For once, bison wasn't on Valette's list today. The female was keeping track of the bison easily, as they lived on the open plains. However, she had been neglecting their deer population quite a bit. She had to check how their numbers had increased or faltered. She hoped the first. The gamekeeper had noticed enough tracks and other marks for her to know that they were still there, however, an exact index was lost to her.
The female would first check the usual hiding spots in their forest to see if there were any herds there. Since their pack was large they needed enough food for everyone, especially if she and her sister would both have pups this spring they would have a lot of mouths to feed. The matriarch moved through the undergrowth quietly. She wasn't stalking since that would slow her down considerably but she was making sure she was moving quietly through the brush.
s w o o p
The woodland boy traveled carelessly through the woods. It wasn't exactly a patrol, but he was walking around the territory rather bored if he were to be honest. Clay was back, he could go bother him although since their reunion he's been awfully slippery to get a hold of again. Maybe he was still mad that he called him a girl, not that it was his fault he totally looked like a girl.
It was then that he saw his mother moving slowly a short distance away. His first instinct was to stop knowing she'd be upset if he interrupted her hunting, but she didn't seem to be hunting exactly. Cautiously the boy would approach his eyes open for whatever it was that caught her attention. You find somethin'?
He was smart enough to keep his voice low now, but he wouldn't be totally surprised if he didn't recieve a response.
yAAAAAYYYY
Valette had been studying marks as she heard West come closer. She could tell by his scent, and well, she was her son that she hunted with quite often. She knew how he walked. The mother dipped her head when he approached her. The female appreciated his silence and consideration to be silent. She sniffed the air and then continued to walk with light paw steps.
"As a Gamekeeper you are not only in charge of hunting, but also maintaining the numbers," she explained with a whisper.
"With the bison I can watch them from the circle, with deer I cannot."
The female expected West to follow him, he was a good student. This was a good next level topic for the boy to learn. Valette moved more into a stalk mode, only a few meter later she was lying on the ground, completely merging with the undergrowth. Up ahead was a herd of deer. Her eyes scanned over the herd. She looked over her shoulder if West was joining her.
"You want to count the numbers but also try and see if there are newborns, or if there a does who are pregnant. Meaning they will have a baby in their belly and will have newborns soon." At least that was explained to the young male about what being pregnant is.
Maintaining the numbers?
How was he supposed to do that? He couldn't exactly just drop another deer or bison in the heard. Take away sure, but he was almost positive that's not what his mom meant here. The woodland boy needed no invitation, gladly following along. It wouldn't take long for them to approach the heard, his mother dropping down to the ground leading him to follow. It was moments like now that he was thankful to have a pelt that blended with the forest like Valette. He had never been small, but any other color and he'd truly stick out like a sore thumb.
Careful about shimmying forward, West laid flat against the ground as he also scanned over the heard. The boy couldn't think of a moment where he was ever this close without hunting. It amazed him that they were even able to get here without startling the group. It was then that Valette mentioned pregnant, but she explained before he had to ask. His head tilted picking out one doe in particular who seemed round. Maybe that's what she meant? He motioned with his muzzle to the female closer to the center, Like that one?
Wait why did Clay thing he was pregnant? He wasn't fat, was he?
Valette dipped her head in confirmation. West looked confused. It was good that they had found a topic about hunting he had not been taught yet. The female would wait with explaining when they had counted the numbers. The female dipped her head that he was correct. "She counts for two and one we won't hunt," she whispered only for him to hear. Valette counted them all and then popped up from the bushes, of course, startling the deer. Valette's eyes scanned over the movement, checking if all were healthy.
She turned to West. "Did you see?," she asked with a smirk. There had been one that had not been too quick to react which could mean illness. "If we only hunt the bison, like every week we take one down. We have a herd of .. pff I think 40 ish animals. If we would only hunt them, then there wouldn't be any left. Same for the deer herds. We don't want to hunt one herd too often," she explained to her son. "Now why do you think we don't hunt the fat ones? They are fat right, so extra meat. You know what being pregnant is now. So why do you think we don't hunt the pregnant one?"
Even the boy jumped when Valette popped up scattering the deer. He wasn't sure why she wanted to scare them, hadn't they been watching the heard? It was then that she turned back with a smirk. See? See what? West slowly rose from the ground as his mother explained. His gaze dropped as he processed the words, eyes shifting to scan the forest floor. They'll have kids. The numbers replenish!
Eyes lit with new realization, his stare locked back to Valette.
Since West didn't answer her first question, she figured he hadn't seen it. She would address that later because her son understood. She dipped her head proudly. "Yes!," she smiled. "Very good. I know the stalking and tracking has been drilled into you but watching a herd and knowing the amount of prey makes a gamekeeper instead of just a hunter," she explained to him. It meant that he had another level of hunting knowledge. Sure, he would still need to learn about herd dynamics but it was a good step in the right direction.
"Now, you might wonder why I startled them right?," she questioned. Valette quickly continued. "With deer it is a great way to check which ones have a slower reaction, or which one limps while getting away. You won't find a limping deer or elk that quickly but once you startle them often you have to watch which reaction is slower or sluggish. That one could be a next target for a pack hunt," she explained. "So even if you try to count their numbers and startle on accident, just be aware to look," she advised. Bison on the other hand were very hard to startle, they were the most fascinating to Valette, hence why she was watching the herd daily from her beloved stones.
West's tail wagged at the praise, although he'd keep his smile small. There was still more to learn and he couldn't afford to get sidetracked by approval. It was too often that his thoughts drifted elsewhere, even if someone was actively speaking to him. Valette turned the conversation back to when she startled the heard. He missed the obvious target this time, but it made sense. Some were slower to react and the ones that showed weakness would become focus points later. Oh, ok makes sense. Do you plan to watch the one that was slow for anything else after or does it just become our next hunt?
West made the mental note to remember that accidentally scattering their prey could still be useful.
Valette could appreciate the modesty of her son. He was not one to take too much pride in everything and she kind of liked that. He also asked the right questions. "Well, it wouldn't leave it at looking at just one time. Often I will try and watch a herd, or multiple if I have the time, daily. So I will remember that one that was slower and see if it becomes better or will worsen before I would take it as a consideration for a pack hunt," she explained to her son. Sometimes it was just that one had a bad day or was just zoned out. It happened, and if she would make the pack hunt a healthy animal it was much harder than a sick one.
West nodded silently as his mother's explanation. It seemed fair, after all, he had off days or often found himself easily distracted. Something like that would benefit in a one-off encounter, but a pack hunt would make it much harder if their target was actually alert when it came to be important. When would you stop hunting a herd? Like— what's considered to be too low?
It was nice to know why Valette watched the herds, he had copied her for a while now, but was never sure what exactly he was looking for.
Valette dipped her head with a nod. "Good question," she returned to her son. "There isn't a certain number. It all depends on many other factors. Like there should always be males left over, but I would pick a male over a female, as they give the young ones. So young bucks would do, or if a deer was really injured then we would take those."
Valette licked her lips. "With the earthquakes it was different. We had no big prey and when they returned I hunted the northern forest herd of deer more often since they were easier to catch than bison and we had mouths to feel. That is why that herd is far smaller now than the Eastern Deer herd that also roam the plains." The forested deer were smaller and easier to catch than the ones roaming the plains with the bison. "So I won't hunt them unless one is very sick and might die anyhow. You need to compare to other herds to see which one you can take from."
Can probably start to wrap up if you want
The woodland boy hummed before nodding again Got it, I can do that!
He falters, albeit just for a second as he glances away with a nervous tail flick, I've uh, watched the herds for a while now, but I never really knew what you did with the information. I guess it's been a bit of a waste, but now I'll make sure I put it to use now!
That may or may not have been common knowledge to Valette by now. When he watched the bison he was usually too focused or spaced out to really pay attention to his surroundings, but no one ever really bothered him so it hadn't been a problem.
Yes! Thank you for the thread! <3 Maybe we could have another before West leaves with Polaris to continue on this topic since I can use them for Val's deerstalker trade :D
Valette smiled at her son to then chuckle and shake her head.
"West, I've told you that you can always ask me things like that right?," she returned to the young male. Perhaps he was so sweet to not want to disturb her while watching but she wanted him to know that he could always ask her things. Especially about hunting. Maybe before he was not ready yet, as in, too young. He would want to chase and stalk instead of sitting and watching. So West being interested in watching also meant that he was maturing.
"Good, why not watch a herd together later this week," she returned to him.
you can wrap it up!!
West grit his teeth and sucked in but bore a grin all the same, Yeahhhh, I know. I'll ask sooner next time.
West padded forward to give his mom a quick lick on the cheek before darting a few paces ahead, Sounds good to me, I'll catch you later then!
Before Valette had the chance to add on any duties for him, the woodland boy ran off.