Follow the opening objectives, then prepare for Colorado
For the lodge deer tutorial, follow the objective currently displayed in your game. The full release improved the tutorial and mission flow, so an older demo sequence may differ from the prompts you see.
After finishing or skipping the tutorial, use the hub helicopter to select Colorado. At the Colorado lodge, buy the correct hunting license before harvesting and prepare equipment suited to your target.
Move from the tutorial to a prepared Colorado hunt
- Complete the tutorial, or choose to skip it, before proceeding to the hub helicopter.
- Select Colorado at the hub helicopter to travel to the reserve.
- Enter the lodge on your right to reach its preparation facilities, including the armory loadout bench.
- Purchase the hunting license for your intended species at the lodge computer so a harvest can receive a validated trophy.
- Check your target species' recommended caliber icons in the game menus to identify suitable equipment before heading out.
- Select a suitable supported caliber at the weapon bench; purchasing a weapon unlocks its supported calibers for selection there.
Approach A Matter of Rabbits and White-tailed Sightings
A Matter of Rabbits was the first mission offered in the Steam Next Fest demo. The full release revised onboarding and mission flow, so use your current objective when following the opening missions.
Discovering need zones is a supported objective. For White-tailed Sightings, use the objective wording and displayed counter to check your progress as you explore.
- Read the active A Matter of Rabbits objective before choosing your next action, so your plan follows the task currently shown.
- Check the White-tailed Sightings objective and need-zone counter before searching, so you know what progress to compare afterward.
- Look for tracks and animal resting or feeding areas to guide your search through the reserve.
- Hold the inspect input on a track when you want to follow a specific animal, using the input displayed for your device.
- Compare the displayed counter with the active objective after a discovery; if it remains unchanged, reread the objective before deciding where to search next.
Recover your harvest and display your trophy
The correct license matters before the harvest: without it, your trophy cannot be validated. Trophy scoring also considers the animal's weight, age, antlers or horns, and whether you used an appropriate caliber.
- Aim for vital organs such as the lungs, heart, or liver to improve your chances of a clean harvest and a better hunting score.
- Use your dog's command wheel for tracking assistance when you need help finding a wounded animal.
- Have your dog retrieve small game when you need help recovering it.
- Display a claimed trophy in your hunting lodge to add it to your lodge's collection.
When instructions or mission progress do not match
Older demo footage can show a different opening experience because the full release changed the tutorial and mission flow. Follow the prompts displayed in your installed game when the sequences differ.
If tracks are difficult to see, adjust tracking-clue visibility through the difficulty settings to make the search easier to follow.
If mission progress remains unclear, record the objective wording and what you did. Include your platform, installed version, selected region, and the on-screen result when reporting the problem.
If you need money for equipment, visit the region's Ranger, Butcher, or Sports Shooter for contracts and challenges.