"Brother, what's wrong?"
“We need to determine where the upwind direction is,” Wang Tianxiao pointed to the right side. “We need to go around to the downwind side from this place to get close to the honey dogs’ lair. Their noses are quite sensitive; if we’re upwind, they’ll definitely be able to smell us.”
"Is it really that strong?"
"Of course. Every creature in these mountains has evolved over tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of years. Without some hidden skills, how could they survive in such fierce competition?"
"Oh," Wang Tianxin said thoughtfully.
"Also, walk more quietly later. They can sense other creatures approaching by the ground vibrations, especially you, Tianxin. Don't always walk so loudly and make too much noise."
"Okay, I understand."
"Alright, let's continue forward. If I'm not mistaken, we should be able to see their activity patterns in about a hundred or two meters."
Following Wang Tianxiao's instructions, the three slowly circled around to a downwind position and continued to explore forward.
Since there were no footprints, the two dogs had to find their way.
A dozen minutes later, the two dogs suddenly stopped and looked ahead, whimpering softly.
"Something's up, hurry!"
Wang Tianxin quickened his pace and stepped forward, hiding behind the bushes. He gently poked two holes in the snow with a twig and looked ahead.
Upon seeing it, he gasped and nearly collapsed to the ground.
Seeing his brother's pale face, Wang Tianxiao knew he must have seen the honey dog hunting. He found it amusing and gently pulled his brother up, gesturing for him and Wu Wenhua to squat behind the bushes.
Only then did he focus his gaze on the hunting scene.
Fifty-six meters ahead on the snow, at least seven or eight honey dogs were attacking a grayish-white animal.
The animal was a little over a meter long and had short horns on its head, somewhat resembling a three-pronged tree branch.
It has large ears and eyes, a neck that is longer than that of a sika deer, and rather long limbs, with its hind limbs being slightly longer than its forelimbs. Its tail is quite short and appears almost hidden in its fur from a distance.
It turned out to be a roe deer.
Wang Tianxiao was also very surprised.
Ziwu Ridge is home to sika deer, and naturally also to roe deer, which are also a type of deer.
Judging from its appearance, this roe deer is probably a male that hasn't fully grown up yet. Male roe deer have short, branch-like antlers on their heads, which are far less attractive than those of sika deer.
The color of a roe deer's fur changes with the seasons.
In summer, roe deer are usually dark red or a slightly lighter brownish-yellow, but as autumn gets colder, their color gradually lightens to brownish-gray, and in winter when it snows, many roe deer even turn grayish-white.
Just like this roe deer in front of me.
Roe deer originally ate various grasses, fruits, and tree bark, so in winter, the snow-covered mountains are deadly for them. They not only lack food but also lose their resting places, often putting themselves in danger.
The people near the mountains all thought the roe deer was a fool.
They seem to exhibit some rather unintelligent behaviors.
For example, if a hunter or predator encounters a roe deer in the mountains, the roe deer will run away quickly. However, if the predator does not chase, the roe deer may stop and watch from a distance. In the snowy winter, if you are lucky, you can even hit those roe deer that are lying on the ground and unwilling to move with a stick.
This is not because roe deer are stupid, but because of their living habits.
Or rather, it is the harsh environment of nature that forces them to choose this mode of survival.
For example, why do roe deer never run far when they see predators, but instead stop and watch after running a short distance? This is because roe deer are always cautious, and it is not easy for them to get a place to eat or rest temporarily, so they are unwilling to give it up easily.
Once a predator disturbs a roe deer, it will stop chasing it, so the roe deer can wait until the predator leaves before returning to its original spot.
Humans are much smarter than predators; they can devise strategies and discover patterns.
Once hunters discover that roe deer have this habit, they can scare the roe deer away and then hide nearby to wait. There is a high probability that the roe deer will walk into their trap.
For example, the story of a roe deer being knocked unconscious with a stick also tells a poignant tale.
Roe deer are generally weak in winter due to food scarcity, especially female roe deer.
Roe deer have the longest gestation period among deer, similar to humans, lasting up to ten months from conception to birth.
In other seasons it's fine, but in winter, pregnant roe deer already have insufficient food, and they also have to provide nutrition for the babies in their wombs, so their bodies become very weak.
They can only survive by gnawing on dry tree bark or dry grass.
Once the heavy snow has passed, the snow will cover all the food, and they will have no choice but to dig through the snow to find a place to eat and live.
Because of their lack of energy, once they lie down to rest, they are often unwilling to stand up again, even when faced with sudden danger.
Therefore, most of the roe deer that hunters can knock unconscious with sticks in the mountains after a snowfall are female roe deer, and most of them are pregnant.
In his previous life, Wang Tianxiao would not hunt roe deer. Hunters have a basic rule: they cannot kill pregnant prey, nor can they kill a chicken to get the eggs, thus robbing the mountains of their future.
Of course, while roe deer may be pitiful, there's no need to feel too much sympathy for them.
In fact, roe deer are more harmful than beneficial to humans. Once their numbers increase and they can't find enough food in the mountains and forests, they will run into the villagers' fields to steal food, sometimes in groups.
Therefore, if the roe deer population becomes too large, the forestry department will organize hunters to hunt them down until the number is reduced to a level that the ecosystem can sustain.
Back to the scene.
This was also the first time Wang Tianxiao had ever seen a honey dog hunt a roe deer.
At first glance, this roe deer weighs less than 30 kilograms. Although it is not fully grown, it is at least a little over 1 meter tall. The honey dogs that surrounded and killed it look like kittens, with a huge difference in size.
Komi dogs hunt by group attacks.
They are agile, numerous, and have sharp teeth, while roe deer, although larger in size, are less powerful and faster in winter.
They are rarely alone; they usually live in groups of three to five. I don't know what's wrong with them.
Perhaps sensing the danger to its life, the roe deer tried with all its might to shake off the honey dogs on its back, but the two honey dogs held tightly to its skin and flesh, and it could not shake them off.
As the roe deer moved, the honey dogs seemed like malignant tumors growing on its body, or blood-sucking leeches.
No matter how it swayed left and right, suddenly accelerated, or used other methods, it couldn't escape the honey dog's bite.
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