So...about mooses...er...meese...er...

[straffin]

I understand that there are particular locations that a moose might spawn.
I understand that trees with the bark scraped clean are a sign of a moose spawn location nearby.
I understand that it's all up to the RNG and a moose might never spawn in a given location.

What I don't understand is how those things relate to each other: if there are no bark-scraped trees in a given spawn location, does that mean a moose will never spawn there, no matter how long I wait (kind of like, with bears, no bones at the cave means no bear)? Or are the bark-scraped trees always there (I believe that they are not)?

[AdamvR]

Based on my experience, Bleak Inlet appears to be the only place, where moose have been spotted without scraped trees (in both locations, right of the cave entering from FM, and behind the washed up trailers). In all other places, at least to my experience I have only seen a moose, if there were scrapemarks as well.
In my opinion, it is not worth it to wait for it, rather take your shooting chance if you happen to meet.
Don't hunt it in the bottom valley in HRV, unless you brought ample pain killers and cloth - you cannot climb with a broken rib, and there is no other way out...

[Serenity]

The trees are static. It's not like there is a moose around actively scraping them.

In Ash Canyon there aren't scrapes either I think because the trees are burned

All animals in the game have defined areas where they wander around. With the moose they just chose to make it more explicit by changing the trees. Probably because they are so rare.

[Mroz4k]

10 hours ago, straffin said:

if there are no bark-scraped trees in a given spawn location, does that mean a moose will never spawn there, no matter how long I wait (kind of like, with bears, no bones at the cave means no bear)?

Exactly.

The scratched trees mark a location where moose can spawn in that particular game world. If there are no markings, it will never spawn there. If there are markings, it might spawn there but it is not quaranteed, like with bears. I tend to mark the scratched trees with the can of spray and Hunting area sign so that I know later on I can go there in search of a moose.

[hozz1235]

1 hour ago, Mroz4k said:

Exactly.

The scratched trees mark a location where moose can spawn in that particular game world. If there are no markings, it will never spawn there. If there are markings, it might spawn there but it is not quaranteed, like with bears. I tend to mark the scratched trees with the can of spray and Hunting area sign so that I know later on I can go there in search of a moose.

 

9 hours ago, AdamvR said:

Based on my experience, Bleak Inlet appears to be the only place, where moose have been spotted without scraped trees (in both locations, right of the cave entering from FM, and behind the washed up trailers).

As @AdamvR stated, I believe it may be possible for a moose to spawn without scrapings, but the vast majority of times I've bagged moose, there have been scrapings.  Don't wait though.

[Mroz4k]

2 minutes ago, hozz1235 said:

 

As @AdamvR stated, I believe it may be possible for a moose to spawn without scrapings, but the vast majority of times I've bagged moose, there have been scrapings.  Don't wait though.

I have seen that moose spawn behind the waterlogged cabin, but it was on the the perma-damage challenge mode so I did not investigate for the scrapings. I reccon, however, that there is bound to be one or two trees or stumps with the markings in that area as well. That whole area is a bit barren though, I think thats the problem.

I also recall finding a moose by the birch forested area in Bleak Inlet, but did not find the markings there, either. But I also did not look very hard. Its for those reasons I use the spray to mark out those locations.

Point still stands - when hunting for a moose, check the locations with the scratchings, but if its not there, dont waste your time there, waiting. It might respawn in several days, or even in weeks. Its better to just check other scratched areas - gotta get lucky at some point.

[AdamvR]

3 hours ago, Serenity said:

In Ash Canyon there aren't scrapes either I think because the trees are burned

Thanks @Serenityfor the correction, Indeed, Ash Canyon also features a moose in the burnt corner near Stone Shelf Cave, without any scrapings (or at least I have not seen them either) - as there are barely any trees there. Other than this and BI (where there are trees around), I have always seen scrapings when I saw a moose (sometimes saw it later than the encounter, as only a few trees are marked). I've actually asked Hinterland support if BI might be missing on the scraping marks, they said, they will consider to add them there.

For me the most frequent encounters were in TWM (between the entry point and the lake); Broken Railroad (near Hunter's Lodge), Ash Canyon, ML (near the Dam or Trapper's Homestead) and Milton Basin. 

Edited March 9, 2021 by AdamvR

[straffin]

7 hours ago, AdamvR said:

For me the most frequent encounters were in ... ML (near the Dam...

Yeah, I'm in ML now and the main reason for this question was to determine if I should find excuses to circle back by the dam to check for a moose if there are currently no scrapings on the trees that I've seen scrapings on before. I'm getting that the answer is "Nope...no scrapings where you've seen them in other sandboxes means no moose at that location in this sandbox".

Thanks, all! 

[straffin]

Okay... next moose-y question: Once spawned, how long do they hang around? Just had one stomping around Quonset. Took a couple pot-shots (then hid...I'm such a chicken!), then it got too dark to continue. Should he still be there in the morning? What if a blizzard comes in the night (which despawns animals, right?)? Did I miss my shot (literally), or should I still have a chance?

[Bean]

I shot two moose in BI within a game day of each other.  Fully processed the first, and just skinned the second. 
 

I have come up with a new way to take these moose down with no mess or fuss.  
Using the rifle, sneak close enough not to miss, and plug him.  He will react, and your gun will cycle.  Now plug him again.  And again.  And again!  He reacts to each hit, and it took four hits to take him down for good.  The moose didn’t move more than five yards during the fusillade.  Did that for both moose I shot in BI.  
 

[straffin]

I just answered my own question...he was still there the next morning, after a blizzard. And now he's lying in the road in front of Quonset. Only took me...7, 8 shots? 😕 

But I got him. 🙂 

[starlin]

2 hours ago, straffin said:

Okay... next moose-y question: Once spawned, how long do they hang around? Just had one stomping around Quonset. Took a couple pot-shots (then hid...I'm such a chicken!), then it got too dark to continue. Should he still be there in the morning? What if a blizzard comes in the night (which despawns animals, right?)? Did I miss my shot (literally), or should I still have a chance?

I found a moose during a blizzard, and came back for him like a day later.  Killed a bear that same day, cuz basard snuck up on me while harvesting the moose. 

[past caring]

 

Late response to this but the cabins behind Quonset Gas Station in CH regularly spawn a moose - and there are no tree rubbings anywhere near.

[straffin]

6 hours ago, past caring said:

there are no tree rubbings

This is why I updated my premise to "no scrapings where you've seen them in other sandboxes means no moose at that location in this sandbox".

Quonset is where I bagged mine. 🙂 

[straffin]

14 hours ago, starlin said:

Killed a bear that same day, cuz basard snuck up on me while harvesting the moose.

Strangely enough, I also bagged a bear in the same hunt because he came shambling down the road while I was stalking the moose. Turned and took a few shots, ran off and died just around the corner from the Coastal House on the hill. Nice of him, that...

And, if I recall, the LAST moose I'd seen at Quonset (in another sandbox) got away because of a bear messing things up. Perhaps they're in league with each other? 🤔

[AdamvR]

On 3/10/2021 at 9:09 PM, straffin said:

Perhaps they're in league with each other? 🤔

I'm suspecting the same... While Quonset is not the place where I shot the most moose (according to google the plural form is also simply 'moose'), the latest one I shot there also had his buddy around. Luckily I looked around after shooting the guy with the antlers, and good that I did, as his fat friend was also lurking nearby.
Had a lot of harvesting to do afterwards, it was a long but beautiful night with aurora...
I'm always quite nervous in quonset, especially when picking sticks on the western side of the park, got surprised a few times earlier, just as I finished breaking down the larger branches... (Along with the frequent wolf-raids, it is rather a puzzle to me why others appear to like that spot for a base, but perhaps it is just me.)

Edited March 12, 2021 by AdamvR

[hozz1235]

Confirmed:  BI  Birch Forested Area can spawn Moose without scrapings!

[xAnAngelOfDeathx]

On 3/9/2021 at 9:19 PM, straffin said:

I just answered my own question...he was still there the next morning, after a blizzard. And now he's lying in the road in front of Quonset. Only took me...7, 8 shots? 😕 

But I got him. 🙂 

Well done! I find the bow to be best for taking down anything but that's just me!

[straffin]

On 3/20/2021 at 7:58 PM, xAnAngelOfDeathx said:

Well done!

Thanks! 🙂

On 3/20/2021 at 7:58 PM, xAnAngelOfDeathx said:

I find the bow to be best for taking down anything but that's just me!

I'd been concerned about the reports that moose don't bleed out. I'm a BIG bow and arrows fan, but that's largely because an arrow causes faster bleed-out. Do you find that they do more base damage than bullets?

[xAnAngelOfDeathx]

2 hours ago, straffin said:

Thanks! 🙂

I'd been concerned about the reports that moose don't bleed out. I'm a BIG bow and arrows fan, but that's largely because an arrow causes faster bleed-out. Do you find that they do more base damage than bullets?

I don't know about the damage models but based on my experience the bow is the most effective for taking out critters. I do try and get head on with the animal when I hunt, I find that provides a higher percentage of 1 shot kills.

Good luck and have fun!

[Bean]

I’ve lost count of the number of moose I’ve one-shotted with the bow.  It really is a powerful weapon.  The arc of the arrows makes it harder to use long range where the rifle really shines, but short to medium range bow strikes are deadly especially at level five archery. 

[darkscaryforest]

9 hours ago, Bean said:

I’ve lost count of the number of moose I’ve one-shotted with the bow.  It really is a powerful weapon.  The arc of the arrows makes it harder to use long range where the rifle really shines, but short to medium range bow strikes are deadly especially at level five archery. 

Let's say I'm a level 5 archer and approach a moose on interloper. Say I fail to one shot Mr. moose, and he stomps me. Anyone know what the odds are that I'll not die from that?

[Dr. S.]

3 hours ago, darkscaryforest said:

Let's say I'm a level 5 archer and approach a moose on interloper. Say I fail to one shot Mr. moose, and he stomps me. Anyone know what the odds are that I'll not die from that?

If your condition is good pre-stomp, you won't die.

I had an interloper run with an evening start in TWM where I got lost trying to evade wolves and find the climber's hut and ended up getting stomped by the moose that spawns near there. It didn't kill me, so I decided to see how many stomping I could take. Died on the fourth stomping.

[Bean]

The key to killing moose on interloper is to shoot them when they’re looking away from you, and rather far away.  They’ll run off instead of coming to look for you.  
 

it’s either that or the old fashioned method of shooting from a position that the moose can’t path to, or hopping to a cliff face after the shot.  I’ve done that plenty as well.  

[Serenity]

The big danger with moose hunting isn't death like wolves or bears. It's broken ribs. They take ages to heal