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Guides and tutorials / Re: Seal hunting tactics
« on: December 30, 2020, 04:06:58 AM »
I have successfully hunted seal, but it took much patience and just as much luck.
It is true what you say - the seals will definitely "haunt" a certain area, usually a skerry.
I have had success with deadfall traps, although it seems quite random, you would need to build a lot in order to meet with predictable success. Your best bet is probably to load the materials into your boat, unload them onto the skerry, then build the trap there.
I have also had limited success with "ambush tactics". To succeed, you need a character with high stealth, speed, and accuracy with chosen weapon. I found it useful to crouch in a natural low spot, like a little trench, or behind a rock. The seals will sometimes come relatively far inland, to where they cannot easily escape back to sea. Wear as little clothing as possible, and carry a spear (or other weapon) in both hands, then you have to wait for the seal to get to that point and get close to your position. At the right moment, you spring out, sprint towards the seal, try to cut off its access to the water, and throw one or both spears. One spear will almost never kill the seal - their blubber seems to be very thick, as they can take quite a lot of damage. You may need to hit an individual seal with multiple spears before it even begins to slow down.
However, once it has several harpoons sticking out of it, it will start to slow. Wait for it to come ashore again, then rush it with a club (or blunt side of an axe, etc) and start beating it. Aiming for the legs/flippers seems to be a good way to keep it from getting away, then once it's mostly immobilized you can attack the skull.
Due to the damage to the hide from the spears, this usually results in a carcass that is "harmed" or worse. But it can be done. Also, the spears will commonly fall out in the water, or else the animal might die out there as well. So you need a boat to collect your spears and the body.
It is true what you say - the seals will definitely "haunt" a certain area, usually a skerry.
I have had success with deadfall traps, although it seems quite random, you would need to build a lot in order to meet with predictable success. Your best bet is probably to load the materials into your boat, unload them onto the skerry, then build the trap there.
I have also had limited success with "ambush tactics". To succeed, you need a character with high stealth, speed, and accuracy with chosen weapon. I found it useful to crouch in a natural low spot, like a little trench, or behind a rock. The seals will sometimes come relatively far inland, to where they cannot easily escape back to sea. Wear as little clothing as possible, and carry a spear (or other weapon) in both hands, then you have to wait for the seal to get to that point and get close to your position. At the right moment, you spring out, sprint towards the seal, try to cut off its access to the water, and throw one or both spears. One spear will almost never kill the seal - their blubber seems to be very thick, as they can take quite a lot of damage. You may need to hit an individual seal with multiple spears before it even begins to slow down.
However, once it has several harpoons sticking out of it, it will start to slow. Wait for it to come ashore again, then rush it with a club (or blunt side of an axe, etc) and start beating it. Aiming for the legs/flippers seems to be a good way to keep it from getting away, then once it's mostly immobilized you can attack the skull.
Due to the damage to the hide from the spears, this usually results in a carcass that is "harmed" or worse. But it can be done. Also, the spears will commonly fall out in the water, or else the animal might die out there as well. So you need a boat to collect your spears and the body.
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