Carcass Harvesting Efficiency

Master carcass harvesting in The Long Dark! Learn about tools, skill levels, and how to maximize meat, hides, and guts from every kill.

Alright, let's talk about getting the most out of your kills in Blackfrost: The Long Dark II. This is all about Carcass Harvesting Efficiency, which sounds fancy, but it's basically how you get the most meat, hides, and guts from the animals you hunt. It's a core Survival skill, and getting good at it makes a huge difference. There are 9 types of animals you can harvest, from Rabbits and Ptarmigan to bigger game like Bears and Moose. Most of these you'll have to harvest right where they fall, unless you decide to quarter them first. The better your Carcass Harvesting skill gets, the faster you'll be and the more you can get from a frozen carcass by hand. How to Harvest: First off, you can't just rip into a fresh kill with your bare hands and expect the best results, especially early on. For most animals, you'll need a tool. Once you've used a tool to get started, you'll see exposed flesh, and then you can use your hands. Be warned: harvesting barehanded before Carcass Harvesting Level 3 means you'll lose 8-17% of the meat. That's a big hit, so use a tool first if you can, especially for the meat. Carcasses don't last forever. They degrade over time, especially if they're not frozen solid. Once their condition hits 0, whatever's left is gone. Also, you can only get about 5 hours' worth of materials from any single carcass, even with the best tools. And hey, harvesting is messy! The raw meat, hides, and guts give off an odor that attracts predators from further away. You'll see a scent indicator on your HUD. Cooking the meat and curing the other bits will help reduce this. Equipment Matters: While you can harvest by hand, tools speed things up. Any bladed tool is generally faster than your hands. A 100% frozen carcass? You'll need a tool to break it open first, no matter your skill level. But once it's open, your skill level determines how frozen it can be and still let you harvest efficiently by hand: * Level 3: Up to 50% frozen * Level 4: Up to 75% frozen * Level 5: Up to 100% frozen Your skill level also affects when you start using the faster 'unfrozen meat' harvesting speed: * Levels 1-3: Up to 50% frozen * Level 4: Up to 75% frozen * Level 5: Up to 100% frozen Early on, Hatchets and Hacksaws are great for frozen meat. But at Level 5, Hunting Knives really take the lead. Here's a quick look at how different tools stack up: | Tool | Harvest Rate (min/kg Meat) | Harvest Rate (min/unit Hide/Gut) | Tool Decay (per hour) | |---|---|---|---| | Bare Hand | 30.0 (Frozen: N/A) | 40.0 | None | | Hacksaw | 15.0 (Frozen: 10.0) | 60.0 / 30.0 | 1.0% | | Hatchet | 15.0 (Frozen: 10.0) | 45.0 / 20.0 | 1.0% | | Hunting Knife | 8.0 (Frozen: 20.0) | 30.0 / 10.0 | 1.0% | | Improvised Hatchet | 20.0 (Frozen: 15.0) | 60.0 / 30.0 | 1.5% | | Improvised Knife | 12.0 (Frozen: 30.0) | 40.0 / 15.0 | 1.5% | | Cougar Claw Knife | 7.0 (Frozen: 18.0) | 30.0 / 10.0 | 1.0% | | Survival Knife | 8.0 (Frozen: 10.0) | 30.0 / 10.0 | 0.5% | | Scrap Metal Shard | 8.0 (Frozen: 20.0) | 30.0 / 10.0 | 1.0% | Carcasses: Carcasses come from Hunting, Trapping, or scavenging. They can be in a 'Ravaged' state (meaning a lot of meat is already gone, maybe from wolves or spawning that way), 'Normal', or 'Frozen'. A frozen carcass, as we've seen, often needs a tool to start harvesting. Quartering: This is a big one. If you can't carry a whole carcass or need to move it, you can quarter it. This breaks it down into manageable chunks that you can transport. It takes time and tools, but it's essential for larger game like Bears and Moose if you can't harvest everything on the spot. You'll get less meat overall compared to harvesting the whole thing at once, but it lets you preserve what you can.