Herds disappearing?

[Suomiroll]

So not sure if this is a bug or what... But it keeps happening to me on Parque. I've found two nice need zones for red deer, a resting zone for a herd of 23. And a drinking zone further away for 19 I think. I found some foot prints for a max weight male but because the tracks disappeared after a while, I decided to change the time. When I went back to the need zones (tried both), I noticed the herds never came back?!? I found tracks for ONE FEMALE and the drinking thing said it was a drinking zone for 1 (ONE) animal. Anyone else had this happening? Must be a bug, never had issues like this before. Previously I've been able to trust that those animals stay in the same area unless being killed? I'm on Xbox and there is no hunting pressure in the area.

[Falcon]

If you generate enough hunting pressure in the area, it will delete the need zone completely. The need zone can shift to another location on the resource, or sometimes the herd can relocate completely to another part of the map. Sounds like you've ruled that out though.

If your tent is too close to the need zone when you spawn in from fast travel or rest, any animals in it can spook or even de-spawn. Be sure to place the tent a bare minimum of 150m away if you're downwind of the need zone. 250m if you're upwind of it. That's a known issue that's been around for awhile and may even be an intentional part of the game.

Some animals don't use a specific need zone every day. They might only come to that spot once every 3 days. Higher level animals especially don't seem to come to drink zones as often or stay as long as the others. Before you give up completely, try checking that need zone for 3 consecutive game days and watching it from a half hour before up til a half hour past the need zone time.

I've also had a couple potential diamonds just vanish without a trace (presumably to another area on the map) trying to camp their drink zone. For that reason, I'll usually try to track and kill them same game day even if I have to follow them for an hour or two IRL to get a shot. Better that than having to spend days trying to find them again after they move.

[Striker]

Sometimes there is a marked difference between a need zone and a glowing weed. Each glowing weed does not necessarily represent a different need zone. Need zones vary in size and sometimes additional zones are placed next to one another or even overlap. If you've played this game for any length of time you have no doubt noticed that the need zone marker can appear on your map over 100 meters from where you put the spot on a feeding or drinking animal. This is not a bug or glitch. It's an indication of just how large that particular need zone may be. Animals can get chased by predators (Lions, Puma or Mtn Lions) out of their normal routine and, more often than not, will then eat, drink or rest at the nearest such zone to them once they calm down after being pursued (or spooked by the hunter). Sometimes the need zones animals use move. It's almost like they've eaten the field out or want a change in diet similar to what occurs in RL. It's frustrating to learn a once productive area has become unused or has a marked decrease in the number of animals that go there, but it happens.

[Suomiroll]

Thanks everyone. I've played for about a year and am lvl 60, thought I knew everything. 😄 I have no tents nearby as I knew that would be the case, but didn't know it has to be 250m away if upwind. I've noticed that there can be multiple herds within zones too and the glowing weed doesn't necessarily mean exactly how many animals there will be. Until now I've never 'lost' animals like this, must have been lucky! Been carelessly time-hopping previously 😄 I did have major issues with whitetail need zones in Layton earlier when grinding for a diamond one, but haven't had issues with other animals really. I will keep checking the zones if they come back... I did try to be there the whole need zone time period to make sure I didn't miss the animals if they did come later/only for a short while. Thanks for all the tips guys!

[Falcon]

Originally posted by Suomiroll:

Thanks everyone. I've played for about a year and am lvl 60, thought I knew everything. 😄 I have no tents nearby as I knew that would be the case, but didn't know it has to be 250m away if upwind. I've noticed that there can be multiple herds within zones too and the glowing weed doesn't necessarily mean exactly how many animals there will be. Until now I've never 'lost' animals like this, must have been lucky! Been carelessly time-hopping previously 😄 I did have major issues with whitetail need zones in Layton earlier when grinding for a diamond one, but haven't had issues with other animals really. I will keep checking the zones if they come back... I did try to be there the whole need zone time period to make sure I didn't miss the animals if they did come later/only for a short while. Thanks for all the tips guys!

I just recently started pretty much exclusively hunting for diamonds, and since then I've seen some shenanigans that I never really noticed before. I've come across diamonds in travelling mode near need zones that I've hunted at least 20 times without ever actually spotting that animal there. I had a diamond black bear show up for drink time 45 mins early to a pond I had staked out, somehow spot me in the tree i was hiding in, and then maul me to death. I had a diamond roe deer flinch right as i loosed my arrow despite the fact he was in a 'calm' state resulting in a spine shot and failed integrity check. I've also had probable diamonds I've spotted and tracks for max weight class animals just vanish and never ever show again at the same need zone after I camped.

I think there's a mechanic in the game where individual animals or maybe even whole herds sometimes just move to different need zones for reasons that have nothing to do with hunting pressure. Maybe it happens more often for diamonds? Who knows, lol?