tracking in dense vegetation?

[Sokurah]

Any way to safely not fu*k this up?

I mean you can stand 10m next to an animal not beeing able to get a shot becuase of vegetation or terrain level. Often even flanking is not possible.

They also never stop in the open no matter how slow i go. The go from one bushy are to the next. I mean i guess thats what animals would do but it can be very annoying.

Is it just luck to get a good shot?

I mean i got good shots in the bushy areas but it feels like sometimes you just get bad luck.

[The Whackmaster]

That's Hunting!

[Sokurah]

I guessed as much XD

btw do caller ever work on foot? Or do you use them in hunting stands / ground blinds?
They never seem to have any effect tbh.

[Carstein83]

The vegetation of the maps is very different. If you want to play on an open map, try Te Awaroa, Silver Ridge Peaks or Cuatro Colinas.

[The Eagle]

Get the dog, he is a great tracker, company, and will warn you and even sometimes save you from being attacked!

[Secret Squirrel]

I'm guessing new player... the animals do in fact stop in open areas, and one can maneuver around the animals in dense forest to get a good shot.

But when I recall back 5 years ago, I had pretty much the same experience as the OP.

We can't possibly tell you what you are doing -- or aren't doing -- that makes the animals NOT spook.

They either hear you, see you, or smell you.

Are you walking? Crouching? or Crawling? You should be crouching when you think an animal is within about 100 feet -- either because you spotted it or heard its call. Usually its the latter.

Walk until you either see or hear an animal, and as soon as you do hear or see, then you crouch.

when you "track" the call a little window pops up explaining the call is a WARNING or a MATING call.... or FLEEING.

If the animal called and it was a mating call, try to spot it, no need to crouch but do slow your walking pace.

If the animal made a "warning" call, crouch and try to spot it.

If you can't spot the animal -- and by spot I mean with the binoculars -- then you crouch-walk in the direction of the call, if the call was over 50-75 meters away. If it was closer than that, you really need to crawl if you want to maneuver to a spot where you can see the animal.

I can't possibly cover it all, but these are the basics.

You also have to hunt into the wind, so they don't smell you.

You can use calls to bring animals to you.

It is a lot easier to hunt by farming animals at their drinking need zone, than to just wander and see what you can find.

[Sokurah]

Thx. Well i know the basic. IO tracked and killed a lot already. Sometimes it just feels the animals are mocking you by always being behind a bush etc.

I use smell cover and also crouch when needed. Wind in the busched is a problem as soon you are so close you cant realls react to it anyway.

I guess sometimes its just bad luck. I mean sure you can go really, really slow. Wait untily the get in sight etc. But thats also not always on option of course because they might just go behind a hill and be gone for good.

I have the dog and he is really usefull with his warnings. It helps a lot when you havent spotted them yet.

Whats even worse than hunting them tho is taking photos XD
I'm looking at you fallow deer.

[Geronimo]

Sounds like you aren't aware of the whistling trick either.

[Sokurah]

It scares them away XD
I used it once i guess to make a resting one get up.

Well i had a few good track in this session. Just killed my first Bison. But also some deer. And i got real close.

Two times to close and i was right in the group or they came ion my direction.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Sokurah:

It scares them away XD
I used it once i guess to make a resting one get up.

Well i had a few good track in this session. Just killed my first Bison. But also some deer. And i got real close.

Two times to close and i was right in the group or they came ion my direction.

Yeah whistling will only stop them for a few seconds and than they'll take off

[Sokurah]

Worst mission so far is get a fox with a bow. Impossible for me.
In the fields they see you so you cant get close enough.
In the woods they can stand 10m away and you cant see them
Caller does fu*kall.
You basically need to get the drop on the sleeping or eating it seems. Never seen that aside from once, from far away.
Never seen them drink somewhere either.
Fu*k this mission.

EDIT: i just found out what "calmly eating" means for foxes. They basically run around like mad all the time with some meat in the mouth.

They are still almost impossible to approach. With a rifle 100m. No problem at all. With a bow. 40-60m. you have to be kidding me.

I pity every player how picks Hirschfelden as a first map. The area looks kinda cool but the missions are horrible so far.

[James]

@Sokurah: You may want to consider this:

What you experience as "horrible" or "impossible" may in fact be a manifestation of a much appreciated game mechanics that keeps the game from being an arcade shooter. The mechanic that ~10 000 people enjoys every day year in and year out.

Suggestion:
1. If a mission is too hard ("horrible"/"impossible"), leave it for the time being.
2. Do other missions or play around with your own goals -> gain experience + level up
4. Invest in better gear, callers and lures to help you improving the odds.
5. Invest (if you so wish) in more map DLC's and potentially develop new hunting techniques.
6. ...?
7. Return to "horrible" missions and enjoy them as a good and manageable challenges. 😀

[Sokurah]

Well thx. I know how the game works and thats not an arcade shooter. Thats why i like it. Yet some missions seem to be somewhat messed up.

I guess for the fox mission you need to get quite lucky. I had two moments when i could have shot them but only for a very brief moment. They suddenly came in my direction and then spooked after i slowly approched.

It's just so weird. I've done i think 60 hours in the Lake map. Not even the coyote missions were as close as hard. Its seems the terrain and bushy vegetation is almost worse in Hirschfelden. They also always stop in the most idiotic of all places. And ist one of the starting missions.

The mission with the photo of a deer was already way harder than anything on Lake map i think.

Even Medium foxed are really, really easily scared. I mean i'm already crouching, use smell cover, listen to the dog ... but still i have no chance of getting as close enough for a bow shot. Often a fox in a good spot was VERY HARD. Well thx for that game.

Like i said get a good shot with the .223, no big deal. Bow with the sight i have? No chance.

Yes i will now just explore a bit but i guess i will not linger too long in Hirschfelden. I have 3 more maps i got on sale.

[Sokurah]

I just found another one, VERY HARD. Went to a resting place at the rite time.
Even resting you can get close as 50-60m which is no enough for my bow and sight.

Even if you just move while crouch, he will get "alert" move back and forth from different resting positions, and get spooked way. You also cant back of or move to the side to maybe hide that will spook him away as well.

I'm not complaing "i drive around with my quad all the time and sill havent killed anything". I think i understand the mechanics but this mission is just awful.

What should i do? Build a tent and waitb 10 hours until one shows up?

[SouthernMan1972]

Foxes are definitely tough to get close. When you hear one, crouch or lay down immediately. Try to find cover that has a decent view toward the sound (not always possible). Use the caller and keep scanning with the binoculars. You do need to get a little lucky with the terrain between you and him so you can stay hidden (laying down), and still be able to see.

Also, there is a perk for the bow that allows you to shoot it while laying down. If you don't have that, you might want to leave that mission alone until you do.

[James]

Keep in mind, the game is not scripted to make it hard for "you", i.e. it is not using in-game running variables and parameters to deliberately put you in a bad spot. It is not scripted to make animals stop in "idiotic" places. See what I mean? You have all the freedom in the world to put yourself in a good spot. You can call it luck/bad luck or, better yet, predictability/unpredictability.

To some degree (quite high though) you can use predictability to minimize bad luck. Or rely on unpredictability to profit from pure luck? It's all there, and you will (or have already) realize(d) that an impossible mission attempted a second time may be the easiest one ever... (if luck is on your side).

In general, there is no clear rank for the missions, like "the first ones are easier than the following ones". It all depends on animal spawns, time of day and how the interaction plays out over time. That said, some missions (perhaps all main) do have scripted elements as it has to follow a path of triggers, actions and entities.

I understand your viewpoint though. I have been there, everyone has been there. I have given up on many missions to come back later and wonder what the fuss was all about. Completed the mission either by luck or by experience or a combination thereof.

So, I can only wish you luck and suggest to "wait out" some missions. Sometimes one "mission-on-pause" present a solution as you are focusing on another - luck, coincidence?

Disclaimer: Some missions may suffer from bugs and later patching effects. Keep that in mind too. 😉