An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 48

Modern knowledge that is not very useful – Chapters

Chapter 48    Requests from farmers

Next up are Prairie Dogs.

This is a job we abandoned midway last time.

I really dislike this one…

These creatures are so cautious. They quickly retreat into their burrows even if you get just 100 or 200 meters close to them. And the target is so small, barely the size of a cat.

At first, you can catch them with arrows, but they become even more cautious and hard to catch. It’s better to start with long-range shooting from the beginning.

Because of this, there is absolutely no one in this world who can exterminate them. They keep multiplying, turning everywhere into their burrows.

As a result, the pasture fields are filled with holes, and horses trip over them, breaking their legs. Farmers absolutely despise them.

What’s even more bothersome is that they are adorable!

Their appearance and behavior, everything! And they’re always in family groups!

A few of them stand on the burrows while others keep watch around.

To achieve a reasonable hit accuracy at 200-300 meters, the caliber has to be large, but that leads to gruesome results. The impact tears them apart, scattering them everywhere.

I feel so guilty, but there’s no helping it. I steel my heart and shoot rifle rounds with the Remington M700.

The .308 Winchester and the 7.62x51mm NATO rounds are essentially the same and interchangeable. It’s interesting, though, that when you buy them as .308 Winchester, they come with hunting projectiles like hollow points, while as 7.62x51mm NATO, they come with full metal jacket military rounds. The high-powered hunting projectiles like those from Barnes cost around 150 yen per round, while the FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) rounds are cheaper at 50 to 60 yen per round. That’s why I use the latter for Prairie Dogs.

“Saran, you can play at the farm. I’ll handle this alone.”

“Okay…”

I asked the ranch owner to move all the horses into the stable since the gunshots are quite loud and might startle them. Horses are delicate creatures, and sudden gunfire nearby can often lead to accidents. In fact, in places like Hidaka Town, famous for horse breeding in Hokkaido, firing guns around ranches is strictly prohibited.

…It’s a highly precise shooting task.

I have to measure the distance with a laser range finder each time.

I’ll be sniping all of them from a prone position (lying down).

It’s good training for precision shooting, I suppose.

The scope flashes with each shot, and the muzzle jumps, so I can’t see the exact moment of impact. However, I can still see the debris flying in the air, so I end up apologizing to them silently while shooting. It’s a tough job…

Still, I managed to get over fifty of them.

I cut off the small tails of the Prairie Dogs, leaving only the lower halves, as proof of extermination.

I had to walk all over the ranch. It’s exhausting.

I reported the results to the ranch owner.

“Here you go.” When the ranch owner opens the bag with tails, he’s astonished.

“Wow! Did you catch all of these?” he exclaims.

“Yes…”

“Now I can let the horses run freely! Thank you!”

“Please make sure to fill up all the holes before letting them run.”

“I got it. Man, you hunters are the first ones to help us with Prairie Dog extermination. I’m thrilled! Your reward will be substantial! I’ll definitely ask for your help again!”

It adds up to five gold coins now.

The reward shows just how much the farmers appreciate our efforts.

I wish I had a precise .223 Remington varmint rifle for small animal extermination, but both the gun and the scope can make it look like a full-fledged sniper rifle, and it would likely be expensive. Besides, there’s hardly any use for it other than Prairie Dog extermination…

In Japan, hunting for such animals is prohibited.

Practically, you can only use rifles to shoot deer, wild boar, and bears.

For everything else, you have to use either a shotgun or an air gun.

If only we could use rifles for fox extermination… it would make things so much easier.

But alas, it’s prohibited.

“Saran, let’s head back.”

“Umm… Okay…”

She was sleeping on a straw mat.

Well, I guess it can’t be helped. I can’t show her the scattered and flying prey.

I gently pat the straw off her back.

Next is the sheep farmer.

The coyotes, you see. They are quite far from Saaplast, closer to the neighboring Topurus.

They’ve placed requests with both guilds, but it seems no one is willing to take on the task.

I hand the flute to Seran.

Peeyu, pik, pi-pyuuu— peeyu, pee———.

It makes a sound as if the captured small animals are crying out in distress.

This is called the Predator Calling.

When you blow it…

The coyotes came wandering over!

One by one, I shoot them with the Remington M700 at a distance of 200-300 meters. I’m using FMJ rounds for this too, as hitting the coyotes with hollow points isn’t very effective.

The Elf village is nestled within the forest, along the lakeside.

They live by maintaining small fields.

The kind of animals that appear here is quite different from the vast grasslands, pasturelands, and large fields.

So, the hunting method needs to be adapted accordingly.

Luring them in becomes effective.

I managed to catch five of them.

“Thank you. You’ve been a great help,” says the sheep ranch owner, expressing gratitude.

Around ten sheep are lost to the coyotes each year.

“There’s something I’ve been thinking about…. Um, we were thinking about raising sheep in our village. Would it be possible to buy a pair?”

“Sure, but how will you bring them back?”

“That’s something to discuss with the merchants.”

“I see. If you want a pair, it’ll be ten gold coins. Oh, if you’re fine with lambs, I’ll give them to you for free as a token of gratitude for today. Just come back two or three more times, though.”

“That sounds good to us. We’ll definitely do that.”

“Whenever you’re ready, come back. For now, today’s deal is just for today.”

With that, we received two gold coins as payment.

At the ranch’s stable, we gaze at the sheep. If they’re lambs, they’re about the size of a large dog. We might be able to transport them with the canoe.

“You want sheep, Shin?”

“Yeah, you can get wool from them, right? We could use it to make everyone’s bedding, knitting wool, and stuff like that.”

“Oh, I see. I was thinking about sheep meat and sheepskin…”

No, no, you can’t eat them, please don’t eat them…

“Lanoa has goats, right? Maybe we could have them raise the sheep for us.”

“That’s a good idea. I think that could work.”

Once we’re back in the village, let’s talk to Lanoa about it.

As we watch the sheep, the ranch owner comes over and explains various things to us.

“If you can keep goats, then sheep should be fine too, right?”

“Of course. They only eat grass. You shear their wool once a year before summer, and they can live for about ten years producing wool. They’re mostly just eat and sleep, not very fast, so we make sure other animals can’t prey on them. If you want to eat their meat, do it by their second year.”

gulp

I’m from Hokkaido, so I have a fondness for sheep.

I love Genghis Khan (a dish made with grilled lamb or mutton) after all.

I definitely want to raise them…

Next up are pigeons, crows, and continuing with coyotes.

There weren’t any big targets like last time.

For three days, we did various jobs and returned to the guild to submit the completed reports with the signed request forms.

“Oh, you guys were a big help. From the guild, you’ll get three gold coins in three days.”

So, it’s one gold coin per day for the two of us. Well, I guess pest extermination hunters are like volunteers. Can’t complain about it.

Looking at the bulletin board, there are quite a few big requests.

Large alligators, giant snakes, gray bears, exterminating goblin nests, orcs, and even fantasy-like creatures from another world, all have requests for their extermination.

“…There are indeed jobs that feel more like what hunters should do.”

“What does it mean to be a ‘hunter-like’ job? A job is a job.”

“Who does these kinds of jobs?”

“Well, the first and second-class hunters are happy to take on these tasks. If they do it once a month, they can live somewhat luxuriously.”

“Do you want to try them?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

To be honest, it’s an absolute no for us.

Basically, these jobs are meant for parties with more members.

“That’s right. You guys just got promoted to second-class hunters, and that’s why we don’t have enough people for these kinds of requests.”

“Yet, there were requests for goblins, hydras, and Lyle slime…”

“I’m sorry. Back then, we were short-staffed, that’s why. Don’t take it the wrong way. On the other hand, it’s easier to mobilize a party of five or ten with just a few gold coins.”

I see. It makes sense. If we split the earnings among a larger group, we’d end up in the red.

So, we are doing just the right job for the two of us.

Whatever you say, Bal knows how to make use of people.

“Where do the first and second-class hunters usually go?”

“They usually set up base in the capital or get hired as personal guards for nobles… They won’t come back to this town. We’re short-handed. And because of that, we can charge good money for our services. It’s a vicious cycle.”

“It would be great if more hunters joined.”

“Not really. In a world with more hunters, it wouldn’t be a happy and peaceful place.”

…

Then I feel like asking Bal why he became a hunter.

Just like me.

Becoming a hunter out of necessity, as there was no one else to do it.

I became a hunter to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and help everyone.

I’ve come to enjoy shooting guns to some extent, but it’s tough, dirty, and dangerous, and I can’t escape the misconception that I’m a misfit who loves killing animals. The police keep tightening regulations one after another, as if they want to exterminate hunters.

It’s a losing proposition… being a hunter.

“You’re right. Being a hunter is a loss.”

“That’s true.”

Bal smiles with a smirk.

“I have high hopes for you.”

…No, even if you say that…