Tracking & Senses
🧭 Finding a trail
Crouch in the wild and hold Search for sign, or type /track. The animal comes from the region you are in (see Animals & Habitats).
- A search circle shows on the map. Ride to it and look for the sign.
- Walk up to the sign and examine it in person. The circle moves to the next one and shrinks every time.
- After the last sign (3 to 5 by default) the animal is near. Keep downwind and crouched.
Trails go cold after Config.Tracking.timeout minutes (25). /track cancel gives one up. After a trail you wait cooldown seconds before searching again.
🐾 Kinds of sign
What you find depends on the animal's family:
| Family | Signs | Animals |
|---|---|---|
| Hoof | Split hoof tracks, droppings, disturbed brush, rubs, beds | Deer, elk, moose, bison, boar |
| Paw | Four-toed prints, droppings, fur, brush | Rabbit, fox, wolf, cougar |
| Claw | Clawed prints, droppings, fur, brush, rubs | Bears, badger, armadillo |
| Bird | Bird tracks, feathers, droppings, brush | Turkey, duck, pheasant |
| Reptile | Tail drags, brush, droppings | Alligator |
The props used for each sign are in Config.Tracking.props.
🎖️ Reading more with rank
| Rank | What you learn from a sign |
|---|---|
| 2 | Which animal left it |
| 3 | How old it is. Trophy animals can now appear |
| 4 | Whether it's a fine specimen |
Ranks are set in Config.Reputation.perks. See Reputation.
👃 Animal senses
How close you get before an animal notices you depends on:
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Size | Bigger animals notice you from further away (awareness.base) |
| Crouched | Much closer (× 0.55) |
| Running | Noticed sooner (× 1.6) |
| Mounted | Noticed sooner (× 1.3) |
| Upwind of the animal | Noticed much sooner (× 1.5) |
| Downwind | Closer (× 0.8) |
| Cover scent | Closer (× 0.5) for Config.ScentCover.minutes (8) |
Predators may charge instead of running (predatorCharge). Wolves and coyotes come with their pack (Config.Tracking.packs). Legendary predators sense you from further away and always charge once they notice you (Config.Tracking.legendary).
🩸 Blood trails
An animal hit but not killed leaves drops of blood as it runs. Follow them to finish it. Set with Config.Tracking.blood.
🦅 Eagle Eye
With Eagle Eye on, signs and blood show from much further away (eagleEye.range, 70 m), with a light shaft over each sign.
🔊 Sound cues
- A heartbeat starts at
Config.Audio.heartbeatmetres (80) from the animal and quickens as you close in. - A chime plays when a sign is read.
They are made in the UI, so no sound files are needed. Turn them off or change the volume in Config.Audio.