I and Sandra, Alva Norton are college classmates, and we are both passionate about nature and adventure. We often went to the wild together during college, enjoying the close contact with nature. After graduation, we went on different paths in life, and rarely had the chance to meet again. However, last month, we finally had a rare opportunity to get together, and we agreed to go hunting in Shaoguan National Forest Park in Guangdong, China.
Shaoguan National Forest Park is one of the largest national forest parks in China, with rich natural resources and biodiversity, and a paradise for hunting enthusiasts. We decided to spend a week there, experiencing the fun of hunting at night. In order to make our hunting trip smoother and safer, we prepared some essential equipment, the most important of which were night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars.
Night vision binoculars are instruments that can see objects in the dark, they use micro-light amplifiers and infrared light sources to convert weak ambient light into visible light, allowing us to observe the movements and characteristics of animals at night. Infrared binoculars are instruments that can detect the thermal radiation of objects, they use thermal imagers and infrared filters to convert the temperature differences of objects into color differences, allowing us to aim at the body and organs of animals at night. These two instruments are very useful for hunting at night, they can help us find and track animals in the dark, increase our hunting success rate and fun.
Shaoguan National Forest Park is our destination for hunting, it is one of the largest national forest parks in China, with rich natural resources and biodiversity, and a paradise for hunting enthusiasts. Here, we can enjoy the spectacular scenery of mountains and rivers, feel the primitive forest atmosphere, and experience the exciting hunting fun. Below, I will introduce you to the features of Shaoguan National Forest Park, including its geographical location, climate, vegetation, animals, and its history and culture.
Shaoguan National Forest Park is located in the southeast suburb of Zhenjiang District, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, 2 kilometers away from the city center, with a total area of 2010.73 hectares, geographic coordinates: east longitude 113°28′26″-113°37′51″, north latitude 24°45′43″-24°50′55″. Shaoguan National Forest Park is a low mountain and hilly terrain, with an altitude of 60-494.8 meters, among which the highest peak Huanggang Mountain peak is 494.8 meters above sea level, Lianhua Mountain peak is 254.8 meters above sea level, Furong Mountain peak is 323 meters above sea level. The soil is mountainous red soil, with various natural landscapes such as forests, lakes, streams, Rocky Mountains, caves, etc. Shaoguan National Forest Park belongs to the subtropical mountain monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 20.2°C, extreme low temperature of -4.3°C, extreme high temperature of 41°C, average annual rainfall of 1600 mm, and short frost period. Shaoguan National Forest Park is part of the Nanling Mountains, an important water source of the Nanling Mountains, and one of the sources of the Pearl River, the Beijiang River, and the Shaoguan River.
The vegetation types of Shaoguan National Forest Park are mainly subtropical broad-leaved forests and coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests, coniferous forests are mostly artificial forests, bamboo forests and karst shrubs have a small area. Shaoguan National Forest Park has plants such as wild peony, gang pine, mangji, peach blossom, pine, fir, hemlock, camphor, maple, fagaceae, magnoliaceae, etc., 115 families, 316 genera, and more than 420 species, with a forest stock volume of 185,000 cubic meters and a forest coverage rate of 88%. Shaoguan National Forest Park has 507 medicinal plants, belonging to 122 families and 343 genera; among them, 18 families, 21 genera, and 30 species of fern medicinal plants, 1 family, 1 genus, and 1 species of gymnosperm medicinal plants, 103 families, 321 genera, and 476 species of angiosperm medicinal plants. Shaoguan National Forest Park has animal species of 27 orders, 76 families, and 266 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, etc., with birds being the most. Shaoguan National Forest Park has animals such as wild boars, foxes, deer, badgers, monkeys, squirrels, flying squirrels, deer, eagles, chickens, ducks, geese, cranes, pigeons, quails, sparrows, magpies, crows, parrots, mynahs, larks, thrushes, nightingales, vultures, mandarin ducks, herons, cormorants, gulls, ducks, geese, cranes, quails, sparrows, magpies, crows, parrots, mynahs, larks, thrushes, nightingales, vultures, etc.
Shaoguan National Forest Park not only has rich natural resources, but also has a long history and culture. The tea pavilion ancient road in Shaoguan National Forest Park is the only way for the ancient Central Plains to enter Shaoguan from the east. There is a tea pavilion built there, and there are many stone inscriptions left in the tea pavilion area. It is the location of the “Lianhua Qiao Chang” of the 24 scenic spots of Qujiang in the Qing Dynasty. There are buildings such as the General Pavilion, the Beacon Tower, and the Monument Pavilion for the martyrs who died in the Northern Expedition during the National Revolution. The Furong Mountain scenic area has historical sites such as Jinjing Lake and Furong Mountain Temple. “Jinjing” originated from the “Qianqiu Jinjianlu” by Zhang Jiuling, a prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. You can experience the “Qujiang style” of Zhang Jiuling, who was “the unparalleled scholar of the Tang Dynasty and the first person in the south of the sky since ancient times”, by visiting here, and compare the past with the present; the thousand-year-old ancient temple built in the Ming Dynasty-Furong Mountain Temple, is quaint and incense-filled, leaving behind the poem “Furong leaves the scenery, the ancient temple ranks the famous mountains”.
Shaoguan National Forest Park is a comprehensive scenic spot that integrates nature, history, and culture. It is our ideal choice for hunting. Here, we can enjoy the beautiful scenery, breathe the fresh air, feel the primitive forest, experience the exciting hunting, learn about the history and culture of Shaoguan, and gain unlimited fun and knowledge.
In Shaoguan National Forest Park, we spent a week of hunting, which was one of the most unforgettable experiences in our lives. Here, we not only enjoyed the wonderful nature, but also experienced the fun of hunting at night. Below, I will describe our hunting process for you, including how we chose the hunting location, how we used the night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars to observe and aim at the animals, and what kind of prey we shot, as well as our mood and feelings.
Our hunting location was the Huanggang Mountain scenic area of Shaoguan National Forest Park, which is the highest peak of the park and also a hotspot for animal activity. We rented a wooden house here as our camp. Every night, we would take our equipment and go hunting. Our equipment included hunting rifles, bullets, flashlights, knives, ropes, backpacks, etc., and of course, the most important ones were night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars. These two instruments are very useful for hunting at night, they can help us find and track animals in the dark, increase our hunting success rate and fun.
Night vision binoculars are instruments that can see objects in the dark, they use micro-light amplifiers and infrared light sources to convert weak ambient light into visible light, allowing us to observe the movements and characteristics of animals at night. We usually use night vision binoculars to look for animal traces, such as animal eyes, fur, tails, etc., and then follow their direction, slowly approaching them. Sometimes, we also use night vision binoculars to enjoy some nocturnal animals, such as monkeys, squirrels, flying squirrels, etc., they jump and play on the trees, very cute.
Infrared binoculars are instruments that can detect the thermal radiation of objects, they use thermal imagers and infrared filters to convert the temperature differences of objects into color differences, allowing us to aim at the body and organs of animals at night. We usually use infrared binoculars to determine the type of animal, such as wild boars, foxes, deer, badgers, etc., and then choose the appropriate shooting position and timing according to their size and habits, and hit their vital points with one shot. Sometimes, we also use infrared binoculars to observe some hard-to-detect animals, such as deer, eagles, herons, etc., they lurk or fly in the grass or in the air, very secretive.
In this week of hunting, we shot a lot of prey, such as wild boars, foxes, deer, badgers, deer, eagles, herons, etc., each hunting made us feel excited and satisfied. We not only exercised our body and will, but also enhanced our friendship and trust. Every time we shot a prey, we would hug and congratulate each other, and then take the prey back to the camp, ready to cook and enjoy. Our hunting trip made us feel the harmony between man and nature, and also made us experience the value and meaning of life.
Besides hunting, another pleasure for us was tasting the local cuisine. Shaoguan, as a multicultural city, has a variety of characteristic delicacies, which made us enjoy ourselves. Below, I will introduce you to our food experience, including how we processed and cooked our prey, and what kind of local specialties we tasted, such as Shaoguan beef noodles, Shaoguan sour and spicy noodles, Shaoguan roast goose, Shaoguan rice wine balls, etc., as well as our evaluation and feelings about these delicacies.
Our prey included wild boars, foxes, deer, badgers, deer, eagles, herons, etc., each of which had different processing and cooking methods. We usually took the prey back to the camp, rinsed them with clean water, then cut them open, removed the viscera, and then marinated them with salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings for a while, to increase the flavor. Then, we cooked them in different ways, some roasted with fire, some boiled with water, some fried with oil, some stewed with pot, according to different meat quality and taste, to choose the appropriate method. We also used some local vegetables and spices to match, such as cabbage, celery, cilantro, chili, pepper, star anise, etc., to make the prey more delicious. Every time we cooked, we would bring them to the table, and share them with our companions, eating and chatting, very comfortable.
In addition to our own cooked prey, we also went to some local restaurants and snack shops, and tasted some of Shaoguan’s specialties, which opened our eyes and made us enjoy ourselves. Here are some of the delicacies we tasted, as well as our evaluation and feelings:
Shaoguan beef noodles: This is one of the most famous delicacies in Shaoguan, which is a soup noodle made with beef and rice noodles. The soup is rich, the beef is tender, the rice noodles are smooth, and there are some cilantros, peanuts, scallions, etc. as ingredients, which are very appetizing, and a very suitable breakfast. We ate this delicacy in an old-fashioned beef noodle shop in Shaoguan city, and felt very satisfied, and the price was very affordable, only 5 yuan per bowl.
