The knowledge of the best ways in which to approach prey is an important matter. The first level of tactics must be taught, and then mastered in the practical hunting environment before moving on to the Intermediate Hunting Tactics.
Flying Prey
Birds, General
In general the birds using this tactic are those for which no other birds tactic is appropriate. Stalking the birds at their feeding locations is always the best choice.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: American Crow, Belted Kingfisher, Black Tern, Blue-headed Vireo, Bobolink, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Cedar Waxwing, Common Grackle, European Starling, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, Rusty Blackbird,
Birds, Song
Songbirds are best hunting through patient stalking of the areas where they feed. attempting to hunt them up in the trees is a dangerous affair and best never attempted. Songbirds favor open grass to hunt bugs and seeds, or around the bases of seed-trees like ash and oak. Songbirds go in flocks so care should be taken to not startle the entire flock, which can destroy hunting in an entire area for the rest of the day.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: American Goldfinch, Blackpoll Warbler, Bohemian Waxwing, Cape May Warbler, Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur, Palm Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, Yellow Warbler,
Birds, Tiny
Very small birds are poor hunting, but in winter the tiny birds such as chickadees can be a valuable source of prey. They should be hunted where they feed around trees and bushes that produce seeds, or grasses that produce seeds. In desperate times they can even be hunted near the little food-nests humans put out for them.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: Black-capped Chickadee,
Raptors, Small
Small predatory birds such as kestrels are best hunted while they are hunting. When the bird has made a kill is the best moment, ambushing the bird as it rests on the ground immediately after the kill. They are not particularly dangerous fighters, and in accordance could also be ambushed at other times, even when they are alert.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: Broad-winged Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk,
Flying Prey Not Yet Taught
- Bats – Hunting of bats is a training specialty and should not be taught until the basics of hunting are mastered. Night hunting of flyers is very risky.
- Raptors, Large – Hunting of Large predatory birds such as Eagles is a training specialty and should not be taught as hunting targets until the apprentice has mastered fighting basics.
- Waterfowl -The hunting of waterfowl is a training specialty, and should not be taught until after the basics are covered.
- Group Birds – Birds that require teamwork to hunt should not be taught until the apprentice has mastered the basics of hunting birds.
Running Furred Prey
Ground Rodents
Chipmunks, moles and like are larger rodents that dwell in the ground. They range from quick to slow moving (though the slower the species the less likely they are to range far from their burrows) and require similar stalking skills to land rodents. Once a ground rodent has gone to ground cats have no means to draw them back out, and moving on rather than wasting time is the best tactic.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: Eastern Chipmunk, Least Chipmunk, Star-nosed Mole, Woodchuck,
Land Rodents
Land rodents such as mice, shrews and voles are typical hunting fare amongst all the clans. This prey is typically one of the first an apprentice is taught to tackle because they require a reasonable amount of stalking skills, making them ideal practice prey. These creatures are alert, nervous and able to feel the vibrations of pawsteps (voles more so than mice), encouraging the apprentice to perfect important base skills.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: Arctic Shrew, Cinereus Shrew, Meadow Jumping Mouse, Meadow Vole, Deermouse, Northern Short-tailed Shrew, Pygmy Shrew, Southern Bog Lemming, Southern Red-backed Vole, Woodland Jumping Mouse,
Tree Rodents
Squirrels are challenging prey due to their ability to climb trees with an agility few other animals can match. They are best hunting by ambushing them when they come down to feed on fallen seeds and fruit from trees. If the ambush fails it is not advisable to follow the squirrel up the tree, as these fleet-footed tree-climbers will almost always evade a cat while on their own home turf.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: Arctic Shrew, Cinereus Shrew, Meadow Jumping Mouse, Meadow Vole, Deermouse, Northern Short-tailed Shrew, Pygmy Shrew, Southern Bog Lemming, Southern Red-backed Vole, Woodland Jumping Mouse,
Waterside Rodents
Water Voles and Water Shrews are much like their land counterparts, but with the added challenges of more careful stalking being needed to prevent the creature from diving into the water and swimming away. Once they’ve taken to the water a cat would not be able to effectively give chase.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: Muskrat, Rock Vole, Water Shrew,
Running Furred Prey Not Yet Taught
- Rabbits & Hares – Hares and rabbits are a training specialty called ‘chase’. In accordance hunting of them should not be taught until the hunting basics are mastered.
- Rats – Rats are ferocious fighters and apprentices should not be taught to tackle them until they have mastered fighting basics.
Furless Land Prey
Coming Soon
Furless Marsh Prey
Coming Soon
Water Prey
Fish, General
All fishing is accomplished through patient waiting for the fish to come close enough to shore (or a handy log hanging over the river) for a cat to reach them with little more than wading. Fishing is accomplished by one of two methods: The first involves the cat being above the water. In these cases the cat darts the paw as quickly as possible, while making as little splash as possible, into the water. The claws are hooked into the fish and it is flipped to shore. The wading method is slower, and involves starting with the paw underwater and moving it slowly into place to grab the fish in the claws. Instead of flipping the fish to shore (which would give it much chance to splash and scare off other water prey) a spine-bite is advisable to quickly finish the fish.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: (Code Soon)
Fish, Tiny
Tiny fishing is generally done by fishing from shore and waiting for small fish to come into the shallows, where they can be grabbed and flipped onto shore. This does require more finesse than general fishing because of how quickly one can cause the other tiny fish to flee with a single bad mood, leaving you with only a few minnows for your time fishing.
Animals Hunted With This Tactic: (Code Soon)
Water Prey Not Yet Taught
- Fish, Large – Large fish, such as trout, salmon, and bass require significant physical strength and hunting skill before a cat is likely to be able to hunt them with any efficiently. In accordance until the basics of fishing are mastered there is little point in making attempts at these large fish.
- Fish, Fighting – The Larger fish who are capable of significant fight when faced with capture by a cat represent a significant physical threat. Only a cat who has mastered the fighting basics should receive lessons in this sort of fishing.