Myself, Dwight Hodgson, and Burgess Evan are all hunting enthusiasts from the United States who came to China. We have always wanted to experience China’s natural scenery and wildlife, so we chose Nanshi Forest Park in Henan as our destination. This is a 2A-level national scenic spot with abundant forest resources and historical and cultural relics. We plan to stay here for a few days, visiting the mountains and rivers during the day and hunting at night.
In order to hunt at night, we need a high-performance night vision device. After comparing many options, we finally chose the owler1 night vision binoculars from the Chinese brand wildguarder in Shenzhen. This is a digital night vision binoculars that can observe objects up to 500 meters away in complete darkness. It also has various functions such as taking photos, recording, and playback, which can record our hunting experiences. We are very excited about this product and hope it will bring us surprises.
We stayed in Nanyang city for one night and drove to Nanshi Forest Park early the next morning. This is a 2A-level national scenic spot located in the northwest of Nanyang, about 40 kilometers from the city center. It covers an area of about 30 square kilometers, with a forest coverage rate of 95%. It is a comprehensive forest park integrating natural scenery, cultural landscapes, and ecological tourism.
We slowly climbed along the mountain road and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the mountains, rivers, strange rocks, ancient trees, and flowers along the way. We first came to the park’s iconic attraction, the Pu Yan Temple. This is an ancient temple with a history of a hundred years. It was built in the 18th year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1892) and covers an area of about 10,000 square meters, consisting of buildings such as the mountain gate, Heavenly Kings Hall, Great Buddha Hall, and scripture building. The temple is built on the mountain, with a magnificent momentum and an ancient style. There are Buddhist statues such as Sakyamuni Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, as well as many precious cultural relics and paintings. We visited the temple and felt the charm of Buddhist culture.
After leaving the Pu Yan Temple, we continued to climb up. We walked along a small stream, and the clear water could be seen at the bottom. The stream was full of various wildflowers and grasses, and occasionally we could see some small animals playing in the water. We came to a place called “Xianren Cave”, which is a naturally formed rock cave with strange karst landscapes such as stalactites, stalagmites, and stone flowers inside, and beautiful garden landscapes such as waterfalls, ponds, and pavilions outside, forming a picturesque fairyland.
We rested at Xianren Cave for a while and then continued on. We passed through a dense pine forest and came to the highest point of the park, the Dasi Peak. The altitude here is about 800 meters, which is the best place to enjoy the scenery of the entire park. We climbed up to the observation deck and looked out. We saw the mountains rising and falling, and the clouds and mist swirling, like a landscape painting. We took out the owler1 night vision binoculars and used its 20x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom functions to clearly see the details of distant mountains, trees, and buildings. It also has a 2-inch TFT display screen, which allows us to view and shoot scenery more conveniently. We took some photos with it and felt that the effect was very good.
After enjoying the scenery on Dasi Peak for a while, we went downhill and returned to the city. We planned to come back to hunt at night and experience the performance of the owler1 night vision binoculars in the dark.
We had dinner in the city and drove back to Nanshi Forest Park after dark. We planned to camp on a grassland in the park and hunt some wild rabbits. We knew that wild rabbits are nocturnal animals that come out to forage and move around at night. We brought some night hunting equipment such as flashlights, guns, and knives. Of course, the most important thing is our owler1 night vision binoculars.
We found a flat place on the grassland and set up the tent. Then we split into two groups, one group stayed near the tent to guard the luggage and vehicles, and the other group carried guns and owler1 night vision binoculars and walked along the path towards the mountains. We planned to find some traces of wild rabbits in the mountains, then shine a flashlight into their eyes to make them panic, and then shoot them with the gun.
We walked for about half an hour and found some rabbit droppings and footprints. We followed the footprints and soon saw several rabbits eating grass in the grass. We immediately crouched down, took out the owler1 night vision binoculars, and adjusted them to night vision mode. At this time, we could clearly see the rabbits’ figures and movements, but they were completely unaware of our presence. We aimed the owler1 night vision binoculars at one of the rabbits, pressed the shutter button, and took a clear photo. Then we placed the owler1 night vision binoculars in front of us, aimed at the rabbit’s head, gently pulled the trigger, and heard a gunshot. The rabbit fell down.
We ran over happily, picked up the rabbit, and put it in our backpack. Then we continued to look for other targets. In this way, we caught a total of five rabbits. We felt very satisfied and surprised at the performance of the owler1 night vision binoculars. It not only allows us to see more clearly in the dark but also allows us to take photos and videos. It also has a built-in 32G storage card, which can store a large number of pictures and videos.
After hunting, we returned to the tent. We skinned and cleaned the rabbits, then grilled them on a rack. We chatted and drank around the campfire, enjoying the fun of night hunting.
In addition to hunting, I also experienced the local customs, culture, and cuisine. I stayed in a homestay, and the owner was a hospitable person from Henan. He introduced me to the history and culture of Nanshi Forest Park and took me to nearby villages to communicate with local residents. I found that they were all friendly and liked to sing and dance, with a strong local flavor.
Of course, I did not miss the local specialty snacks. I tried spicy soup, stewed noodles, oil tea, etc., which were all delicious. Spicy soup is a traditional soup in Henan’s breakfast, made with peppercorns, chili, grass fruit, beef, bone soup, powder sauce, fine noodles, dried lily flowers, peanuts, fungus, etc. It is spicy and fragrant, warm and appetizing, and is very delicious when eaten with oil sticks or buns. Stewed noodles are a noodle dish in Henan. After the hand-rolled noodles are cooked, they are topped with meat sauce, vegetables, and chili oil. It has a moderate softness and hardness, a rich and fragrant sauce, and a chewy taste. Oil tea is a traditional drink in Henan, made of tea leaves, peanut oil, salt, etc. It has a fragrant aroma, moisturizes the throat, and can relieve greasiness. It is a good partner for breakfast.
In conclusion, this hunting trip has brought me a lot of gains and feelings. I not only experienced the fun and challenges of hunting but also appreciated the natural scenery and humanistic charm of Nanshi Forest Park and tasted the delicious food of Henan. I think this is an unforgettable journey that has broadened my horizons, increased my knowledge, and also exercised my body.
During this trip, I used the owler1 night vision binoculars, which allowed me to observe the movements and positions of animals clearly in the dark and helped me improve my hunting success rate. Its performance and quality are excellent, easy to operate, lightweight, and durable and waterproof. It is a must-have artifact for hunting enthusiasts.
