Tracking 25-50% Health Roosevelt "Ghost" Elk around 6 hours real time (something like 15 game time). A long read but worth it.

[southofpegasus]

Okay so, with the 7mm Magnum, I shot a bull elk, we'll call him Ghost, standing with two other bull elks at the east side of the lake by Cheelah Hiking Village sometime between like 0700 and 0900 game time. Didn't get a quick kill on him but was able to call one of the other two back while waiting on the first to die and drop it right on the spot. Claimed it and then decided to start tracking Ghost as he had yet to die. And that's when tracking turned determination turned obsession. While I completely lost track of time, I did manage to snap a few screenshots of the tracking progress (Imgur links below).

So I tracked Ghost east-southeast towards the river where I encountered what I thought was him only to learn it was a third bull elk when I bagged it. Continued tracking Ghost north up along the river before he doubled back and headed south a ways. Then he turned back northwest along the base of the mountain right back towards where I shot him before turning back southwest, skirting Cheelah Hiking Village and making his way down to Balmont Lake. I was able to take another antlered animal (I think this one was a whitetail buck) by the small lake between Cheelah hiking village and Balmont Lake. I had also passed up a couple of other bucks along the way as I was determined to get Ghost.

Anyways, he made his way to Balmont Lake, then straight south where he started up the foothills of Mount Leviathan just a bit before turning back northeast right back towards Cheelah Hiking Village. I was able to easily harvest six or seven more antlered critters (bull elk, bull moose, and whitetail bucks) on the shores of Balmont Lake and up towards Mount Leviathan while I was tracking Ghost around this area.

He continued northeast back past Cheelah Hiking Village before turning north and headed straight up the mountain. Almost halfway up, he turned easterly and began working his way around the steep face of the mountain. So I'm following Ghost around when, out of thin air, he comes charging straight at me. This is the first time I had actually seen him since I put the lead in him way back when. Between trying to avoid the bull rush and get a shot off I never saw which way he went after he nearly ran me over. I assumed, since he was coming straight at me, he was doubling back.

So I doubled back. But I all the tracks I could find were headed in the opposite direction. So I went back to where he bull rushed me. After sorting out a mess of tracks there, it appeared as though he had vanished right there. At this point however, I was obsessed and refused to believe that Ghost could simply disappear, never to be seen again.

On a hunch, I made my way down the steep face of the mountain in an east-northeast direction where, unbelievably, I picked up his tracks at again at the base. Here he headed south-southeast along the river bottom to the foothills of Mount Leviathan (where I bagged a couple more) before looping around and heading, you guessed it, northeast back towards Cheelah Hiking Village. He went right back to the little lake there, almost spot on to where I first shot him before turning north again.

I kept tracking him north, at which point it's full on night. I bagged a another trophy just at the base of the mountain. Not far after that, Ghost's tracks turn west and lead straight to the lake east of Cheelah Mountain. I passed up some opportunities for more trophies as I went as it was difficult trying to claim new downed animals and keep a bead on Ghost in the dark. Anyways, at the lake, he head south-southwest, straight to Cheelah lake.

Once at Cheelah Lake, he begins to work his way around haphazardly. Tracking him here was a bit tricky as his tracks were seemingly everywhere. Somehow I managed to do it and was even able to bag three more as I made my way around the lake. After tracking him around Cheelah lake, I was able to follow him east right back, once again, towards the lake by Cheelah Hiking Village where it all started. I was even able to bag another trophy along the way.

The last screen shot I took shows where I was on the south side of that little lake. At this point I knew he was going to be passing right back through the spot where I first shot him. I decided then I was stopping at that point regardless. I meant to take one last screenshot of the tracking progress before I exited the game but forgot because.... just as I rounded the lake I heard the elk call. I dropped down, killed the light, and sounded one of my own. And there he steps out of the shadows in what I swear is the exact same spot where I first put a piece of lead in him. I didn't hesitate. I put another round in him and he dropped right there.

Three times I saw a Ghost. The first time, I put some lead in him dropping him below 50% health. The second time, he appeared out of thin air charging straight at me. And the third time, after miles and miles of walking, I bagged that Ghost just after midnight game time. Now I'm not sure whether this animal was an animal that was supposed to be able to die or not as he was lung shot with the first shot but somehow managed to travel miles in the shadows, leaving a blood trail all the way, without ever losing anymore health before that second round did him in. That and he seemed to be responsible for only decent trophy size male animals spawning along his path. I literally only saw a few females along the way compared to multiple males at a time. And, almost everywhere his tracks are in an arrow straight line, he was either leaving continuous food or water signs. Even in places where there was no grass or water.

I don't know if the Devs will read this or not but I'd be interested in their thoughts on this animal. Is this an animal that is responsible for the spawning of others? Do they have a name for this thing? Or was this just an aberration? A ghost? Also, I feel like I should have gotten some kind of substantial reward after all that. :D

Anyways, as promised above, here are some screenshots of the tracking progress:

https://imgur.com/4aFpgRA

https://imgur.com/XdPwL5S

https://imgur.com/kIXt7Sl

https://imgur.com/aWYZoCv

https://imgur.com/nscQQy3

https://imgur.com/MAXuWBn

https://imgur.com/1vlQ8bQ

And the Ghost:

https://imgur.com/NhDJyoY

And examples of what was spawning the entire hunt:

https://imgur.com/IJR5yYA

https://imgur.com/rrohf3l

https://imgur.com/1m6P3xm

[Rookie-31st]

Great story.

I have just one question. Did harvest screen show both hits?

[southofpegasus]

Originally posted by rookie31st:

Great story.

I have just one question. Did harvest screen show both hits?

Yes. I meant to snap a screenshot of it should I get him but somehow managed to click accept and go "Doh!" I also meant to snap a final screenshot of the tracking map but thought about it right after I clicked accept too. I wish I had taken screenshots of all the animals I harvested as all were males and all had trophy ratings upwards of 90 for the whitetail and upwards of 170 for the moose and elk. I don't remember seeing anything above a gold rating in all those I harvested but also nothing below a bronze. I passed on a lot of animals too though. Quite possible I missed a really nice one along the way considering I saw more antlers on that hunt alone than in the 50+ hours before.

[huebnerrl]

I would suppose that stopping to shoot a ton of animals while tracking Ghost did not shorten your trek as each time you shot you would have spooked him if he was nearby.

[Fischkopf]

the problem with those ghosts is that they often do not spawn at all again and so you are doomed to wait until the system decides when you get your chance..
But mostly (mostly!) you get your chance at the next needzone..