Reduced animal population?

[Mashuu]

So I acquired a key and decided to try the game out.

I saw ONE animal. That was a bear that charged me.

I saw zero domes, zero calls. Even idling in a tree stand for an hour I saw or heard nothing.

[gas56]

So I acquired a key and decided to try the game out.

I saw ONE animal. That was a bear that charged me.

I saw zero domes, zero calls. Even idling in a tree stand for an hour I saw or heard nothing.

What map did you hunt?
Do you use a bow or a gun?
Normally the middle of the map will be a good place to go or find a place where there are abundant different types of animal signs and noise, this will be
a better spot to place Tree Stands and to use calls & bait when you do find them first.
Walk until you find tracking domes, or hear animals... click on them with the Hunter Mate to get an idea where they are from your location
until you get some more experience in the game finding where animals are at.
Try to keep the wind blowing toward your face when hunting or walking around, and try using scent eliminator.
Try hunting the open spaces like fields or high ridges where you can look down below you to see animals at a distance while crouching slowly.
Try watching the many hunting videos made by "Hoo Cairs" or "Ron McTube" to see how they do it if you want to learn faster with their help.
Not last but not least get an experienced hunting buddy to show you the ropes
Have a good day................

P.S. If the animals don't find you,... go find them......

[ronMctube]

visit tower areas or key locations on the map.there is always 200 ish animals atleast on a map.they always spawn.

if you want help on a certain reserve just say which reserve. as for tree stands. or towers spend a couple of minutes max.if a animal hasnt called or been seen. or track move on. cover as much land as you can until you find animals.

[Bong_Boy]

So I acquired a key and decided to try the game out.

I saw ONE animal. That was a bear that charged me.

I saw zero domes, zero calls. Even idling in a tree stand for an hour I saw or heard nothing.

I’ll be willing to show you around the game as I believe you’re new to playing it

[Ravenousfox]

Not having any luck?
Well the animals you're after may of been right in front of your eyes and not of noticed, just like in this video.
https://vimeo.com/279842377

[calamar2000]

Not having any luck?
Well the animals you're after may of been right in front of your eyes and not of noticed, just like in this video.
https://vimeo.com/279842377

That is true ! the game is random! sometimes a good hunt and sometimes not much! but in reality it's the same thing ... paix !

[Mashuu]

Not having any luck?
Well the animals you're after may of been right in front of your eyes and not of noticed, just like in this video.
https://vimeo.com/279842377

It really was bad luck. I walked from my tent, to my barrel, then to a hunting stand on Red Feather Falls. So fairly far. Not one track, not one peep from an animal. Even when using calls, no responses. Filled my bear barrel, (baiting seems to be fixed? Dunno how I feel about the new mechanics though) and had a good amount of things. Dang female elk and deer LOVE wandering up to my tree stand.

[gas56]

Not having any luck?
Well the animals you're after may of been right in front of your eyes and not of noticed, just like in this video.
https://vimeo.com/279842377

It really was bad luck. I walked from my tent, to my barrel, then to a hunting stand on Red Feather Falls. So fairly far. Not one track, not one peep from an animal. Even when using calls, no responses. Filled my bear barrel, (baiting seems to be fixed? Dunno how I feel about the new mechanics though) and had a good amount of things. Dang female elk and deer LOVE wandering up to my tree stand.

I should have known this was you as I recognized your Icon name, but thought you were a new player using that name and didn't notice your join date.....
Oh well,...you just had some bad luck. I guess you don't need hunting training afterall...........

[Radamus]

I suspect, only a theory, maybe it's already known but I think there are multiple spawn points with obviously different combinations and directives. I think there are many points of spawn but all are not used but randomly chosen. Take RFF for example. I have a route I like for different things just as most will develop over time. I have one spot I know almost certainly that If I do this, and this or this, I'm going to find a bear, or a moose in within a certain area. It doesn't work everytime but it works a lot. If I don't find something where I expect to, then I know I need to do this, and go here and I will find this. It's figuring out how many combinations are in the loop. I don't think this is possible for the average player. Someone like a Rain Man probably could but if we were that smart I doubt we'd be here in the first place
The moral of this story is- Now you know how spawn mashing was invented - 2 minute or less starts looking for the desired sequence, like pulling the handle on a slot machine.

Some spawns are just going to suck- the secret is how quickly you can figure it out.

[JimboCrow]

Some spawns are just going to suck- the secret is how quickly you can figure it out.

I'll tell you something I probably shouldn't, but here goes. I'm very stubborn about not leaving a hunt without at least a few harvests, so over time I've come to believe I've noticed a pattern. Call me crazy, but whenever I fight through an obviously horrible spawn, I tend to find at least one pretty decent trophy animal. I'm not saying I haven't also taken leaderboard material in a good spawn, but I find that if I stick it out through a lousy spawn I quite often (more often than not) will eventually come across a taxer. It might just be coincidence, it might only be my human pattern-seeking mind playing tricks on me, but there it is. Maybe it's because when there are fewer animals around I'm not just shooting up the place, and so not scaring hell out of everything within earshot. I dunno, but it SEEMS to work for me, so that now I always stick it out in a bad spawn. Several of my all time personal bests have come out of the worst spawns. No joke.

(Full Disclosure: Lots of folks here know that I have espoused some really whacko theories over the years. For instance, I've also noticed that when there are ravens croaking in the woods on Whiterime Ridge, there's always a 220+ moose standing underneath my tree stand on RFF. )