
It's like how a good hunting dog's puppies are more likely to be trained successfully. Besides luck, falconry also depends on the falcon's inherent talent.
Li Ju'an said, "Uncle Chen, is Zhao Pao at the ranch?"
Old Chen excitedly walked to the dial phone, swung the dial with his finger, and dialed a number. While on the phone, he contacted Xiao Jiang, who was on duty at the ranch, and winked at him, saying, "Don't worry, if you're looking for Old Zhao, even if you have to go and call him, he knows you have two eagles here, so he'll fly over right away."
The two of them chatted and laughed.
The dark clouds in the sky couldn't hold back the rain, and in September, a torrential downpour suddenly fell from the sky over the Xing'an Mountains.
Li Ju'an was leading his hunting dogs, sitting by the kang (a heated brick bed) warming himself by the fire. He hung the two ends of the ash wood stick he carried with him from the roof beam, making it look like a long wooden stick, and then placed the two sub-adult goshawks on this stick to stand upright.
He stared at the two eagles, who, equally defiant, glared at him fiercely. The larger eagle, taking advantage of his inattention as he walked by, opened its large beak and aimed it at his arm, ready to peck.
The hunting dogs were all lying on the floor of the guardhouse, resting, their ears pressed against the ground, listening alertly to any sounds outside. Suddenly, a hawk aimed at Li Ju'an and tried to snatch it. Da Hu lunged forward, leaping up and opening its mouth wide to bite the hawk.
This terrified the two eagles. Startled, the two eagles flapped their wings and flew off the wooden stick, gliding erratically around the guardhouse.
The duty room was already cramped, with only two rooms in the cramped space. If the eagle flew out like that, it would crash straight into the door. If it fell like that, it would provoke the hunting dogs. The hunting dogs were already very wary, and they saw the two eagles as prey. If they flew close, both the white mastiff and Little Steel Cannon would leap up and pounce on them to tear them apart.
Li Ju'an scolded the hunting dogs, and with just that one shout, they all fell silent. The lead dog, Da Hu, also lay back down on the ground, seemingly completely uninterested in the two eagles, but its erect ears clearly revealed its thoughts.