Exploration, Experience, and Future Strategies

[Annjalea]

I decided to take advantage of my solitude with my most recently vacated mother, Penny. After raising a fully successful litter of four, I decided that for the first time in all my seven generations, I was going to explore the other regions.

I'm super anxious about losing cubs so I've always stayed in the Den area to stick to the safety of familiarity. So this time, I thought I'd go check out the mysterious regions without having the stress of my kits. I used the time to evaluate the area during the seasons-- when and where prey was most plentiful, the risks and threats weighing in on each portion of the map, and how over all comfortable I felt bringing little ones into the territory. Now, I know exactly how I want to migrate and raise my future litters.

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I first decided to let my lynx wander to the infamous Tundra. After reading up on several guides, I knew the threat of wolves would be present so I entered the new division on high alert. It was winter, the season just after my kits had departed, and I had heard the Tundra was the best place to travel to during this time of year. The area was vast and using scent, any prey in the vicinity was easily spotted. The actual prey itself didn't seem to be of any great proportions but the easily sighted deer would surely prove useful for feeding a hungry family.

I let Penny catch a few rabbits to boost her stamina as I made my way to where I could see the deer herd's silhouettes. I was intrigued and wanted to see how truly difficult one would be to catch. To my pleasant surprise, if you take advantage of stalking the group and stay focused on one to catch, bringing down the prized meal is quite easy to do! My lynx's belly was completely full after finishing the carcass. There seemed to be an abundance of bunnies in the area so I decided to catch a few for simple amusement and practice.

However, my lighthearted tone was quickly dimmed when the sky went dark and the distant but bone chilling howls of one of Mother Lynx's worst fears echoed through the wind: wolves. I can see how having kits with you would ignite a state of panic as one would try frantically to evade the pack and jump onto one of the frequent but spread out plateaus. However, being solitary made the situation much less scary and I was able to jump to safety nearby.

After the encounter I realized how little I liked the vast new land. The prey was good, and fairly easy to catch given the lack of obstacles to run into or obscure your vision. Unfortunately, the threat of a much bigger and more aggressive predator than I, is a risk I don't believe I'd want to introduce to my young. I don't believe I would consider the Tundra a spot I'd migrate to unless in a situation where finding food is hopeless in other regions. Though nature gives plentiful food to fill your litter's bellies, it also holds a constant and looming threat that can take away one you love in an instant.

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Going to the Lake territory was a pleasant and very promising experience that I look forward to taking advantage of in the future. Penny's travel-weary paws crossed into the new land just after the heart of winter. Though the air was still cold and snow still fell, the worst of the season was over and the site of a vibrant new land looked forgiving. At first, I stayed uphill from the large meadow that bordered the lake. Using my scent, I was able to see so far from where Penny was hesitantly perched. I could see rabbits all over (even in winter!) and a herd of at least six deer just a little ways down the bank of the frozen water.

The positive over view made me much more confident as I made my way into the territory, Penny sniffing the air every so often, each time being met positively by several amounts of prey in all directions! The large groups of bunnies in the plains made for quick stamina builds before making my way over to wear the herd of deer seemed to be grazing. I was able to take down two deer, only a few minutes apart and I knew these animals would make for a great dinner for one trying to feed a family.

I spent the entire year there, my lynx growing quite fat from feasting on the plentiful amounts of rabbits, deer, voles, and even pheasants that wandered through the forest that bordered the plains. It was when the summer rolled around after my first winter at the lake when I decided to wander the forest to see if there was anything significant enough to bring an entire litter to. The trees were dense and the only prey were the birds I had hunted before, and the occasional nest that could be shaken from a tree.

Penny stayed near the bank of the lake, taking occasional breaks to drink and regain stamina. The forest proved to be a bust, the prey count, I concluded, not being consistent enough to support four hungry mouths. The end of summer was when I made my way back to the abundant field, traveling right along the lake as a guide. A certain spot next to the water was significantly marshier than other portions on the water's edge, growing patches of tall grass. There, I found at least three if not four nests on the ground (most likely from ducks or geese) that filled my lynx's belly and would surely fill my babies'.

I returned to the open meadow just as autumn fell, an exact year since my healthy kits had left me to take on their own worlds. I spent fall at the Lake to complete my year round migration and remained content with the amount of prey (especially rabbits) that remained in the territory no matter the season. I didn't return to the den to end the game until well into the second winter spent at the lake.

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I have concluded that balancing time between the main Den region (if food is particularly scarce by the Lake) and the Three Trees domain is ideal for raising a successful but experienced litter to adulthood. I will definitely be taking my future litters to the lake to be raised as I have come to love the area and what it has to offer. It has a variety of all types of prey to catch as well as an open area for hunting and a forested area for seclusion.

//

I'd love to hear your migration strategies and about where your favorite place to raise cubs is! So far the only threat in the Three Trees (excluding Mountains DLC predators) is the Blob? I've never actually encountered it but I hear the best thing to do is just keep your cubs close and don't let them out of your sight!

[A_Cheeky_Vixen]

Funnily enough, ma favourite area to raise my kits is the tundra. Granted the time spent there before the wolf attack is nerve wracking, but so worth it once it's passed (they only come once per loading) rabbits and deer are abundant all year round, and there are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore !
The only litter I ever brought to the lake area though, I almost lost to starvation, due to how little pray I actually found, even when scouting every last corners I only found spares rabbits here and there, a few birds, and the occasional deer herd, but my catching rate for the last two is unfortunately not high enough to sustain four hungry mouths... so I usually stick to the den area, the tundra and the mountain, where rabbits roam by the hundred.
I only go to the mountain with my teen cubs though, makes it a hell of a lot easier to evade the occasional bear wandering about....
For the blob in the three trees area though, you can either keep your cubs close to you if you are engulfed by it, or you can go near the passage to the den area, as the blob doesn't reach all the way here :)

[Starborne]

I love the tundra area, never once have my cubs died there. I'm on like my 10th generation and I entered the mountains about 8th and I LOVE it. (Even with the bears) The only time I was in the lake (1st time) 2 kits died of starvation.

I found alot of deer in the lake area but I could never catch them (Silly gen 1 me xD) and birds always flew off before I cought 'em. Rabbits we're basically extinct in that area if you me.

I ggo to the mountains area alot, ir very beautiful and I find mountains on mountains and the mountains are covered in tons of prey. (Although I've seen alot of bear :P)

I've never stayed in the den area much just because its to familliar. Now the other areas are to familliar. Plus I like my deer. xD

The tundra is basically deer everywhere, I turn, deer, turn, deer, turn, deer. Deer deer deer. And a ton of rabbits. All you have to avoid is the wolves when you come in (I usually encounter them within 5mins)

I liked the way you wrote this, though :3

[Annjalea]

Originally posted by Elite Dragon:

I love the tundra area, never once have my cubs died there. I'm on like my 10th generation and I entered the mountains about 8th and I LOVE it. (Even with the bears) The only time I was in the lake (1st time) 2 kits died of starvation.

I found alot of deer in the lake area but I could never catch them (Silly gen 1 me xD) and birds always flew off before I cought 'em. Rabbits we're basically extinct in that area if you me.

I ggo to the mountains area alot, ir very beautiful and I find mountains on mountains and the mountains are covered in tons of prey. (Although I've seen alot of bear :P)

I've never stayed in the den area much just because its to familliar. Now the other areas are to familliar. Plus I like my deer. xD

The tundra is basically deer everywhere, I turn, deer, turn, deer, turn, deer. Deer deer deer. And a ton of rabbits. All you have to avoid is the wolves when you come in (I usually encounter them within 5mins)

I liked the way you wrote this, though :3

Okay actually playing a family in the lake area is completely turning me around on things. Everyone here is so right! As soon as I bring my cubs into the area, prey seems to disappear... I found one herd of deer but accidentally ran into the water and I haven't seen any since. :/

I'm thinking about moving to the tundra now after all of this, maybe pausing in the den area for a little.

And thank you for the compliment! (and tips <3)

[A_Cheeky_Vixen]

You should really try the tundra out, it's really worth the trouble ! :) If you always keep tabs of the nearest platform the wolves a quite easy to escape

[Crevis]

The tundra is such a wonderful place to raise my cubs. I like killing off 3 of my cubs just so I can bond with my remaining cub in the tundra. I keep leaving and entering the tundra just to hear the wolf theme and to find other ways to mess with the wolf AI. I know the tundra better than any other areas as I can identify where I'm at after I load up a save. When I don't have my cubs on my back, I spend the time killing deer in the tundra. I find it fascinating somehow just jumping on deer and eating them.

[Crevis]

Just an additional thing, I found 2 albino deer in the tundra. They're extremely rare, and I'm only one of two cases that actually found albino deer in a herd. The other person encountered the albino deer in the large forest area. I found both of mine while climbing the tundra mountains before the wolf pack.