If you want to bag some prize animals in Hunting Simulator 2, you will need to track them first. Across the game’s various locations, you will need to look for clues about what animals are near, and where to go to find them.
Your best tool in Hunting Simulator 2 is your loyal dog. Your companions will make it much easier to track down animals when hunting, but success or failure will boil down to your decision making and actions. When you first arrive in the area you will be hunting in, you can give you companion a command to search. Your dog will then explore the area, looking for signs of an animal.
When he finds something, an exclamation point will appear on his icon, so walk over to him and analyze whatever he has found. Praise the dog when he finds something, as this will increase his stats and making him a better companion. If you wish, you can turn on waypoints for animal tracks in the options. This will cause a waypoint to appear above the various traces that animals can leave behind, making them easier to spot.
If the dog has found something you want to try and track, open the companion command wheel and give him the track command. Your companion will then try to track down signs of that same animal. It should be noted, this will not stop him from finding signs of other animals as well, so it is a good idea to mark things on your map, even if you are not actively hunting them. The map will stay static between visits, so all your waypoints and markers will still be here if you leaven and then come back.
Your companions can find things like tracks, droppings, urine, and signs of animals eating. Depending on their age, you will know how close you are to the animal. Anything fresh means you are close, while anything old means you are quite far away, and are at the start of the trail.
Eventually, you will find some tracks in the dirt. They will glow faintly, but you need to follow them to the animal. Pay close attention to other signs of the animal’s presence as you follow the tracks. If those signs are getting older instead of newer, you are heading in the wrong direction. Finally, always keep a good eye on your environment. When you get close enough to the animal, you will need to give your dog a command to stay, so he doesn’t spook them, then make the approach on your own.
As you get within about 160 meters or so, you should start hearing animal calls, which will let you know you are starting to get very close, and that is a good time to tell your dog to stay put.
