Wildlife & hunting

Habitats, recent climate, predators and prey shape the animals you encounter.

Habitats support different animals

Woodland, forest edges, meadows, rocky ground, freshwater banks and shorelines support different wildlife. Each species has its own habitat preferences, seasonal support and response to recent climate. The creature catalogue lists their behaviours and possible remains.

Wildlife uses regional populations rather than a fixed animal at every spawn coordinate. A region's support reflects suitable ground, the current season and a time-weighted average of the previous 30 days of observed weather. A newly established world uses the weather history that actually exists.

Predators, prey and hunting

Predators draw support from their listed prey. Background predation reduces prey numbers, while depleted prey limits how many dependent predators the habitat can support. Population changes take time; a sunny afternoon does not instantly replace losses from a long cold spell.

Each visible wild animal belongs to the regional population. Killing it reduces that population once. Healthy, idle animals far from players can retire from view without being counted as killed; a wounded animal does not disappear simply to reappear healed. Changing your viewing distance does not create a new stock of animals to harvest.

Species pages show a recovery time scale. This is not a promise that a particular animal will return after that many days: habitat support, climate, hunting, predator/prey balance and available space all matter.

Approach carefully

Some species flee when you approach or attack. Others can become aggressive, and otherwise passive animals may defend themselves. Sight, obstructions, reach and pursuit distance still apply. Watch their movement and the threat indicator instead of assuming every animal behaves like a stationary resource.

Forestry inspect mode briefly highlights clues such as tracks and droppings, along with mushrooms and edible forage. Clues depend on the nearby population, ground and seasonal conditions; they are not a guaranteed animal waiting on an exact tile.

Harvest remains

A defeated creature has one set of remains. Use the available harvesting actions to recover meat, hide and any listed drops. Reopening a body does not reroll loot. Actual quality, condition, remaining parts and the required work determine what can still be recovered.

Wildlife, authored hostile encounters and kept animals are related but distinct. Cave inhabitants and other fixed encounters have their own return rules. Animals bought or tamed by a player belong to that character; being an approved handler does not make killing somebody else's animal lawful.

Plan a hunting trip

Check the species' habitat and season, carry the tools you need, leave room for the resulting weight and plan your way home. Swimming with poor Athletics is hazardous, and very cold weather can damage an exposed character. Nearby boat islands provide additional hunting grounds and caves.