Hunting

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"The shot must be quick. The kill clean. This rabbit is a gift. We must return nature's kindness with our own."

―Ratonhnhaké:ton teaching Kanen'tó:kon how to hunt, 1769.

Ratonhnhaké:ton hunting an elk

Hunting is the practice of tracking and killing wildlife for various purposes, such as the collection of meat or skins, as well as ingredients for the crafting of items.

Ancient Greece

Kassandra hunting deer

In ancient Greece, hunting was an integral part of education, in which it tested the bravery of the individual. It also served as a preparation for war. Games hunted included lynx, bears, boars, hares and birds such as partridges and grouses. The Spartan misthios Kassandra regularly hunted the animals for their leather in order to craft weapons and gear. She also hunted them for their individual parts to sell for drachmae.

As fish of various kinds were a staple of Greek diet, fishing was a key part of Greek culture, and they mastered line, net, and harpoon fishing.

Ptolemaic Egypt

During the 1st century BCE, hunting in Egypt was a prominent way to obtain many of mother nature's resources. Pelts used to craft clothing for both the Egyptian and Greek population came partially from wild animals. One such example is leopard pelts used by priests. The Medjay Bayek of Siwa also hunted these animals, mainly for their pelts in crafting better bracers, stabilizer gloves, breastplates, and tool pouches.

The following animals could be hunted in Lower Egypt and the surrounding areas:

Predators

• Leopard
• Lion
• Crocodile
• Hyena
• Cobra
• Vulture

Prey

• Hippopotamus
• Heron
• Ibex
• Ibis
• Flamingo
• Gazelle

Caribbean Sea

Edward killing a crocodile

During the Golden Age of Piracy, the Assassin Edward Kenway and other pirates tracked and hunted whales and sharks for various purposes, such as meat and oil production. Edward would harpoon at known whale locations using the Jackdaw's whaleboat. He also hunted several species of terrestrial animal present on the islands and in the cities of the Caribbean.

Land-based huntable animals

• Capuchin monkey
• Crocodile
• Deer
• Iguana
• Hutia
• Howler monkey
• Red Howler monkey
• Jaguar
• Black jaguar
• White jaguar
• Ocelot
• Rabbit
• Wild pig

Marine-based huntable animals

• Bull shark
• Great white shark
• Hammerhead shark
• Killer whale
• Humpback whale
• White whale

North Atlantic

During the Seven Years' War, the Assassin-turned-Templar Shay Cormac tracked animals exclusive to arctic conditions such as narwhals and polar bears.

Land-based huntable animals

• Polar bear
• Arctic hare
• Arctic wolf
• Beaver
• Eastern elk
• Hare
• Black bear
• Arctic fox
• Fox
• Deer
• Black wolf
• Grey wolf
• Canadian lynx

Marine-based huntable animals

• Narwhal
• Great white shark
• Killer whale
• Humpback whale
• White whale

North America

Ratonhnhaké:ton preparing to skin a bobcat

Hunting was a fundamental part of the culture for the Native North Americans and European colonists, with the activity becoming a common source of contact between them. It provided food for isolated towns in the Frontier, and was a lucrative way to make money at general stores. Colonization in the Frontier increased partially because of demand in England and France for fur pelts. In 1770, several trappers, including Simon Girty, founded the New England Hunting Society, which provided cabins for hunters to share during hunting season.

Though animals could be hunted in a variety of ways, the quality of the kill affected the price one could fetch for the skin. For an animal killed with snares, bow and arrow, or blade, the skin had a higher economic value, since bullets from a firearm or the rope dart would damage the pelt.

Edward's grandson Ratonhnhaké:ton hunted animals similarly to assassination targets, tracking and trapping several kinds that he encountered across the Frontier. As a member of the Kanien'kehá:ka, he respected nature; he would kneel next to the carcass of a fallen prey and say "Niá:wen", which translates into "thank you", before skinning it.

Ratonhnhaké:ton chasing a deer

Ratonhnhaké:ton eventually joined the New England Hunting Society, which had become a club for hunters to boast about their kills. By hunting infamous animals like King Edward the Elk, and threats to settlers like a man-eating bear, Ratonhnhaké:ton was rewarded with mementos for his bedroom at the Davenport Homestead after completion.

The following animals could be hunted in the Frontier and the Davenport Homestead:

Predators

• Bear
• Cougar
• Wolf
• Bobcat
• Fox

Prey

• Beaver
• Deer
• Elk
• Hare
• Raccoon

Trivia

Assassin's Creed III

• If a predator killed another animal, that animal could be skinned. If another character killed an animal, it could also be skinned, though the spoils would be damaged.
• While in the Animus, if Desmond Miles killed too many animals without skinning them as Ratonhnhaké:ton did, it would cause him to desynchronize. Also, killing domesticated animals such as pigs and chickens would count the same as killing a civilian.
• According to George Washington's journal, he once witnessed Ratonhnhaké:ton hunting outside of Valley Forge. While both men were following a male elk, the Assassin managed to bring the animal down with a single arrow. While this is possible in-game, killing an elk with the bow usually requires at least two arrows. 
• Ratonhnhaké:ton would use a Hidden Blade animation and the blade sound would play while skinning animals even prior to receiving the Hidden Blades in the memory "The Lost Son's Return".

Assassin's Creed: Origins and Odyssey

• Senu and Ikaros, Bayek and Kassandra's eagle companions, could be used to track animals. They would also attack any nearby prey animal when Bayek and Kassandra hunted.

Assassin's Creed: Mirage

• Although Basim Ibn Ishaq could encounter and kill wildlife, he could not collect resources from them.

Assassin's Creed: Shadows

• Unlike previous entries that featured wildlife, wild animals encountered by Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke cannot be harmed in any way. There is also no hostile wildlife that can attack Naoe or Yasuke.

Gallery

• 
  Alexios hunting a bear
• 
  Concept art of Edward harpooning a shark
• 
  Concept art of Edward hunting a shark
• 
  A whale breaching the water's surface as Edward looks on from the Jackdaw
• 
  Edward preparing to spear a shark
• 
  Edward killing an alligator with his Hidden Blade
• 
  Shay hunting a narwhal
• 
  Concept art of Ratonhnhaké:ton stalking an elk
• 
  Ratonhnhaké:ton nocking an arrow to loose at a deer
• 
  Ratonhnhaké:ton stalking a deer through snow

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed III (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
• Assassin's Creed: Rogue
• Assassin's Creed: Origins
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
• Assassin's Creed: Mirage (mentioned in Database entry only)
  • Valley of Memory (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR (mentioned in Database entry only)