Hunting

"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.

Connor 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.

Caribbean Sea

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 America

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.

Ratonhnhaké:ton preparing to skin a bobcat

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.

He 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

• Bears
• Cougars
• Wolves
• Bobcats
• Foxes

Prey

• Beaver
• Deer
• Elk
• Hare
• Raccoon

Trivia

• If a predator killed another animal, that animal could be skinned. However 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 Connor did, it would cause him to desynchronize. Also, killing domesticated animals such as pigs and chickens in the cities of Boston and New York would count the same as killing a civilian.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Connor stalking an elk
• 
  Wolves, the natural competitors when hunting prey
• 
  A black bear, another competitor and challenging prey
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  A whale breaching the water's surface as Edward Kenway looks on from aboard the Jackdaw
• 
  Edward Kenway preparing to spear a shark
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  Concept art of Edward Kenway hunting a shark
• 
  Concept art of Edward Kenway harpooning a shark
• 
  Edward killing a crocodile
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  Connor placing an arrow on his bow to fire at a deer
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  Some of the common animal types that could be found throughout the Frontier
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  Connor stalking a deer through a snowy expanse
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  Connor chasing a deer
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  Edward with a dead ocelot at his feet