Moose on Layton Lake

[Heraclius Caesar]

First let me say I've been loving theHunter:CotW. The game is beautiful and plays very well on the Steam Deck.

However. On the first map/reserve, Layton Lake, I've been having some trouble that's become frustrating: the moose seem to be invincible. I've hit the same moose 5 times, headshots, neck shots, even balloon knot shots, yet I can't take it down. It becomes an endless cycle of hit, track, hit, track, hit, track, until I lose the tracks/become annoyed and quit. Even with headshots, they do an animation like they've been taken down but then they get right back up and take off.

I'm using the rifle you start with, should I be using something else?

Also, when the harvest screen comes up, am I suppose to do something or hit a certain button to actually harvest? I got a neck shot on a deer but when the harvest screen came up I only had 2 options, "save for later" or something like that and a taxidermy option that I couldn't afford at the time, so I was apparently unable to get that harvest achievement.

[soldier6661111]

You're using the wrong weapon and aiming at the wrong place. Check the animal's class and the class of your ammunition. Make sure they match. Aim for lungs or heart. Headshots aren't used when hunting.

Click accept.

[Heraclius Caesar]

Originally posted by soldier6661111:

You're using the wrong weapon and aiming at the wrong place. Check the animal's class and the class of your ammunition. Make sure they match. Aim for lungs or heart. Headshots aren't used when hunting.

Click accept.

Thank you

[GamingB4UWereBorn]

Don’t focus on moose now. You have the starter rifle which is good for deer and coyote. Focus on hunting and harvesting as many animals as you can using lung or heart shots. Once you get more money buy ploy tipped ammo as it will bring down deer faster. Save up for the 7mm to be able to hunt moose. 300 works better but you need to build up funds to purchase it.

[Carstein83]

If you don´t want to wait until you have enough in game money for the 7mm or the .300, you can buy a weapon pack for real money. For example Smoking Barrels Weapon Pack (with the M1 - labeled for classes 4-8) or Modern Rifle Pack (with the .308 - labeled for classes 4-8). M1 and .308 do well against class 8 animals (although inferior in comparison with the .300).

[Heraclius Caesar]

Originally posted by GamingB4UWereBorn:

Don’t focus on moose now. You have the starter rifle which is good for deer and coyote. Focus on hunting and harvesting as many animals as you can using lung or heart shots. Once you get more money buy ploy tipped ammo as it will bring down deer faster. Save up for the 7mm to be able to hunt moose. 300 works better but you need to build up funds to purchase it.

Originally posted by Carstein83:

If you don´t want to wait until you have enough in game money for the 7mm or the .300, you can buy a weapon pack for real money. For example Smoking Barrels Weapon Pack (with the M1 - labeled for classes 4-8) or Modern Rifle Pack (with the .308 - labeled for classes 4-8). M1 and .308 do well against class 8 animals (although inferior in comparison with the .300).

Thank you gentlemen I appreciate your responses

[yogisgoat]

I would also point out that the bows can be used on any animal with the correct arrow. I've been playing so long I don't remember if you can buy the 600 grain arrows at the start of the game. If you can then you can ethically harvest moose with them. And, at range the bows are probably the deadliest weapons in the game.

[Buckshot]

Originally posted by soldier6661111:

You're using the wrong weapon and aiming at the wrong place. Check the animal's class and the class of your ammunition. Make sure they match. Aim for lungs or heart. Headshots aren't used when hunting.

Click accept.

Ive killed many black bear with headshots using the 7mm. They run about 100 yards and then drop. With moose, I usually aim for the lungs or their hind legs. They dont tend to go too far after their hind legs are shot up.

[Woodyplank]

Heart, Liver or Lung. For Moose use the 7mm or larger rifle, the Rhino Pistol or a Bow with the heaviest arrow or bolt available. Don't waste your money buying soft point rifle bullets.
They don't work very well in this game. Until you can buy or get a bigger rifle, use that starter .243 with poly ammo in LL or Hirschfeld and stick to Whitetails/Fallow deer or smaller critters while you do it. Last tid bit: The .243 looses a lot of punch beyond 150 meters but it'll shoot flat up to 200. Have fun.

[GTAngler]

I think the consensus here is the right advice. First, if you're using the .243, use polymer-tip ammo --- and same goes for all subsequent rifles. Second, just avoid the Moose for the time being and go after Whitetails, Blacktails, and I guess Coyotes if they pop up around Layton.

IF you're using any DLCs, there are lots of other weapon options to jump to as well.

And as people have said, don't aim at their heads. Aim at their lungs and hearts. Vital organs are key.

[[FtUC]Keirkof]

Caveat: I don't know if the Sundberg .454 is immediately available if you start out, or if you have to unlock it by earning handgun points or character levels. But *if* it is available from level 1, that would mean there is now actually an option to legally hunt animals like bears, moose, buffalo, bison as a starting level char.
Even if you have no access to a scope or to the penetrating ammo yet, definitely check if that option is open. You will have to get close and aim with iron sights, but you will down moose much more effectively than with the .243 and free ammo. Bullets will cost you though...

[Heraclius Caesar]

Thank you brothers you have all been incredibly helpful I really appreciate it

[ReedPass]

i got the same question as well, the beginning was a very nice start, i hunted deer & bear no issue. however i found moose are almost unlikely to hunt. the closest attempt was get to crouch all the way when i spotted it from 100m away to i believe 10-20m close, keep my crouch position, take the shot by using the beginning rifle .243. i know the drill for taking lung & heart for bleeding till death so i go for a side shoot slightly higher the front leg. but the blood trial said no organ hit.
i have no idea it always happen either hunt very well with few kills clean single shoot in a row or few no organ hit in a row afterward fooling by circling blood trials and lost the target. Are the firepower and bullet types really matter to species?

[BJWyler]

Originally posted by ReedPass:

Are the firepower and bullet types really matter to species?

Yes. The game is essentially built upon using the right ammo for the right animal. That's why both are broken down into numerical classifications.

[Geronimo]

Think about it like this, the body cavity in a larger animal requires that bullet to penetrate further to hit the vitals.

So inches make a huge difference.

A gun with more penetration is needed to travel those extra few inches. Add to that the different hide thicknesses, the distance, and even the angles, and you can see why some guns are not going to be suitable.

[firestorm]

As others have said, right weapon ammo.

That aside, even the .243 with soft point ammo can take a moose out with a single shot.
Catch is, you need to be fairly close to the animal with its direction facing toward you.
While eating or drinking, head goes down to drink/eat, aim for the spine just below the skull.

Just recently started playing again, and much has changed with the game since I last played.
But in the past however, the above shot would drop a moose right where it stood.
or
miss the shot, get trampled, fun options 'eh? lol

May no longer hold true though? as I've done several good clean spine shots on lesser animals that end up running a very short distance while basically being decapitated since I started playing again.