Bear Baiting Clarification

[teal cypress]

It was mentioned today in the Q&A threads that animals will come to bait stations during their normal feeding hours.

https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1425490150837981184

In the dev dairy teaser we see bears visiting bait sites during the day, but bears feed in the night time hours currently in-game. Bear hunting is not done at night IRL, and would really take a lot of us out of it if we have to hunt them at night which isn't realistic or legal.

I asked if that could be clarified but it was never addressed. Is it possible to provide some clarification here? Will bears visit bait sites during the day? Will they potentially head to bait stations earlier in the evening or stay longer in the early morning hours before going to drink?

Really excited for this DLC, and this is a feature I know a lot of us have been wanting forever. Love this game, just would like a little clarification. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[wet tiger]

I think they mean bears will sometimes raid regular bait sides like they do in real life, but idk hopefully they could change their eating zone time or, or, at any time the animals can come feed

[teal cypress]

Being able to bait bears is the No. 1 reason I want this pack. I really don't care as much about the other feeders when it comes to the maps I typically hunt. If the bears don't come in during the day, there's no point to it. I like to hunt as realistic as I can. Shooting bears at night is just a pain and not realistic. Hogs and feral species are another matter as that is done at night all the time in a lot of countries and a few states.

[wet tiger]

Yeah i seen Canada in the rough, they do alot of bear hunting with barrel baiting, and they have always been during the day, so i believe you

[teal cypress]

It's done a lot in the States, too.

I think my biggest question is whether the bears coming to the bait in the daylight in the trailer is authentic game play or not. Because the dev explanation seems to indicate it could be otherwise if animals only come to bait during their normal feed times.

This is what I'm referring to.

https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1425490150837981184

[wet tiger]

Yeah idk i thought they were very unclear and they didn’t really answer questions about issues, it was mostly when is the new great one, what is the new great one, how do you guys choose reserves and animals. I feel kinda cheated tbh, i thought the Q&A would more about issues on the game mostly

[teal cypress]

There's too much of a focus on Great Ones and grinding IMO. Don't get me wrong, I like GOs and have six so far, but I have more fun shooting big critters and hunting them in a realistic fashion.

[wet tiger]

Yeah too much focus on new content overall, they addressed no issues, but maybe they do listen and i don’t want to say too much before this patch releases. But about your response on the q&a, idk the way there wording was, it seems like they’re tryna build up hype, like talking about animals memories and if they remember them, like when was that ever in the game? And it did say replace feed zones, so expect that they’ll feed at night and be pleasantly surprised i suppose

[valid scroll]

i bait bears myself, it is VERY Effective

[teal cypress]

Ugh. I hate hunting at night...for animals you just simply don't hunt at night. 🤦‍♂️

[wet tiger]

Yeah just unrealistic, but as i said and also since it’s a very popular way to hunt bears, maybe they’ll switch the feed times yk, and unless one would need more proof of bears feeding during the day, just look at all the human-bear encounters that happen with the bear at the trash

[teal cypress]

Maybe, but I feel like they would probably do a population reset if so, and there's been no mention of that so far.

[wet tiger]

True, they did most just mention the highlights

[teal cypress]

We'll see what happens. Hoping for the best!

[odd iris]

if I recall correctly dev note said that animals will be attracted on their ways from zone to zone, I guess it will probably overwrite regular pathing, after feeder effect will be gone, animals will head to zone where they currently should be

[distant cedar]

I think it was quite clear, the Attraction Range for an animal to approach and create a new feeding area will be 400 meters (Range of the render, since no animal is affected by a Caller/Lure if it is not within the render).
Once the feeding zone is created, it will have priority over the zones it normally uses.
When Feeding Time arrives (Normal for each species) the animal will go to the Feeder.

[distant cedar]

There are general things that everyone should know about how areas of need work in the game...
Each animal has 2 times of feeding (F1-F2) on 3 occasions, 2 times of rest (R1-R2) and 1 time (D1) of drinking.
If the animal (Example: European Bison) feeds from 04 to 10 and from 17 to 20, drinks from 10 to 13 and rests from 13 to 17 and 20 to 04 then:

He will use Zone F1 from 04., when it is 10, He will begin to move towards D1 and will use it until 13, then he will move to R1 and use it until 17, then he will move to zone F2 until 20, then he will go to R2 and thus completing the 24-hour Cycle.

Of course, if the Feeding Area is already marked on the map with its icon, and you have already inspected the animal when it is using it, then when you use Rest or Relogging the animal should be in the area corresponding to that time and you should not wait for it to arrive walking.

When he has discovered the Feeder he "should" ignore F1 and F2 and go to use the Feeder during its hours from 04 to 10 and from 17 to 20.
And when you use Rest or Relogging the animal should be in the Feeder.

[teal cypress]

Yes. But my point is the trailer shows bears feeding at the bait stations in the day and sunlight but their feed times are at night in the dark. Which is it?

[distant cedar]

I assume they sneaked them in to show their "destructive mechanics", they are Devs, they can make any animal appear and make them do whatever they want XD

[teal cypress]

Feels like false advertising if that is the case. I'd just like to know one way or the other. Might be the determining factor if I get this DLC or not.

[distant cedar]

I don't think they will create new need zones outside of normal hours, that would contradict the 2022 rework, undoing it requires a Mass Update like the semiannual ones..
In any case, we will have to wait for the Developer Diary to see the details as they always do, I assume it will arrive approx in 10 days

[wet tiger]

For now, i think the bears has a chance to come to zones and destroy feeders

[long jolt]

Gonna show those bears...

[teal cypress]

Hopefully they at least check it out in their daytime travels.

[teal cypress]

I will say that the other feeders will probably bring me back to maps I don't hunt as much anymore. Hirschfelden, Vurhonga, Te Awaroa, Mississippi Acres, and Emerald Coast primarily. But the bear barrels are/were what I am/was most excited about with this release.

[long jolt]

Exactly. I have a few sweeping green fields with spectacular views in mind for the feeders

Places I'd like to hunt irl, but don't much in-game - animal highways

[teal cypress]

It'll make a lot of permanent stands worth hunting in now, too.

I honestly hunt Hirschfelden the least, and it's a shame because it's a gorgeous map. The feed stations will make it much easier to hunt. Same for Vurhonga and the thick areas on the north and south sides with Warthog and Lesser Kudu. Same for Mississippi's hogs and deer.

But I will be extremely disappointed if bears don't come to bait stations in the day. If they do, I will be absolutely loading up AR, NEM, LL, and Yukon with bait barrels and stands. If they don't, I'll honestly never use them.

Scratch that, like Mississippi, Oregon and Washington don't allow bear baiting, so I wouldn't set them on Layton.

[tired sinew]

Speaking of baiting, for example, I hunt a Cape buffalo and use it as bait for lion hunting — another option instead of taxidermy.
I know that in COTW the lion will never run out of food, but you know what I mean.

[tired sinew]

There’s no bait for tigers or lions. That’s why I propose that we could turn, for example, a Cape buffalo into bait for hunting.

[tired sinew]

The same mechanism used to set up a tree stand could be used to place meat as bait in a tree (trunk for lions or higher branches for leopards).

[teal cypress]

They could honestly just modify the post feeder for that. I would be all for it! On a related note, I was hoping for the ability to use beaver carcasses for bear bait. Lol Would be a welcome addition.

[tired sinew]

Another idea: the mineral salt could also work as a “lure” for mountain herbivores.

[teal cypress]

I'm all for all legal methods of baiting animals. I know this is a game, but I'd still probably only use what is legal in the regions of the world reflected by each specific map. I still like having a realism aspect to it. For instance you can bait bears in NEM but not deer, while you can bait deer and hogs in Mississippi Acres, but not bears. I also know hunting over bait sites is very common in a lot of places in Africa, so I will absolutely be using it in Vurhonga. The fact it's used a lot in Europe will make me hunt Hirschfelden a LOT more.

[raw harbor]

Outside of the "pests" like coyotes fox and hogs it is pretty much illegal to hunt at night in most places for obvious safety reasons irl. I'm the same way as you where I want to hunt things realistically and hunting stuff on riverbanks and ponds and then hunting bears at night just aint it. Hopefully we'd be able to get things to show up in the daylight and for me its getting deer to come out in fields and such instead of having to hunt water all the time.

[teal cypress]

I will absolutely have a blast hunting hogs over bait at night in-game, don't get me wrong. I'll use it heavily on the feral and exotic species on Emerald Coast and Te Awaroa. But, man, it's how this impacts the bear hunting that will make or break the pack. If it's at night, you've just hamstrung arguably the biggest seller of the DLC.

[wet tiger]

As i said i think i don’t remember, let’s hope they fix the feed zones to that

[teal cypress]

It will be interesting to see how the different species interact at the bait stations. For instance, feral pigs and Whitetails eat at generally the same time on Mississippi Acres. Will it draw raccoons or quail and turkeys?

[wet tiger]

It can draw small game that’s all ik

[teal cypress]

Hopefully we'll get some clarification this week, whether from the devs or early access CCs.

[teal cypress]

More bears at bait in the daylight in the trailer, then this: "they will visit Game Feeders at the same times that they’d feed at their regular Need Zones."

I'm losing interest in this DLC.

[long jolt]

I hope they'll go to the Feeders whenever they travel past and smell it - then get locked into that time 🐻

[teal cypress]

Even if it's just that, that would be significantly better than being forced to exclusively hunt them at night if I want to hunt them over bait.

[long jolt]

Absolutely, I don't like hunting anything at night since I never did that irl, plus the beauty of the maps is gone

[teal cypress]

I don't mind hunting boar, smaller predators, and feral species at night, but it ultimately comes down to two things for me, 1.) is it a common or at least legal method of hunting those animals in those locales, and 2.) does it detract from the overall gameplay/map experience.

[tired sinew]

Does the feeder work only in the feed zone?

[long jolt]

No, I think you can set it up anywhere - like in animal highways through the fields and catch them traveling

[tired sinew]

It is OK for me

[long jolt]

All those in-game hunting stands overlooking huge fields will be my first try

[teal cypress]

I hope that's the case, but it sounds like they go by on their way, remember where it is for later, then come back at feed time. But I hope I'm wrong.

[odd iris]

yeah sadly it looks like most possible implementation, just cant imagine how something like that can be even introduced, animals should stop whatever they do and come to feeder at any time (given bears can break feeder, it gives hope that will happen like that), then they leave and next feeding time will come back no matter if they were in range of attraction

[long jolt]

Yes you can get the Bears to feed at the Feeders during daylight! 🐻

Watching TicTactical on YT now, he's giving the early access info on feeders

[teal cypress]

I'm watching Flinter currently and he only has them there during the night. If TicTac is doing a live stream, I may have to catch up on that one.

[long jolt]

Hmm, we'll see then. I asked Tic if we could get bears to feed during the daylight, and he said "yes, you can, seakayak." But I haven't seen him demo that yet

[teal cypress]

I just started his stream from the beginning.

[long jolt]

Just asked Flinter live and he said he's not sure 😩 I'm less enthusiastic now but we'll see

[teal cypress]

I think there are going to be some great uses for this DLC, but bears relegated back to night hunting if we want to hunt them over bait really hamstrings this.

[teal cypress]

Yup, hamstrung.

Honestly, I'm understanding @obtuse field more and more with each passing update and DLC.

[obtuse field]

Why do i feel like a crazy person you're regretting that you agree with!?

[odd iris]

yeah I mean I guess they wont feed at day, as feeders are creating static feed zones, I highly doubt they would even stop if passing by but not their feeding time

[obtuse field]

Black bears will feed oppotunistically at any time of day, they're constantly patrolling and snacking on everything they can find. I live near enough to know it.

[teal cypress]

At least they should and do IRL.

[obtuse field]

I've had to replace a barn window 7 times because of black bears. The amount of money spent is rapidly approaching the "should have shot the stupid thief years ago" territory

[teal cypress]

The whole point of bear bait barrels is to bring a level of authentic game play that also attracts the bears into an enticing and ideal shooting position and time of day. Until they add a daylight feed time for bears, this does not do it. In fact, there is literally no point whatsoever to bait barrels until that happens.

[obtuse field]

I don't care if hogs keep their night time feeding habits, that's normal enough, but having a bait barrel for black bears is absolutely pointless if they feed at night.

A feed time of 5 to 9 in the morning and 6to 9 at night would be accurate enough. It gives them the dusk/dawn hours that are normally hunted and makes sense for how an omnivore would operate

[teal cypress]

Exactly.

[obtuse field]

If im honest, I hate hunting at night.

Its not something I grew up doing, I was always told it was highly illegal and unethical. Even if its a game, I don't like sitting in the dark for who knows long. If the feeders added a feed time around dusk and dawn you can bet id buy it instantly and set up fast.

Id love to set up a barrel in cheelah and have a daybreak bear hunt with a bow or muzzleloader, set up a blind near the feeder on Mississippi Acres and arrow a buck as it enters the field.

As it is, I honestly don't know if I care much

[long jolt]

So if the bears can only feed at the barrels during normal night feed time, why did EW showcase them feeding during the day in the DLC Teaser Video? Was it just for convenience of showing the barrels in action?

[teal cypress]

Seems so. Really feels like false advertising.

[teal cypress]

The whole focus for me was the bait barrels for daytime bear baiting. I'll still use some of the feeders on some of the hog/boar, European deer, and more exotic/feral locales, but hunting bears over bait was king. This is extremely disappointing, and literally all they need to do is modify at minimum just one of the two feed times for bears.

[obtuse field]

Just add a feed time, that's it. Dusk or dawn and its absolutely perfect

[odd iris]

yeah tbh I am not even surprised it is like that now., lets just hope they improve it going forward

[teal cypress]

Like Huxley said, they just need to add a dusk feed time and it would work. The question is - will they?

[teal cypress]

Watching a video from Rooster right now. If nothing else, it almost seems like the bait barrels hold bears in the general area during the day, even if they're not right in feeding on the bait. Could be dependent on when and where it's placed, though.

[odd iris]

makes sense probably attracts animals even if they just walk around it

[teal cypress]

I've set a few bait barrels to test it out, but have yet to put in the time to try to sit over them during the day. Will try to find time to do that. Set a bunch of bait sites up on Hirschfelden, MA, EC, and TA though. Have yet to see any hogs or Whitetails come in yet on MA, but the bait sites are active and hopping on those other maps!

[glacial plank]

yeah those two bears seemed to pace around it, even though it wasn't their feeding time

[obtuse field]

Wild boar have feed times of 3-6 and 17-20 making the barrels absolutely perfect for amazing hunts.

BEARS NEED THIS, IT WOULD BE PERFECT