Rares, how rare really?

[Aethuviel]

So I am asking about this again, but this time I want to know if anyone knows what the game mechanics - sort of - have programmed. Are rares supposed to be 1 in 100, 1 in 200, 1 in 500, or something else?

I have been playing on and off since 2011, and while I used to be pretty specific with which animals I shot (= very low numbers), I can take examples from the ones I /spotted/ (and if I ever saw a rare, of course I would take it).

According to my stats, I've /spotted/ (not including the ones I've seen clearly with my own eyes but not actually spotted, so the true number is higher):
385 Whitetails
330 Mule deer
445 Roosevelt elk
341 Hogs
227 Blacktails
212 Pheasants
419 Moose
and out of these, I've only seen 2 rare whitetails (both back in January 2012), 2 mules, 1 elk (Jan 2012), and 1 moose.
(I'm only mentioning the species I've spotted the most, but I've also seen one piebald roe deer, one piebald red deer and one albino brown bear - and that's it.)
I have never once, to my knowledge, seen a melanistic animal of any species.

Am I just insanely unlucky, or what might the rough percentage be?

[HooCairs 🏹]

By my own estimation:
1 in 500 is non-typical
1 in 1000 is piebald
1 in 1500 is albino
1 in 2000 is melanistic

[Hylie Pistof]

well, HooCairs nows better than me ^^
but i just recently got my first albino - after over 600h XD just a female mule though :/
in my history is a uncommon mule or whitetail, but that must been very early, because i cant remember that.
got some melanistic i remember, not much though. also dont get much high scores, can be my hunting style.
i guess its all about luck, having a good spawn and actually finding that animal.

[Yukon Moose]

on this account wich i made for free to play for a grind i have..
whitetail 1989 harvest and 10 nont typs.... rares a few dozen easy
mule 1390 harvest and 8 nons.. furs over a dozen..
blacks 1272 harvest and 10 nons. around a dozen easy furs..
on my older account i need and see how many of just deers i have..wish i would have wrote down rare furs of each species haha..

[HooCairs 🏹]

Originally posted by Zorro:

none of your estimates are based on a accurate number, since none of us spot or kill every animal we see.

It is my estimation as said, and is based on roughly how many animals I have seen in the game. I would guess very few players have more data than I have. Not sure why you say "none of us spot or kill every animals we see", if seeing the animals is enough to estimate.

[sneakybass]

I hunt with bow only If i blow a chance at a rare animal will It come back later in the game .

[HooCairs 🏹]

Originally posted by Zorro:

I'm just pointing out that it's in my opinion a very inaccurate estimate

You call my estimation very inaccurate without knowing what data and what method I used. I am not going to write a dissertation here though. I was trying to help based on data I have collected over 10 years. It is clearly labelled an estimation and may everyone do with it what they want.

[Aethuviel]

Originally posted by HooCairs 🏹:

By my own estimation:
1 in 500 is non-typical
1 in 1000 is piebald
1 in 1500 is albino
1 in 2000 is melanistic

Well that sounds like something. Thank you, even if there's no way to know the exact ratio.

Originally posted by Zorro:

Never let "luck" be your limitation, fight "luck" by using a different approach that will increase the rate at which you will find rares.

Obviously luck has something to do with it, since you can't determine which animals will spawn, it's random. I talked about spottings instead of hours, because two people can have both played the same number of hours, but one only stalks with minimum gear, and the other uses all the gear and calls in every single animal, so the number of animals they see will be very different.

Originally posted by You Die0244:

I hunt with bow only If i blow a chance at a rare animal will It come back later in the game .

Yes, just track it down, and don't get distracted with other tracks (when you've passed enough tracks, the old ones will go away). I always keep a backup rifle in case I see an animal I really want, even if I intend to bow hunt.

[Kak2R🍸🧀]

Originally posted by HooCairs 🏹:

By my own estimation:
1 in 500 is non-typical
1 in 1000 is piebald
1 in 1500 is albino
1 in 2000 is melanistic

Damn it. I've harvested 3 mela coyotes and zero albinos. Out of 673 coyotes total. I'd rather have an albino lol.

[HooCairs 🏹]

It varies a bit for different species. I have 9 albino coyotes and 11 melanistic. Overall though I have a ratio for albinos : melanistic of about 7 :4.

By the way: I have certainly missed a melanistic moose or albino snowshoe hare. Unless you pay attention, you can easily miss them.

[TommyFresh]

I'd say Turkeys are one of the rarest. I hunt them more than any other species and have only ever had/seen 1 rare type.

Where as whitetail I see fairly often. It's not a species I hunt that often only around 300 whitetail kills but I have at least 4 NT's and several fur variations. Although my ratio of rares may be higher as I only really hunt them when I see a rare or a big one.

[Yukon Moose]

Originally posted by TommyFresh:

I'd say Turkeys are one of the rarest. I hunt them more than any other species and have only ever had/seen 1 rare type.

Where as whitetail I see fairly often. It's not a species I hunt that often only around 300 whitetail kills but I have at least 4 NT's and several fur variations. Although my ratio of rares may be higher as I only really hunt them when I see a rare or a big one.

i hear ya on the turkey, i been wanting a male variation for years, out of almost 7000 turkey kills between 2 hunter accounts i have seen ZERO, lol

[TommyFresh]

Originally posted by Yukon Moose:

Originally posted by TommyFresh:

I'd say Turkeys are one of the rarest. I hunt them more than any other species and have only ever had/seen 1 rare type.

Where as whitetail I see fairly often. It's not a species I hunt that often only around 300 whitetail kills but I have at least 4 NT's and several fur variations. Although my ratio of rares may be higher as I only really hunt them when I see a rare or a big one.

i hear ya on the turkey, i been wanting a male variation for years, out of almost 7000 turkey kills between 2 hunter accounts i have seen ZERO, lol

Wow that's quite unlucky. I got a grey one around 1200 kills.... Maybe I got lucky.

[dgeesio & ronMctube]

Originally posted by TommyFresh:

I'd say Turkeys are one of the rarest. I hunt them more than any other species and have only ever had/seen 1 rare type.

Where as whitetail I see fairly often. It's not a species I hunt that often only around 300 whitetail kills but I have at least 4 NT's and several fur variations. Although my ratio of rares may be higher as I only really hunt them when I see a rare or a big one.

turkey rares are very rare maybe its cause there is so many turkey on the map plays a part not sure. i only shot one rare turkey. sometimes the rarer they are the better the feeling or trophy.

[Yukon Moose]

Originally posted by TommyFresh:

Originally posted by Yukon Moose:

i hear ya on the turkey, i been wanting a male variation for years, out of almost 7000 turkey kills between 2 hunter accounts i have seen ZERO, lol

Wow that's quite unlucky. I got a grey one around 1200 kills.... Maybe I got lucky.

kool deal man, maybe i need to put wanting one in the back of my head and i will find one..i usually grind certain animals til i find what i want and eventually it happens sooner or later it seems, turkey not a chance.. also would like male pheasant melanistic..

[Gemheart [VA]]

well i think it was Flinter that plays the game for years and just recently found a rare in a video.... then you have me that plays the game for 2 weeks and finds a non typ whitetail 289.... and a friend i played with in 5min of game, he's 1st shot and kill was a non typ whitetail of 203...

My friend's whitetail:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1657852359328682192/D62C4BFBD3E7950713315F40295BF43B09286857/

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1657852359328682617/DD84FC6B72A7B4369A14DCD23BC489C0A6B3E743/

Mine:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2234711005

so as you see... it can take you 10 years to find a rare animal or it takes 5min on you're 1st login ever... when i'm out hunting im hunting average scores but always hoping for a jackpot...

recently i found 2 whitetail albinos, a doe and a buck, the doe i was coming back for resupplies and the buck i was casually roaming n' shooting and found him... as of now my counts are, 3 whitetail albinos, 1 rosie albino, 1 moose albino, 2 piebald blacktails and 1 whitetail piebald