The Long Dark: 8 Best Hunting Items

Key Takeaways

The Survival Bow is a reliable and craftable weapon ideal for long-term survival, even on Interloper difficulty.
Stones are effective tool for hunting small prey like rabbits and ptarmigans.
The Distress Pistol is versatile in both offensive and defensive uses, but may be challenging to find in harder difficulties.

The Long Dark is a thrilling single-player survival-exploration game released in 2017 by Hinterland Studio. In this game, players find themselves trapped in the brutal Canadian wilderness following a cataclysmic magnetic storm that has cut them off from society. They are stranded on an island with no hopes of rescue. Explore, scavenge, and craft your way through this beautiful frozen island. Mother Nature is as much your friend as she is your enemy, and death is the only way this story ends.

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Hunting items are among the most important items in the game, providing players with reliable means through which to secure food, protection, and crafting materials. Guns and bows will even allow players to fell the largest beasts of the wilderness.

This article includes content from the
Tales From The Far Territory
expansion.

8 Survival Bow

A Hunter’s Faithful Companion

Weight: 0.50kg
Region(s) Found In: Desolation Point, Mystery Lake, Pleasant Valley, Forlorn Muskeg, Broken Railroad, Hushed River Valley
Repairable: No
Craftable: Yes

As the only craftable ranged hunting weapon in The Long Dark, the Survival Bow is an invaluable asset to any long-term survivor. Long after rifles have broken, and revolver bullets are spent, the Survival Bow still remains as a usable and efficient means through which to kill animals — both predator and prey. Like other bows, the Survival Bow features craftable ammo that can be retrieved when it misses, further bolstering its long-term viability when compared to guns.

For those playing Interloper difficulty, the Survival Bow will be one of only two ranged hunting weapons at their disposal, and it will require crafting to obtain.

7 Stone

A Beginner’s Best Friend

Weight: 0.15kg
Region(s) Found In: Every Region
Repairable: No
Craftable: No

The humble stone is a surprisingly efficient means through which new players can reliably hunt small prey such as rabbits and ptarmigans. A single well-aimed hit to either of these animals will stun them, allowing players to easily pick up and kill them. Access to reliable meat sources can be the difference between life and death during the difficult beginning hours of a new playthrough, giving players a much-needed grace period during which they can gather resources and get better acquainted with the region they find themselves in.

Stones can also be used in a last ditch attempt to stop charging wolves. If players manage to strike a wolf’s head, it will stop charging and flee.

6 Distress Pistol

Light The Way To Safety

Weight: 0.40kg
Region(s) Found In: Timberwolf Mountain, Bleak Inlet, Coastal Highway, Mystery Lake, Desolation Point, Ash Canyon, Mountain Town, Forsaken Airfield, Pleasant Valley, Keeper’s Pass North, Ravine
Repairable: No
Craftable: No

A versatile ranged weapon, the Distress Pistol is valuable both offensively and defensively. With the fastest bleed out timer of any weapon and the ability to land critical hits, shots by this pistol have a very high mortality rate. Like with other ranged weapons, shots that strike the heads of deer and wolves will always instantly kill them, while bears shot in the head will take a mere 30 minutes to bleed out. The Distress Pistol can also be used defensively to scare away wolves and bears.

While powerful, Distress Pistols and their rounds can be incredibly challenging to find on the harder difficulties.

5 Fishing Tip-Up

Fishing With Ease

Weight: 0.30kg
Region(s) Found In: N/A
Repairable: No
Craftable: Yes

Once placed in an ice hole, the Fishing Tip-Up will catch fish passively for the player, allowing them to attend to other tasks. This hunting item is a fantastic means through which players can ensure a steady food supply, as the trap can catch very large fish. With relatively simple crafting requirements, this trap can be easily made by beginners and long-term survivalists alike, and is even a viable means to acquire food on harder difficulties.

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It’s important to note, however, that Fishing Tip-Ups require routine maintenance, needing to be reset regularly and have their ice holes cleared of ice.

4 Warden’s Revolver

Speedy, Lightweight Defense

The Warden’s Revolver is the lightest revolver with the fastest draw speed in the game. In a wilderness where deadly predators could be lurking around every corner, this revolver’s fast draw speed can be the difference between life and death. Doubly so, given that even charging wolves can be scared away by the mere sound of gunshots.

The lighter weight of this revolver also allows players to carry just that bit more without encumbering themselves. Given that survival in The Long Dark is all about having the right resources in the right place at the right time, even a small increase to players’ carrying capacities is a significant boon. Doubly so for players who favor a more nomadic survival style.

3 Snare

Rabbits Galore

Weight: 0.30kg
Region(s) Found In: N/A
Repairable: No
Craftable: Yes

The rabbit equivalent to the Fishing Tip-Up, Snares allow players to catch rabbits passively over time. Snares require less resources to craft and less maintenance time than Fishing Tip-Ups, making them an even more beginner-friendly means of keeping your food status bar high. Snares are renewable, as Cured Rabbit Guts can be acquired readily from the rabbits caught within it. Reclaimed Wood can also be obtained by breaking down a broken trap.

It’s worth noting, however, that snares must be placed in areas where rabbits spawn for rabbits to be caught within the Snare. Placing Snares outside these spawn areas will result in nothing being caught.

2 Vaughn’s Rifle

Power, But At A Cost

Weight: 3.00kg
Region(s) Found In: Mystery Lake
Repairable: Yes
Craftable: No

The strongest and most lightweight rifle in The Long Dark, Vaughn’s Rifle is a truly deadly gun that will have players feeling like apex predators themselves. This gun provides players with the ability to hunt and procure a wide array of essential crafting materials. The lighter weight of this rifle also makes carrying a rifle and revolver at the same time more viable, maximizing players’ defensive and offensive capabilities.

Unfortunately, the rifle’s greater strength and lower weight comes at the cost of lower durability, which can be a significant issue on harder difficulties. Vaughn’s Rifle is only found in the Mystery Lake region, making obtaining this item treacherous for those who spawn or live in distant regions.

1 Sport Bow

Lightweight & Long Lasting

Weight: 0.35kg
Region(s) Found In: Forsaken Airfield and Langston Mine
Repairable: No
Craftable: No

The lighter, more durable counterpart to the Survival Bow, the Sport Bow is an all-round better alternative when it comes to hunting abilities, sporting no trade-offs for its better stats. If players intend to hunt animals, both big and small, by bow, this is the one to use. Like the Survival Bow, the Sport Bow also has easily craftable and retrievable ammo.

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Unfortunately, the Sport Bow is not available on Interloper difficulties, and it isn’t a reliable long-term hunting weapon since it can’t be repaired or crafted. This bow is also only found in a handful of dangerous locations, making it a risky but rewarding weapon to procure.