Where are the animals in 0.60?

[Kirov (DayZ) 585]

I've travelled a lot to find some huntable game (no smartass, chickens don't count) to very little success. So far, I've seen big game three times: deer at 125 082 (a pond near Orlovetz) and 053 052 (E of the NWAF, on move to their next location), as well as a herd of cattle at 065 060 (a big pond N of Stary Sobor). Usually, I used to see a lot of animals on the heli hunt route. The pond in Zeleno was almost sure to yield cows/deer, and I hear that it was a spawn point in 0.59. The other day in 0.60, I docked my toon there and kept logging in every 1-2 hours just to check if some animals pop in, to no avail. I realize that no place is 100% sure, but come on - even the best water spots are currently barren. So my question is, where have you seen bigger animals and what do you know about their spawning/moving routine these days?

On a related note - sardines currently can't be prepared, can they?

Thanks in advance.

[odin_lowe 3686]

Right now the only animals that spawns are chickens (with roosters) , deer and cows. Deer and cows can be found in herd, quite easily too.

Just run around Green Mountain and you'll spot a deer or cow herd for sure, as I've come across so many since 0.60 hit stable that I can't count them. Around Pustoshka too.

As for sardines, I haven't test it again in 0.60.

[Kirov (DayZ) 585]

Many thanks, I'm on it.

As for the 'deer and cows only' thing - is it someone's own observation or status report?

[thunter 13]

I hate that you are struggling to find animals, but I think that you may be looking in places where spawns are no longer frequent. 

For example, a friend and I were running along the road to the north of Elektro, basically the center of the map, and we found one deer that was stuck against the fence. We then made it to the next small residential area, can't remember the name-it has two houses and a dumpster, and we then found a herd of deer running against the exterior walls of the house. There were four total within a pretty small area, all running as a group.

Here's my theory: maybe wildlife respawns are bugged. I know for a fact that the areas you have mentioned have massive amounts of animal spawns. I'd guess that those animals have been killed, but they aren't coming back after resets. Maybe try a lower populated server to see if they are there. I was on a server with 25+ people when I ran into my herd, and I know that we weren't in an area with much traffic at all. That would explain why we had luck and why you're struggling. 

TLDR; Maybe wait for the devs to address it or possibly look in less-traveled areas on the map.

[odin_lowe 3686]

17 minutes ago, Kirov (DayZ) said:

Many thanks, I'm on it.

As for the 'deer and cows only' thing - is it someone's own observation or status report?

It's from the "scientific" community of experimental and stable + a few dozen hours in from myself. It's a known fact that's been shared in the experimental and stable branch threads that currently there's only chicken, deer and cows spawning at the moment in terms of animals.

For "official" reports, well, we never get those unless Hicks, Eugene or Chris personally shares their info, which they rarely do unless the Reddit community start a riot...

Here's a cow herd next to Green Mountain.

 

 

Edited August 3, 2016 by odin_lowe

[odin_lowe 3686]

And a deer herd north of Cherno, coordinates 052 113 on DayZDB map.  Good hunting survivor, and safe travels.

 

 

Edited August 3, 2016 by odin_lowe

[krazypenguin 174]

Saw a herd of deer in Cherno (lol, wtf??) the other day - they came running in from the East side so there's definitely a spawn in that area. 

[Red_Ensign 990]

I see deer quite often around the sobors and staroye.

saw cows only once.  took THREE m4 hits to drop one.  I was disgusted and gave away the m4 and went back to a blaze.

[Mookie (original) 799]

The point that they see players and run away from them at quite a distance (especially deer) might be relevant here?

[sneakydude 480]

Around pustoshoka to vavilovo are deer and cows. They run in herds and stutter in the same location and are able to be hit by an axe from time to time.

The rest of the world are chickens. I am not sure why all the animals have been taken out.

[sneakydude 480]

I have seen tons of deer, and cows all over the map from cherno north, and west. They are in herds and run away when you see them.

[Kirov (DayZ) 585]

Many thanks to all of you, guys! Eventually, I found my deer at 025 057, although my much expected hunt with a bow couldn't be less satisfying - all but one deer got stuck on a fence and I killed them with a knife, the last one darted through the plains and into thin air.

 

I know cows can be successfully stalked and even killed with a bow (although it takes 3 bone arrows per one), but what is your experience with stalking deer if you don't have any long-range scoped weapons? It doesn't have to be the bow. ;) I mean, my experience is that the deer currently run at speeds which I would literally expect from an RPG rocket. Sure our toons run like hell as well, but I think there's no chance with catching up with deer even with Volga. Any luck with approaching deer after you scared the herd? Again, without 400+m hits.

Maybe some other tips from an experienced hunter?

[krazypenguin 174]

2 hours ago, Kirov (DayZ) said:

Many thanks to all of you, guys! Eventually, I found my deer at 025 057, although my much expected hunt with a bow couldn't be less satisfying - all but one deer got stuck on a fence and I killed them with a knife, the last one darted through the plains and into thin air.

 

I know cows can be successfully stalked and even killed with a bow (although it takes 3 bone arrows per one), but what is your experience with stalking deer if you don't have any long-range scoped weapons? It doesn't have to be the bow. ;) I mean, my experience is that the deer currently run at speeds which I would literally expect from an RPG rocket. Sure our toons run like hell as well, but I think there's no chance with catching up with deer even with Volga. Any luck with approaching deer after you scared the herd? Again, without 400+m hits.

Maybe some other tips from an experienced hunter?

No idea about deer, sorry - the only ones I saw got stuck on walls and fences shortly after I saw them and that was in Cherno so I wasn't going to mess about with them.

I just wanted to add, if it helps, that I saw a cow in the field directly to the East of Gvozdno.  Take the East road out of the town and immediately past the first turning on the left is a large field - there was a solitary cow there the other day.

I'm not currently using a bow but I wanted the steaks, skin and lard so I had to take it down with my Winchester.

Edited August 9, 2016 by krazypenguin

[green_mtn_grandbob 594]

4 hours ago, Kirov (DayZ) said:

Many thanks to all of you, guys! Eventually, I found my deer at 025 057, although my much expected hunt with a bow couldn't be less satisfying - all but one deer got stuck on a fence and I killed them with a knife, the last one darted through the plains and into thin air.

 

I know cows can be successfully stalked and even killed with a bow (although it takes 3 bone arrows per one), but what is your experience with stalking deer if you don't have any long-range scoped weapons? It doesn't have to be the bow. ;) I mean, my experience is that the deer currently run at speeds which I would literally expect from an RPG rocket. Sure our toons run like hell as well, but I think there's no chance with catching up with deer even with Volga. Any luck with approaching deer after you scared the herd? Again, without 400+m hits.

Maybe some other tips from an experienced hunter?

This map may help you

 ww.dayztv.com/pic/dayz-wild-animals-spawn-points-dayz-standalone/

http://dayz.gamepedia.com/Wildlife

Edited August 9, 2016 by green_mtn_grandbob

[Kirov (DayZ) 585]

Thanks for the tip, penguin. And thanks for the map, grandbob, but I'm super sure it's been outdated since 0.59. Animals these days are very rare, move a lot and there is never a surefire place you can find them. I checked if they spawn at the Zeleno pond and Kozlovka farm and no.

[green_mtn_grandbob 594]

Well just like player spawn points players roam the map so do the Animals but it gives you a place to hunt in, check the map for the reported sightings you have got so far .

That's why it's called hunting, with a bow you need to still hunt deer, or slowly stalk them only move when all of them have there heads down so they don't spot your movement .

Edited August 9, 2016 by green_mtn_grandbob

[Wili 156]

I found some deers!

 

 

[emuthreat 2837]

Deer seem to be able to run up to 800 meters and will redirect by 15 to 30 degrees after a couple hundred meters if you are chasing close enough for them to detect you still.  Cows will only flee 400 meters, maximum, from what I have experienced.  If you use a VSS, you can kill two deer before the herd starts to flee.  Don't bother with anything less than a .308 or an automatic rifle if you want to get the whole herd in less than two hours of chasing.  Both deer, and cows will eventually migrate back to near where you first spooked them.

I consistently find deer between Nadezhdino and Prigorodki, but they can sometimes flee pretty far west.  A herd of deer also frequents the area between Gorka and Novy Sobor, another in the woods between Vyshnoye and Rogovo, and there's a herd that I  often spook near the power lines heading east into Pogorevka.

Cows can be found Between Gvozdno and Troitskoe, often near the tracks east of Sverograd.  A herd hangs out between Lopatino and Vybor distillery; or along the edge of the meadow from Vavilovo to the eastern helicrash sites at 19/61.  Another herd can often be found if you head due north from Stary Sobor to the Old Fields, and up through Grishino.

I'm sure that I have forgotten a few regular spawns. But with this knowledge, I can easily keep three bases stocked with a few dozen cooked steaks at all times.  Now where's a couple dozen propane canisters when you need them?

[Kirov (DayZ) 585]

On 11.08.2016 at 3:11 AM, emuthreat said:

Deer seem to be able to run up to 800 meters and will redirect by 15 to 30 degrees after a couple hundred meters if you are chasing close enough for them to detect you still.  Cows will only flee 400 meters, maximum, from what I have experienced.  If you use a VSS, you can kill two deer before the herd starts to flee.  Don't bother with anything less than a .308 or an automatic rifle if you want to get the whole herd in less than two hours of chasing.  Both deer, and cows will eventually migrate back to near where you first spooked them.

I consistently find deer between Nadezhdino and Prigorodki, but they can sometimes flee pretty far west.  A herd of deer also frequents the area between Gorka and Novy Sobor, another in the woods between Vyshnoye and Rogovo, and there's a herd that I  often spook near the power lines heading east into Pogorevka.

Cows can be found Between Gvozdno and Troitskoe, often near the tracks east of Sverograd.  A herd hangs out between Lopatino and Vybor distillery; or along the edge of the meadow from Vavilovo to the eastern helicrash sites at 19/61.  Another herd can often be found if you head due north from Stary Sobor to the Old Fields, and up through Grishino.

I'm sure that I have forgotten a few regular spawns. But with this knowledge, I can easily keep three bases stocked with a few dozen cooked steaks at all times.  Now where's a couple dozen propane canisters when you need them?

Thanks buddy, that's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. At last I got lucky with deer near Gvozdno, although I'm afraid you're right with the long arms - deer are ridiculously difficult to approach even on slow crawl. I don't think the bow will do the trick.

 

And thanks for the AI behaviour. I also noticed that the animals try to come back, but I thought it's because one of them got stuck on a fence and they try to "reunite" somehow. Do you have any more observations of their herd behaviour? Is the 'herd' a unit in any way, after they scatter? Can a returning animal get 'unstuck' any stuck friends?

[emuthreat 2837]

AFAIK, stuck animals can stay stuck until a server reset, but will sometimes get unstuck randomly.  I've run across cows and deer stuck on hillsides or spinning in circles, that will spook if you touch them, but most of the time stuck animals can be beaten to death with any melee weapon, without seeming to react until they fall down.

If one animal from the herd gets stuck, it will stay stuck even if the herd migrates back past the stuck animal's position.

The trick to getting a whole herd of deer is to keep your distance until they are on the edge of a treeline, so your first kill will spook the herd into an open field.  Collect your kill while watching the general direction they flee; if you can see them a couple hundred yards out, then it is safe to assume that you can catch up to them in a more-or-less straight line.  I think it takes about a half hour for them to start returning to where you spooked them.  If you catch up to them before they turn around, circle around behind them to push them back where they came from.  If you keep pushing them in the same direction, their movements will become more unpredictable.  Think of it like a one-man game of pickle.

[Kirov (DayZ) 585]

Thanks again! One more thing - how common that the animal paths are so predictable on your server? Is the number of animals with their spawns even server-dependent at all? It looks so to me right now, as I repeatedly visit the regions I've seen game (and I mean repeatedly like in dozens) and never have I stumbled on animals again.

[emuthreat 2837]

It might depend on your server population.  I am under the impression that when a herd from a certain area is killed, a new herd will most often spawn far away from that position  If you were familiar with the vehicle respawning mechanics of .59, that would be a good parallel.  As far as I could tell, when a car was destroyed, it would respawn at the next 'queued' spawn point. Though I haven't chased herds around to new spawns like I had with .59 vehicle spawns.  So if you are using the same few hunting grounds over and over, you will find them less productive.  If you travel to the complete opposite end of the map, you could find herds much sooner, but you will have to scout a less familiar ( and likely a more hilly and wooded) area.  If you are on a server with other people/groups operating in different regions, the game spawns appear to cycle around the map much faster. 

I'm not entirely certain about this, but I do know that I wouldn't see herds in certain spots until a day or two after I wiped-out the existing one.  I never traced the migration patterns, as it is enough of a logistical challenge to get an entire herd worth of meat and pelts back to a camp in less than 3 trips.  If you make runs that focus on the deerstands and feeder huts, taking time to run the streambanks you will often get lucky.

[Kirov (DayZ) 585]

Thanks, buddy, I like your attitude towards exploring the game mechanics and I'm going to do likewise in final release (too many times I did in-game research only to see the subject of it completely overhauled).

At least recently I got around to timing gas capacity in canisters (you mentioned something about propane). Turns out that small bottle burns for 2:30min, medium - 3:30 and large - 7:30 (before that I'd been under the impression that it's 1:2:3). As food cooks for 1 minute and the pot is fully warmed up after 15 sec. and the stove itself does some warming up, basically this means that you'll get 2:3:6 potloads of food, respectively (unless you're very fast with a timer and use the large bottle in one sitting). Just, you know, a small piece of info. ;)

[emuthreat 2837]

I know all about the cooking times, though I never really bothered timing out the gas bottles; I just knew that I always need MOAR...  Thanks for the *hot* tip.  LOL