Need Zones Comprehensive Discussion / Detailed Questions?

[Cipher 8]

I'm somewhat new to the game and still figuring out how a lot of the stuff players who've played since 2017 have figured out works. I'm sure this has all been discussed before in various threads but I'de like to hear from some of the OG's who still play.

Can someone discuss with me the Do's and Don'ts of Need Zones?

I just want to understand them better or completely before I start trying to exploit them and do a lot of activating need zones / hunting them. I have done a bit of research watching various Youtubers and reading on forums here mostly but I want to confirm some things about them. I'll ask some questions but if you have anything more to add on the subject that I did not ask please share!

The Dont's.

Q: 1. Can you harvest too many animals at/out of a need zone?

I heard if you kill the last of the animal species of a need zone it becomes inactive meaning you have to re-spot an animal again at the zone to make it re-activate to where they will come there during the times again?

And you can tell how many are in it by the Deer Symbol #[i.gyazo.com] when you click on the square trampled patch of grass track of a need zone (but not when you spot with binoculars).

I'de say most of the people I've watched on youtube [Flinter, The Hunter DD33, ZaggiDK, and BZHub] doing the need zones stuff only shoot males and leave females alone is this to leave the zone active? But what about zones that have just one animal? If you kill that animal then it's deactive but what's the point in leaving the zone active with just one that you'll never shoot?

Q: 2. I also heard you don't want to get too much hunting pressure nearby a need zone as need zones will disappear when inside of tier 3 hunting pressure? I'm assuming that's the hot pink? Is that even true?

Is this temporary disappear until the hunting pressure goes away or does this also deactivate the need zone until you re-activate it again? And so are you suppose to kill/harvest only one or two of an animal at a need zone (looking for trophy sized) if you want to keep the need zone active then go somewhere else and come back another day in-game time?

Q: 3. Overspotting and activation/deactivating of need zones

I don't quite understand when I should or should not spot animals because I was told you can actually reset a need zone marker by spotting a different animal species nearby. "A player can also have unwanted species running rampant in places by clicking and tagging without thinking about consequences, "they said. The reason I'm asking is because I want to avoid resetting a need zone or having a second animal species supplant the need zone I want to keep because if it disappears upon tracking/spotting another animal herd in that general location and starts a new need zone icon on my map I would forget that the original animal species ever had a need zone there. I will have to be judicial about when I spot and when I just look with binoculars but don't actually click 'E'.

Q: 4. So each need zone has a time of day associated with it. Can you train them together and fast travel from one to the next and is that what most advanced players do? Or do they get to one before the time begins hunt it then just sleep to reset the time to another day? What ways do you play in regards to Need Zones.


Q: 5. It's been discussed how need zones have multi-animals (they are just not correctly displayed in game because of limited space of UI tooltips and it was a choice by devs to only list one animal species) but is there any way to say once you spotted one animal species and generated the icon on the map have it change to a second species you would rather have the icon display on the map? Even if it destroys the first need zone animal type and makes another one?

Originally posted by Q&A I:

Q: Could you please explain the issue with overlapping need zone icons?

I'm talking of the fact that if you have discovered a need zone of a certain species and later spot another species in that zone drinking/eating/resting it often happens that the former need zone is completely overwritten with the latter species (map only shows the more current species connected to that zone from that moment on). Does the former need zone still exist, only not visible on the map or is is completely replaced by the latter?

A: Konrad, QA: Yes, sometimes a need zone is shared by 2 species, and only one species is shown. We do not want to display it separately (as a second icon) to avoid icons from overlapping (and making them less readable) and we cannot move them afar (as this would make the marker on the map not very precise). It’s a technical limitation that we currently do not display both species in a shared need zone.

Q: 6. When you put a tent down near a need zone what is the distance 150m or 200m. Flinter has said in his video that animals won't appear/render in at a certain distance when you fast travel to the tent. Also at a certain distance they won't spook when you fast travel to a tent.

Q: 7. Along the lines of spacing between two need zones Flinter mentioned you wanna keep one need zone like 150m-200m out from your tent/bipodstand because you can still shoot at and kill an animal at the first need zone (that is within 150m range) and your shots won't spook the second need zones animals from the zone. What is those distances and does it depend on which gun your using?

Q: 8. How come need zones disappear from the map sometimes? What are all the ways this can happen?

Q: 9. Can one animal species only have so many need zones on the map before one gets taken off/removed from the map?

[Nightwalker]

It's not possible to fully understand how need zones work without knowing how hunting pressure effects them.
Need zones vary in size and shape and may encompass a much larger area than the immediate vicinity of those little glowing weeds or patches of hoof prints. When we investigate those little glowing weeds or patches of hoof prints we receive information about which species most recently ate or drank there and a time frame for when they are most likely to be in that area in the future. I say "most likely" because that time frame is not written in stone. Animals may be in the area before or after the given time frame ( I once bagged a diamond Mule Deer 90 min after the published hours). As you have learned already, multiple species may be utilizing the same need zone so it's possible for you to investigate a weed one day and it says "Black Tail deer" but the next time you investigate the same weed it can say "rabbit" or "moose". That doesn't mean the Black Tailed deer no longer use that need zone. You can either trust your memory or jot down a note to keep track of which species visits the same need zone (and the approximate time frame) when you find those multiple use zones since your map will only display info for one of those species. We can destroy a need zone by creating too much hunting pressure. There are three levels of hunting pressure and it's the 3rd level that matters most. We create hunting pressure by killing animals in an area. If we are on foot we create 1 level of hunting pressure, approximately 200 meters in diameter, for each animal we kill in that area. If you are on foot when you kill an animal you can safely kill 2 animals in the same area. If you are in a ground blind, elevated stand, tree stand or tripod you can safely kill up to 14 animals in the area. Killing 3 animals (while on foot) or 15 when shooting from one of those man-made hunting structures all the eating, drinking and resting spots within the hunting pressured area become inactive and will no longer attract 4 footed animals (species doesn't matter). I say 4 footed because ducks and geese don't seem to care about hunting pressure but the hunting pressure you create by killing ducks and geese will impact all the eating, drinking and resting spots used by other animals within that hunting pressure you've created.

There is an exception to the rule about how many kills you can make. If a glowing weed or hoof printed patch is being used by only one animal and you kill it...that glowing weed or hoof printed patch will vanish so animals will no longer be attracted to that spot.

When you destroy a zone a replacement will spawn elsewhere on your map.

Spooked animals may return to the a zone OR they may simply begin using the same kind of zone nearest them when they stop running. If they are going to come back they usually do so within 20 min. If you kill an animal and wait to see if the rest of the band or herd comes back don't be surprised if they set up shop just outside of the hunting pressure you created instead of coming back to where they were before you shot one of them.

[[BLK] Telu]

I killed the last turkey on a need zone and the need zone is still on my map. I think than if youtubers kill only male it's because they are looking for trophies & diamond.

And yes, i saw a wild boar need zone becoming a lynx need zone.

I also see spooked animal coming back to need zone.

[Nightwalker]

When you kill a zone the icon for the zone on your map will eventually go away, just not right away.

[Cipher 8]

Originally posted by Nightwalker:

We create hunting pressure by killing animals in an area. If we are on foot we create 1 level of hunting pressure, approximately 200 meters in diameter, for each animal we kill in that area. If you are on foot when you kill an animal you can safely kill 2 animals in the same area. If you are in a ground blind, elevated stand, tree stand or tripod you can safely kill up to 14 animals in the area. Killing 3 animals (while on foot) or 15 when shooting from one of those man-made hunting structures all the eating, drinking and resting spots within the hunting pressured area become inactive and will no longer attract 4 footed animals (species doesn't matter).

This is really useful to know. I was completely unaware that you generate different amounts of hunting pressure if you use the various stands vs on the ground (on foot).

Solid post i just had to comment on this in particular because I feel it's important to know.

[[BLK] Telu]

Originally posted by Nightwalker:

When you kill a zone the icon for the zone on your map will eventually go away, just not right away.

Still there after 8Hours.

[Cipher 8]

Originally posted by Nightwalker:

When you kill a zone the icon for the zone on your map will eventually go away, just not right away.

So multiplayer hosting. Other players can totally destroy your need zones through creating hunting pressure?

[Cipher 8]

And is the 2/14 rule on a per day basis or on a until the hunting pressure circles entirely go away from that area.

Does the icon have to be inside the hunting pressure circles to be destroyed or like you said where the icon is doesnt matter the actual need zones is the general area around it which may be inside the hunting pressure radius.

[Nightwalker]

Cipher 8 I have no idea you things work in MP mode so I can't answer you question.

(FWS) Telu Could be a bug. You can remove need zone icons from your map by deleting the file for "found/discovered need zones" but doing so will remove all the icons on all of the reserves, not just the one U want. Kind of a severe thing to do but it depends on how much the turkey icon is bothering you. It might also be a localized bug, one that occurs in that spot specifically. If that's the case you'll need to let the devs know exactly where that icon that won't go away exists so they know where to look in the bagillion lines of code they have to fix it.

[[BLK] Telu]

I did it on 3 need zone. They don't disappear and it's fine for me. I just think than this theory is crap. I'd never see a need zone disappear. I want proof.

Or maybe i didn't kill every animals nearby the need zone, it's possible but i don't believe it. I don't even know how you can pretend to know than you kill every animals nearby.

All of this seem to be "theory" more than "facts". Fact are coming from dev statement.


For me, since a wild boar need zone can become a lynx need zone, that's mean than need zone are on fixed location and can't disappear. And so, to find animal, the best is to be in the center of the map. It's the area where who have more luck to see animal travelling from a need zone to another one.

[Nightwalker]

Originally posted by Cipher 8:

And is the 2/14 rule on a per day basis or on a until the hunting pressure circles entirely go away from that area.

Does the icon have to be inside the hunting pressure circles to be destroyed or like you said where the icon is doesnt matter the actual need zones is the general area around it which may be inside the hunting pressure radius.

Think of the glowing weeds or track filled glowing circles as merely being attraction points within a need zone. Nothing says those weeds or circles (or that even where the animals are standing) is located smack dab in the middle of need zone. Only the devs know how they've designed them and they haven't even hinted at how big they are or what shape they drew them in.

Say you find a herd of Elk drinking away and kill one. The rest run off but then begin to come back. Then instead of returning to where they were before they set up shop and start drinking right along the border of the hunting pressure you just created. If you haven't seen that happen you will and not just the Elk do it. Does that mean the Elk are now in a separate need zone or does it mean they've simply found another spot to drink from within the same need zone? You look at your map and see only one need zone icon for them on it so it surely must mean both spots are within the same need zone right? The answer is a profound maybe. I recently killed three black tailed bucks standing and drinking within 20 meters of each other (thanks to the hesitation they have before running off after the first shot and the reload speed of the 30.06). My hunting pressure in the area turned bright pink. The rest of the herd cam back 15 min later and started drinking right along the edge of the hunting pressure I'd just created and quick stepped right through the hunting pressure in order to do so. This leads me to believe that while separate need zones may sometimes be in close proximity to each other, ONLY the glowing things within the actual hunting pressure are effected by it. Only a portion of need zone might become inactive or the entire thing. Doesn't really matter which one is true because when you max out the hunting pressure in an area it's worth going back and hunting along the boundary of it.

Best to look as the need zone icon on your map as just a gentle reminder that there's a need zone somewhere within 150 meters of so of it (or once was anyway).

[Imposter]

Great posts Nightwalker, very well explained and correct.
How ever... your safe with 3 kills on foot, the 4th will destroy any need zones in that purple area.
I will purposely destroy need zones that are in "out of the way" places. Trying to keep them more localized

[Imposter]

Originally posted by Cipher 8:

Originally posted by Nightwalker:

When you kill a zone the icon for the zone on your map will eventually go away, just not right away.

So multiplayer hosting. Other players can totally destroy your need zones through creating hunting pressure?

Yes

[Osiris]

Nightwalker did well explaining things. Most of my zones get overwritten by other animals, so I always write down the coordinates of the zones for the animal I'm hunting.

I don't know the exact distance for placing tents and fast traveling to the zone, but being too close will cause animals to spook or despawn. I keep all my tents about 280 yards (256ish meters) from the need zone icon. I have not tested to figure out exact numbers, but this works for me.

I can't figure out the one animal zones and why it happens. I have several whitetail zones that have only one doe and nothing else ever respawns with that doe. These zones used to have lots of bucks and other does. Is there a way to make these zones respawn more deer again? Or should I just kill the only doe to erase the zone and then search for the replacement zone?

[OleGreyGhost]

Originally posted by Imposter:

Great posts Nightwalker, very well explained and correct.

+1. Great posts....

[Cipher 8]

Originally posted by Nightwalker:

Originally posted by Cipher 8:

And is the 2/14 rule on a per day basis or on a until the hunting pressure circles entirely go away from that area.

Does the icon have to be inside the hunting pressure circles to be destroyed or like you said where the icon is doesnt matter the actual need zones is the general area around it which may be inside the hunting pressure radius.

Think of the glowing weeds or track filled glowing circles as merely being attraction points within a need zone. Nothing says those weeds or circles (or that even where the animals are standing) is located smack dab in the middle of need zone. Only the devs know how they've designed them and they haven't even hinted at how big they are or what shape they drew them in.

Say you find a herd of Elk drinking away and kill one. The rest run off but then begin to come back. Then instead of returning to where they were before they set up shop and start drinking right along the border of the hunting pressure you just created. If you haven't seen that happen you will and not just the Elk do it. Does that mean the Elk are now in a separate need zone or does it mean they've simply found another spot to drink from within the same need zone? You look at your map and see only one need zone icon for them on it so it surely must mean both spots are within the same need zone right? The answer is a profound maybe. I recently killed three black tailed bucks standing and drinking within 20 meters of each other (thanks to the hesitation they have before running off after the first shot and the reload speed of the 30.06). My hunting pressure in the area turned bright pink. The rest of the herd cam back 15 min later and started drinking right along the edge of the hunting pressure I'd just created and quick stepped right through the hunting pressure in order to do so. This leads me to believe that while separate need zones may sometimes be in close proximity to each other, ONLY the glowing things within the actual hunting pressure are effected by it. Only a portion of need zone might become inactive or the entire thing. Doesn't really matter which one is true because when you max out the hunting pressure in an area it's worth going back and hunting along the boundary of it.

Best to look as the need zone icon on your map as just a gentle reminder that there's a need zone somewhere within 150 meters of so of it (or once was anyway).

What do you mean by only the glowing things? The need zone icon on the map?
And if you got hot pink hunting pressure you deactivated the need zone or just if the icon is inside of that radius of hot pink?