Hunting

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Connor hunting an elk

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

The Assassin Edward Kenway hunted animals throughout his life, including whales and other sea life, during his adventures in the Caribbean.

Edward's grandson, Ratonhnhaké:ton hunted animals similarly to assassination targets, tracking and trapping several kinds that he encountered across the Frontier.

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 a single strike from a bow or blade, the skin had a higher economic value, since bullets from a firearm or the rope dart would damage the pelt.

Hunting was both a lifestyle and a sport in the Frontier, so much so that the Hunting Society was one of the many factions during the American Revolutionary War. The club would invite skilled hunters such as Ratonhnhaké:ton to join their ranks, and would commonly request them to hunt rare animals such as cougars.

Whaling

During the Golden Age of Piracy, Edward Kenway and other pirates tracked and hunted whales for various purposes, such as meat and oil production.

It was a common source of income in the world up until the twentieth century, where the growing sparsity of whales in the ocean inspired laws against the act.

Huntable animals (Thirteen Colonies)

Predators

• Bears
• Cougars
• Wolves
• Bobcats
• Foxes

Prey

• Beaver
• Deer / Elk
• Hare
• Raccoon

Frontier hunting grounds

Black Creek

• Beaver
• Bobcat
• Elk
• Hare

Concord

• Beaver
• Deer
• Hare
• Raccoon

Davenport Homestead

• Beaver
• Elk
• Deer
• Fox
• Hare
• Raccoon
• Wolf

Diamond Basin

• Beaver
• Cougar
• Deer
• Wolf

Great Piece Hills

• Bobcat
• Elk
• Hare
• Wolf

John's Town

• Bear
• Elk
• Fox
• Hare

Kanièn:keh

• Cougar
• Deer
• Fox
• Hare

Lexington

• Deer
• Fox
• Hare
• Raccoon

Monmouth

• Elk
• Fox
• Hare
• Raccoon

Packanack

• Bear
• Beaver
• Bobcat
• Hare

Scotch Plains

• Cougar
• Deer
• Hare
• Raccoon

Troy's Wood

• Deer
• Elk
• Hare
• Wolf

Valley Forge

• Beaver
• Elk
• Hare
• Raccoon

Criticism of whaling

After the feature was confirmed, PETA issued a statement condemning Black Flag as "disgraceful" as it "glorified" whaling.

A Ubisoft spokesperson provided the following response to IGN.

"History is our playground in Assassin's Creed. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is a work of fiction that depicts the real events during the Golden Era of Pirates. We do not condone illegal whaling, just as we don't condone a pirate lifestyle of poor hygiene, plundering, hijacking ships, and over the legal limit drunken debauchery."

Trivia

• If a predator killed another animal, that animal could not be skinned; however if another character killed an animal, it could be skinned, though the spoils would be damaged.
• Whenever Ratonhnhaké:ton skinned an animal, he would kneel next to the carcass and say Niá:wen, which translates into "thank you" in Kanien'keha, his native language. This represented a practice of his nation to show respect to nature for the spoils of the hunt.
• In Assassin's Creed III, if Ratonhnhake:ton killed too many animals without skinning them, it would cause him to desynchronize.

Gallery

• 
  A whale breaching the water's surface as Edward Kenway looks on from aboard the Jackdaw
• 
  Concept art of Connor stalking an elk
• 
  Connor placing an arrow on his bow to fire at a deer
• 
  Some of the common animal types that could be found throughout the Frontier
• Connor preparing to skin a fallen buck
  Connor preparing to skin a fallen buck
• 
  Connor stalking a deer through a snowy expanse
• 
  Connor chasing a deer
• 
  Wolves, the natural competitors when hunting prey
• A Black Bear, another competitor and challenging prey
  A Black Bear, another competitor and challenging prey
• Art depicting Connor hunting Elk
  Art depicting Connor hunting Elk
• Connor on the hunt
  Connor on the hunt