The Wolf of Los Angeles.

The off-road vehicle engines roared, the hunting dogs galloped and barked wildly, and dust filled the air, turning the withered yellow grass of the winter pasture into a complete mess.

Experienced hunting dogs burrowed into the low bushes, chasing away any animals hiding there.

The startled hare and groundhog fled in panic.

In a fully convertible black Land Rover Defender, Hawke, wearing a cowboy hat, gripped the crossbar with one hand and carried a shotgun in the other, searching for prey.

Soon, he saw a large group of dark shadows being chased out of the low woods by hunting dogs, and shouted, "Savior, a herd of wild boars to the left."

"Boss, hold on tight, I'm going to speed up!" Edward slammed on the gas pedal, and the car sped off.

Hawke gripped the crossbeam tightly, looking around, and soon spotted another red SUV.

Erica was standing in the back of the truck, holding the same shotgun.

The two are going to compete today to see who has the most prey and who will be on top for the next month.

Seven or eight wild boars of varying sizes were driven by hunting dogs to a more open area.

Edward was known for his exceptional driving skills when he first started working with Hawke, and he has received special training in the past two years. He can handle off-road vehicles with great agility.

The black Land Rover Defender made a slight turn, caught up with the herd of wild boars, and drove alongside them at a distance.

Edward slowed down slightly to make the car move more smoothly.

Hawke picked up his shotgun, and without even aiming, relying on his long-practiced shooting skills, pulled the trigger.

bang bang bang-

Puffs of gunpowder smoke billowed from the muzzle, and red shell casings kept falling into the car.

Hawke's hand was steady, and his aim was accurate.

With each gunshot, a wild boar would scramble its head to the ground and kneel in a deep bow.

Not a single wild boar escaped here!

Hawke sat back down, took bullets from the belt, and quickly loaded them.

Two pickup trucks followed and loaded the wild boar carcass into their cargo beds.

Gunshots rang out from the other side as well. Hawke picked up his binoculars and saw that Erica had also made some progress.

In particular, one of the wild boars, judging by its size, must have weighed over 200 pounds.

The ranch was vast, and Hawke didn't expect to make money from livestock farming. There were many undeveloped areas, which naturally became a paradise for wild animals.

Hawke picked up the walkie-talkie and asked, "Have you spotted the grizzly bear?"

According to his agreement with Erica, the grizzly bear's weight could be twice that of him.

After all, it's too difficult to find bears this time of year.

Even though the area around Jeffrey City, where the ranch is located, isn't particularly cold, the grizzly and black bears here still hibernate.

A wealthy person's hunting trip isn't just about a few bare off-road vehicles.

In addition to hunting dogs, each squad is also equipped with reconnaissance drones.

Looking at the footage transmitted back by the drone, Guti said, "We've placed honey in several locations to lure the hibernating bears, but none of them have taken the bait yet; they probably prefer to sleep."

He paused briefly, then said, "I've spotted a pack of coyotes. I've sent the coordinates to the Savior's GPS."

Hawke said, "Very good, keep looking for prey."

Edward had already turned around and was heading towards the location indicated by the navigation system.

As he approached, Hawke heard the familiar sound of Savage's shotgun.

The car rolled over a mound, and a red SUV stood out.

Erica rested her shotgun on the crossbeam and fired shot after shot into the distance.

Without even a howl, a small pack of coyotes lay dead in the wilderness.

After Erica fired the last shot, she waved towards Hawke.

Hawk waved in response and said to Edward, "Savior, let's go."

Edward started the car and drove off to another location. The car's navigation system then transmitted more information about prey.

Using a drone equipped with infrared detection to hunt prey in this wilderness devoid of dense forests is practically cheating.

After running for more than five kilometers, Edward caught up with another group of wild boars.

This group of wild boars was larger, appearing to number more than ten.

"Slow down." Hawke waited until the SUV was alongside the wild boar herd before raising his shotgun and firing repeatedly.

With a burst of gunfire, all the large wild boars fell to the ground, while the smaller ones scurried into a grove of low bushes.

The hunting dog truck that had followed them released the dogs.

Amidst the barking of dogs, the wild boar was driven out again.

Hawke had already reloaded his bullets quickly, showing no mercy to the wild boar.

He continued firing until all the wild boars lay down.

Hawke told Edward to stop the car, jumped out, and walked towards the wild boar.

There's a really big wild boar here, almost the size of the old sow we used to keep in the outhouse when I was a kid.

Hawke approached only after the hounds had passed.

The wild boar was shot in the head and was beyond dead.

Edward followed, kicked the wild boar's tusk, and said, "This thing's meat is smelly and fishy, ​​it doesn't taste good."

Hawke agreed: "It's just average, but it needs a good chef. Luckily, Erica brought a team of Eastern chefs with her. They can turn even the worst meat into a delicious dish."

He wasn't sure if others liked it or not, since everyone has different tastes and regional differences are huge.

But he likes it.

Hawke's radio crackled to life.

Guti said, "Boss, we've found an area where bears might be active. There's a hole there, and our latest infrared thermal imaging system shows large animals reacting inside."

Hawke immediately said, "Send me the coordinates."

Edward ran to the SUV first, and once Hawke jumped in, he immediately started the car and drove straight to the distant hills.

The hound van then followed.

More than half an hour later, the car stopped at the edge of the woods below the hill. Hawke took his pistol and shotgun and jumped out of the car.

Edward took an AR15 and followed Hawke.

The hound team followed with their hounds.

Edward, carrying a gun, walked at the front, looking at the GPS.

Hawke cautiously observed his surroundings.

The forest is mostly composed of deciduous trees such as birch, and it appears particularly desolate due to the winter season.

Hawke spotted a tree whose bark had been stripped, pointed in that direction, and cautiously walked over.

The bare, yellowed tree trunk was scratched with numerous claw marks.

Hawke touched it and said, "It looks like a bear did it."

The hound hunters came up from behind, squatted down in the grass not far away, picked up some dried droppings from the ground, smelled them, and said, "This is bear excrement."

Hawke nodded: "Find it, wake it up, and tell it that spring has arrived."

A buzzing sound came from overhead; it was a drone flying over the treetops.

Hawke said, "Hold on tight, or someone will steal it."

The group acted quickly and, following the directions provided by the drone, soon found a cave at the foot of a hillside.

Near the cave entrance, the hound hunters discovered signs of bear activity again.

Hawke observed for a moment and said, "There must be prey inside. Let's set a fire in there and wake the bear up." Edward opened his backpack and took out a camping kerosene canister.

The hunter collected some dry branches and carefully threw them into the cave entrance.

Hawke pointed the gun at the entrance of the hole.

Edward lit the makeshift incendiary bomb and threw it in.

The flames ignited the dry branches and leaves, producing a large amount of smoke.

The hunter and Edward quickly left the cave entrance, each finding a place to hide, while picking up the guns they were carrying.

Some of the smoke billowed out, while some flowed into the cave.

Hawke had already changed to a single-headed bear-hunting bullet and was keeping a close eye on the cave entrance.

Inside the cave, a male grizzly bear was hibernating. Because winter had just begun, it hadn't burned off much body fat and was still maintaining its large size.

The bear, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened by the smoke, sneezed, and its mind cleared up.

The fear of fire and smoke is ingrained in their genes.

The bear tumbled and crawled out of its hibernation den, letting out an angry howl, as if questioning who the hell was so uncivilized as to disturb a sleeping bear.

Hawke discovered that the bear was quite large, probably weighing over 400 pounds, which is considered large even among grizzly bears native to the United States.

Just then, the grizzly bear opened its mouth and roared, releasing a huge stench of breath that had been suppressed for many days during hibernation, which formed a terrifying magical attack.

Despite suffering psychological trauma, Hawke decisively pulled the trigger.

With a loud "bang," the grizzly bear's roar was abruptly interrupted, its massive head jerked back, causing its body to tumble to the ground.

Hawke didn't come out; he remained hidden behind cover, his gun still aimed at the grizzly bear.

After a moment, several hunting dogs ran over first.

Hawke then picked up his gun and slowly walked over there.

The hunter and Edward also arrived.

The latter kicked the bear's smelly rear end and said, "This big guy, the meat is so tough."

The hunter exclaimed, "What a huge bear!"

Hawke called over on the walkie-talkie: "Get the delivery person over here, I've hunted a bear."

He glanced at the bear carcass: "The prey is a bit heavy, we need a few more people."

This area is all wooded; pickup trucks can't get in.

When the people arrived, Hawke, Edward, and the others dug a firebreak at the entrance of the bear cave, braving the smoke, to prevent the fire from spreading.

Not long after, several people arrived and put out the fire.

Four large cargo drones also arrived at the same time.

The dead grizzly bear was put into a net, attached to a sling, and transported out of the woodland by a drone.

Hawke and his group came out, got into their off-road vehicles, and continued their hunting trip.

The ranch covers more than 50,000 acres, providing ample space for Hawke to hunt.

Wild boars are incredibly prolific breeders; Hawke encountered six wild boars in a single herd.

Although the small group consisted of only a few animals, the two pickup trucks carrying the game were full again when they returned in the afternoon.

The group returned to the ranch's construction area.

As soon as Hawke got out of the car, he smelled the aroma of stewed meat.

The hired culinary team is processing the prey; the grizzly bear's two forepaws have been chopped off in preparation for steamed bear paws.

There are also different ways to deal with other pheasants, rabbits, and wild boars.

In the eyes of Eastern chefs, these are all top-quality ingredients.

A moment later, Erica returned in her red SUV. She glanced at Hawke's prey count and readily admitted, "I lost."

Through the glass window, she saw the huge grizzly bear and said, "My team has been searching for a long time, but we haven't found the bear."

Hawke, who was watching the pickup truck being unloaded outside, said, "You've hunted a jaguar."

Erica simply stated, "We were driven out by drones."

Hawke said, "Using drones for hunting is like having a cheat code."

Erica chuckled: "Especially since you've installed an infrared thermal imaging system, any slightly larger animal simply can't escape detection."

The two men went to the car to look at the jaguar they had hunted.

Perhaps because it's winter, the jaguar's fur is exceptionally beautiful.

Hawke looked and saw that the bullet had hit the eye. He said, "Let's make a specimen. We don't seem to have any jaguar specimens."

Erica said, "No, there isn't."

Besides the jaguar, the largest wild boar was also selected and handed over to a professional company to be made into a specimen.

There's no need for other coyotes or the like, as the two already have their own collections.

The remaining wild boars must be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner by digging pits and burying them.

As darkness fell, Hawke had a bonfire lit in the square of the building district, and started a grand party.

Everyone who works on the ranch was invited to attend.

Drinks and various foods are unlimited.

In particular, the prey they hunted was made into various kinds of meat.

Hawke and Erica shared a bear paw.

For those who have experienced the bombardment of modern seasonings on their taste buds, this is just something novel to eat.

As the music started playing, dozens of people began dancing around the bonfire.

Erica ate a small piece of bear paw, wiped her mouth, stood up, and extended her hand to Hawke: "Mr. Osmond, may I invite you to dance?"

Hokra took her hand and they got up together, went to the campfire, and danced with the others.

After finishing his dance, he had just returned to his seat when Rumit, the ranch manager, came looking for him.

Erica, seeing that he had something to say, stepped aside.

Hawke shared a drink with Rumit and said, "The ranch is very well managed."

Rumit said with a smile, "I have some ideas about the ranch."

Hawke nodded slightly: "Go ahead and speak."

Rumet said, “Our area, apart from the Indian reservation, is bordered by Medicine Bow National Park and the Mared Mountains to the south, with the Snake River flowing through it and a natural lake. It boasts outstanding natural beauty and is perfect for tourists who love outdoor activities.”

He then pointed to the main road in front of the door: "This road will be completed soon and will connect to the interstate highway leading to Cheyenne, which will then provide high-end accommodation and outdoor activities."

Hawke understood: "You want to run a ranch?"

Rumit, a man of ideas, said, "At least it will allow the ranch to be self-sufficient."

Hawke thought for a moment and decided it was worth a try: "Sure, you can make a plan. I won't invest a lot of money."

Rumit said, "There is a surplus in the operating fund allocated this year, which can be put to use."

Hawke looked into the distance and said, "Don't overdevelop it; try to preserve the natural scenery."

“This is our advantage.” Rumit knew very well that pristine natural scenery was more appealing: “I will finalize the plan as soon as possible.”

After a brief discussion, Hawke passed the matter on to Edward, instructing him to hand it over to the West Coast Investment Fund.

Speaking of pristine natural scenery, the ranch here is indeed quite nice.

However, the transportation conditions are relatively poor.

Hawke and Erica had no urgent business and stayed there for almost a week before returning to Los Angeles. (End of Chapter)