You must hunt animals if you are to survive.
Hunting animals on the Forest Peninsula can be tricky to get right but is a necessary skill to learn. Most of the animals that inhabit the land provide crucial crafting materials for imperative advancements, but taking them down is not always an easy feat. Learning how to hunt effectively will be critical for your survival. This guide will cover the best ways to employ a consistent source of food and materials and make your first week on the Peninsula much more manageable. Being able to rely on your hunting skills will also keep you busy around camp while cooking your rewards.
Learn the hunting mechanics
Many important factors come into play when hunting in The Forest. Stealth elements, animal AI behavior, and adequate gear are all things to be mindful of before sending arrows flying all over the place. You must prepare for the hunt for that elusive deer—among other things.
Stealth
The game has a hidden stealth feature that affects how animals and enemies will react to your presence. Crouching, removing actively equipped light sources, and slow advancements are key ways to pilot the guise of anonymity. Another stealth-based utility in The Forest, effectively referred to as Stealth Armor can be made available to the player in due time. Though not without learning to hunt lizards beforehand.
Other ways to increase your stealth include using mud and rabbit fur boots. One vital thing to note, however, is that the amount of noise generated by the player within the atmosphere is an incredibly volatile variable when it comes to landing a hunt and having something to show for it.
Animal AI
The Forest features a deep AI system that triggers reactions from both antagonists and prey in response to the player’s presence. These responses are carried out in a slim but noteworthy multitude of ways. Generally speaking, animals are passive and will flee rather than attempt to pursue confrontation or may remain still and unbothered—but cautious—upon detecting the player.
Certain animals, such as boars and alligators, are not quite as shy and will choose to attack the player instead. Each animal will also react differently to how the player adapts to the environment. Actions such as cutting down trees, thereby causing a commotion in the ecosystem, will frequently send deer and other woodland-based critters fleeing before you catch so much as a glimpse of them. Shh!
Gear
Many weapons and tools can be used while hunting along the Peninsula. Bows are one of the most common and beginner-friendly ways to hunt. Ranged weapons are generally the best bet for going after large prey. However, weak spears are just as effective a choice—assuming you know how to aim them!
Explosives are another way to get the job done. However, it is also worth noting that such usage will notably impact some or all of your available crafting materials. In a pinch, Molotov cocktails and fire arrows can be an effective workaround, albeit somewhat distasteful.
How to find and hunt each type of animal in The Forest
There are a variety of animals to hunt along the Peninsula, and many of them are easy enough for even the most creature comfort-clad newcomer to take head-on. While several possibilities have already been named thus far, the following information is a more comprehensive list of the various animals up for grabs and how and where to find them. Each animal’s meat can be stored on a drying rack to help you preserve the meat and save on your inventory space.
Hunting deer
Deer are common throughout the Peninsula in densely wooded areas; sometimes, they may graze in open fields. The easiest, most surefire way to find a deer is to head back to the plane crash scene, as it creates a nearby spawn point for deer that players can check on every few days.
Deer are a reserved, skittish NPC within the game. A quick and efficient way to kill a deer if you can draw close enough while evading detection is by using fire or poison arrows. Success will rely on proper aim, as more than one regular arrow may be necessary to take the deer down successfully.
Keep in mind that, when attacking a deer, it may immediately attempt to scamper off. This will leave you to observe its every move with a keen eye in hopes of landing a meal and other resources from the catch. Following after the deer could prove a difficult task because the deer’s movements and agility are far more sporadic than the player’s by default. Successfully landing the kill will result in the deer dropping 4 meat, 1 deer skin, and 1 deer head.
Hunting rabbits
Rabbits are found everywhere on the Peninsula but are most drawn to the forest and the open plains, similar to deer. Snowshoe rabbits, a counterpart, tend to spawn in snowy areas.
The most straightforward way to hunt a rabbit would be through rabbit traps. Go figure. To use a rabbit trap, place it in an area with a high rabbit population and wait for one of the critters to wander into the trap on its own. To retain maximum effectiveness, keep your distance from the traps indefinitely, as the rabbits may scatter before they can be successfully ensnared if they detect your presence.
If you wish to hunt a rabbit without the use of traps—or if you just need to grab a bite in a hurry—bows are an effective way to take down your desired prey. However, as is also the case with deer, rabbits are extremely skittish. Arguably more so, given the sound of the player loading an arrow can be enough to scare them off. Make sure your weapon of choice is already drawn and ready to fire when there is an amiable distance between you and the rabbit.
Successful rabbit kills drop 1 meat, 1 rabbit fur, and 1 rabbit head. It is worth noting that, should you use a Molotov or fire arrows to take down a rabbit, it will not drop any crafting materials, but the meat will be intact and can be eaten right away.
Hunting lizards
Lizards are one of the more finicky prey on the Peninsula. Their sporadic spawn points make them difficult to track down and less plentiful than deer or rabbits. However, lizards typically aren’t found on the beach or in snowy areas across the Peninsula.
Lizards are much slower than most other prey and often make a great deal of noise when roaming or fleeing—both of which can quickly grant the player the upper hand. Lizards can also be easily caught via the bow, as they are less reactive to ambient disturbances than rabbits and deer are. The animal trap is effective at catching lizards as well, but the player must kill the lizard while it is subdued, thereby putting the player at risk of having to rebuild a new trap from scratch without receiving any gains.
Lizards can also be killed with a single hit from any weapon, so a simple, well-timed tap with a spear or lucky strike with a bow will get the job done. Lizard kills result in 1 meat, 1 lizard skin, and 1 lizard head added to your inventory.
Hunting turtles
Turtles are found on nearly all coasts of the Peninsula. One of the best areas to farm turtles is the beach backed by shark carcasses and the yacht POI.
Hunting turtles is a very effective way to build multiple water collectors. The best way to hunt a turtle is to give it a couple of swipes with the plane axe. This should prove no real challenge given the NPC’s rather bland and nonresponsive AI compared to other prey available on the Peninsula.
Unlike other huntable prey, there is little to no true threat of scaring the turtle off with noise disturbance; once you come across a turtle, expect to gain 2 meat, 1 turtle shell, and 1 turtle head from the encounter.
Hunting tortoises
Tortoises are another passive creature in The Forest, and they can typically be found in swampy areas or perched in small ponds nearby.
To take down a tortoise, you are looking at a lot of time spent hacking away at its shell with melee weapons. One of the survival tactics a tortoise depends on is to hide in its shell in response to imminent conflict or threats.
Consequently, bows may not be efficient on their own unless you can aim through the head in time. When a tortoise is hiding, simply back away from its line of detection and wait for it to exit the shell so you can attack it again with a ranged weapon.
If done correctly, you can kill the tortoise with a single thrown spear anywhere on its body, promptly rewarding you with 2 meat, 1 tortoiseshell, and 1 tortoise head.
Hunting fish
Fish are found in many of the small ponds and lakes on the Peninsula. Generally, the easiest way to find fish is to head to the coastline and scan the shallow waters for schools swimming by.
The best way to hunt fish is to utilize a spear and melee the nearest ones you see. The fish will continue to collect toward the end of your spear. Other methods, such as arrows, can take down a fish, but the collection process becomes more complicated when trying to track down your prey after it has been killed.
Fish are purely consumable and offer no crafting materials.
Hunting birds
Many different species of birds can be found all over the Peninsula. Seagulls are the most prominent—and easiest—to hunt, as they spawn quickly and are larger than many other species present. Their size makes them an easier target to hit. Seagulls frequently hang around and spawn on the coastline.
The best way to hunt birds is to use the crafted or modern bow and wait for the birds to perch on a targetable surface. Birds typically remain idle for a few seconds, which is plenty of time to go in for the kill before they can take flight again.
However, like rabbits and deer, one disadvantage is that birds are easy to startle. Range weapons are recommended for this reason. On the other hand, they are also another one of the easiest prey to kill, given that they can be defeated with any amount of damage, so if ammo such as arrows is not readily available to you, a meager slingshot will work in a pinch.
A successful takedown yields 1 small meat and 3-5+ feathers; seagulls and geese drop their own respective heads.
Hunting boar
While all other prey thus far has upheld a docile, skittish, or otherwise flighty reputation with fluctuating levels of difficulty, boars are one of the few types of prey on the Peninsula that tell a whole other tale.
Boars are much more aggressive and confrontational and will attempt to attack you before you attack them. They can be found in the northern areas of the Peninsula and may generally appear just at the foot of the snow biome.
Boars can be hunted quite easily due to their slow movements and malleable AI. That is to say; they can be falsely triggered to attack in an effort for the player to learn their patterns or routing. You can take down a boar with a single strike using the upgraded spear or a katana; using the plane axe will take about two hits if you have yet to upgrade it. Just as well, it is possible to outrun a boar if it charges at you, so melee combat works in a pinch.
If you wish to avoid the risk of taking damage, you can easily take a boar out from a distance using a bow or throwing spear. If done successfully, drops 2 meat, 1 boar skin, and 1 boar head.
Hunting crocodiles
Crocodiles are found in swampy areas north of the Peninsula, near the large river that cuts in the middle of the map by the sinkhole. Crocodiles are some of the rarest prey to encounter in The Forest. They can often be found on riverbanks or near the water, but very rarely in the water. However, crocodiles are not afraid to chase you through bog and swamp in a high-stakes variation of cat and mouse. Their deft movements make outrunning the mighty croc a feat to behold—if you can even manage it!
Like boars, crocodiles are one of the more aggressive types of prey. Being near a croc is enough provocation to risk a shoutout in the local obituaries. The best way to hunt a crocodile is to trigger an attack animation and throw a spear at it. Arrows are another effective measure to take, given the distance it puts between the croc and the player, but keep in mind that some arrows may not be recoverable with this particular prey. Crocodiles have very unpredictable AI, as sometimes they may flee and then turn around to chase the player without notice.
Should a croc attack you, a single bite deals a whopping half of your maximum health without having armor equipped. Be sure to utilize ranged attacks unless you are confident you can take it down quickly, which results in a drop of 4 meat, 4 crocodile skin, and 1 crocodile head.
Hunting sharks
Sharks are found in the depths of the ocean, where the water is too deep to stand in, though they have specific spawn locations that can be tracked here.
Sharks do not drop any crafting materials, nor do they serve any other purpose for hunting, so attempting to kill one would more or less be an instance of self-defense. Generally speaking, you should be mostly safe if you are using a raft, but being within the water has a whole category of drawbacks due to the nature of this prey—or, rather, predator.
Suppose you come across a shark while on your raft; however, throwing spears or arrows is your best bet. Sharks do the same amount of damage as crocs but attack less frequently. Coming across a shark that has yet to detect your presence can buy you some time to make your way to safety by putting more distance between you and the shark.
Technically, the only consumable to be won from an encounter with a shark would be the shark head trophy. These can be achieved by collecting the heads of carcasses that have turned up around the yacht.
Other prey found on the Peninsula.
Below is a list of miscellaneous prey that players can find on the Peninsula. However, they provide far fewer crafting materials or consumables than the other animals listed in this article or have less to mention about them or their characteristics overall.
- Raccoons: Raccoons are another rare animal to be found on the Peninsula. They typically spawn during the night near fertile, grassy lands or the northernmost point of the river cutting through half of the map. Raccoons drop 2 meat, 1 raccoon skin, and 1 raccoon head.
- Geese: Geese often appear around Geese Lake, the lake found southwest of the sinkhole. Geese can be killed similarly to the other birds on the Peninsula and drop 1 meat, 5+ feathers, and 1 goose head.
- Squirrels: Squirrels can be found in many of the same areas that rabbits are found; both can be caught with the animal trap. Squirrels are usually found hiding out in wooded areas and drop 1 small meat and 1 squirrel head.
- Oyster: Oysters can be found in certain areas in the ocean and are immediately transferred to the player’s inventory upon being picked up. Oysters can be consumed instantly for a small hunger boost or used as an ingredient in stews. A spoiled oyster will not give the player any hunger benefits and will instead inflict the player’s health, albeit slightly. Once the player has the rebreather, oysters can be found in deeper waters, sometimes in the same or similar spawn points as sharks. An excellent way to find oysters is by searching the ocean floor near the yacht.
- Bats: Bats are found in caves and can be killed with a single hit, or they can be set on fire to be used as a light source. Bats do not drop anything upon death; however, some players claim that bats can drop miscellaneous supplies after being killed.
Now that you have a firm grasp on how to hunt animals in The Forest, be sure to check out The Forest Beginner’s Guide for more in-depth game insights and to get a head start on your survival journey across the Peninsula.
