The Ultimate ICARUS Hunting Guide | Tips & Tricks

In ICARUS, hunting is more than just a way to get food. It is one of the safest methods to build your resources early and keep them stocked later. Our ICARUS hunting guide shows you which creatures to target, which weapons to use, and how to properly process a carcass, making every hunt much more efficient.

Which Animal Species Are There?

The animals in ICARUS rely on the map and the biome you’re in. In calmer areas, you mostly encounter passive prey and a few predators. On newer maps and in more hostile regions, fights become less predictable and much more dangerous.

Generally, it’s useful to think in three groups rather than one large list:

• Passive prey
  • Deer
  • Rabbits
  • Smaller harmless wildlife
• Aggressive predators
  • Wolves
  • Bears
  • Big cats
  • Hyenas
• Special threats
  • Strong biome-specific creatures
  • Boss-style enemies
  • Creatures you shouldn’t treat like normal prey

In forest regions, you often find the easiest early targets. Deer and rabbits are great for your first hunting runs. They are easier to track and kill, and they provide useful early materials.

In colder regions, the situation becomes risky quickly. Wolves travel in packs, and larger predators punish poor positioning. That means you should hunt there for value, but only after securing a reliable ranged weapon.

Desert regions in ICARUS are unique. Some creatures remain good targets for hunting, but others are far more dangerous than they initially appear. That’s why you should always judge a target based on its behavior, not just its size.

A useful rule is simple:

• If it flees, it’s usually prey
• If it closes the distance fast, treat it like a threat
• If the fight feels like a boss encounter, back off unless you planned for it

What Weapons Can You Hunt With?

The best hunting weapon in ICARUS depends on distance, target size, and how much risk you’re willing to take. In most cases, ranged weapons are the safer choice because they allow you to start the fight on your terms.

For most players, the core hunting setup looks like this:

• Bow
  • Best early all-around hunting weapon
  • Quiet
  • Strong with stealth
  • Great for headshots
• Crossbow
  • Stronger stopping power
  • Better control against dangerous targets
  • Useful once you want safer kills
• Knife
  • Good emergency melee option
  • Essential for skinning
  • Not your main hunting tool in most fights
• Spear
  • Solid early option
  • Simple to use
  • Riskier because it keeps you closer to the target
• Firearms
  • Best for highly dangerous fights
  • Good against heavy predators
  • Strong later option when tech opens up

Bows are still the most reliable way to start. They allow you to stay hidden, open with a headshot, and finish fights before they get messy. In the current game, bows remain some of the strongest hunting tools, especially when used with stealth. Crossbows are also very effective and can slow targets on hit, making them safer against rushing enemies.

Knives still matter in ICARUS, but mostly because they perform two functions at once. They serve as both a weapon and your primary skinning tool before you use a Skinning Bench. That makes them vital, even if they’re not your first choice to start a hunt.

A clean way to think about progression is this:

• Early game
  • Bow
  • Basic arrows
  • Knife
• Mid-game
  • Better bow or crossbow
  • Stronger arrows
  • Better armor and stamina support
• Late game
  • Firearms for dangerous predators
  • Specialized gear for higher risk hunts
  • More efficient base processing after the kill

ICARUS Hunting Guide: Combat Tactics

Good hunting in ICARUS is about control. If you manage the opening shot, the angle, and the distance, you win more fights with less risk.

The most important hunting habits are these:

• Open from stealth
• Aim for the head
• Keep distance
• Don’t panic after the first shot
• Reset if the fight gets messy

Stealth matters a lot in ICARUS. Bows are especially powerful when combined with stealth because they reward clean openers. If you crouch, stay hidden, and land a headshot, you can eliminate a lot of danger before the fight even begins.

Projectile drop is also important. Over longer distances, your shots will land lower than expected, so you should always adjust your aim when shooting from farther away. When prey starts running, many players waste the next two or three shots. It’s better to stay calm and track the movement properly. Wait for a clean angle instead of forcing a bad shot.

Against predators, the fight changes. Your goal is no longer efficiency alone. Your goal is survival first.

Use this approach:

1. Open from stealth if possible
2. Take the headshot instead of rushing body damage
3. Create space as soon as the target reacts
4. Keep moving instead of trading hits in melee
5. Reset the fight if your position falls apart

This is especially important when dealing with bears, wolves, and other aggressive animals. If a target is designed to punish close-range mistakes, don’t stand your ground unless you have a solid reason.

Terrain can also help more than you might expect:

• Rocks can break pathing
• Slopes can slow an approach
• Water can create safer shots in some situations
• Trees can buy time, but should not be your full plan

You’ve Killed an Animal. Now What?

The kill is only part of the job. The true value comes from how you handle the carcass. If you take care of that properly, each hunt provides much more than just a little meat.

After a kill, you usually want to do two things:

• Skin the animal
• Harvest the remains fully

Your knife is the key tool here. Before unlocking more advanced processing, it is how you turn a carcass into useful materials like:

• Raw meat
• Bone
• Leather
• Fur

Don’t leave useful resources behind. Breaking down remains can still yield more bones, which are useful for crafting and upgrades early in a run.

A simple post-kill routine looks like this:

1. Secure the area
2. Skin the carcass
3. Loot all dropped materials
4. Break down what’s left
5. Move on before nearby threats find you

This keeps your hunting route clean and efficient. It also reduces the chance that a successful hunt leads to a second fight you didn’t want.

How to Get More Fur and Leather

To get the best return from suitable carcasses, you shouldn’t process everything in the field. Some animals are more valuable when you carry them back and use a Skinning Bench. You need the Skinning Bench talent from the Survival Hunting tree, followed by the related blueprint progression.

The Skinning Bench is one of the top upgrades for serious hunters in ICARUS. It’s used to process small- to medium-sized carcasses and can yield better results than basic field skinning. It’s especially valuable once you start making hunting a steady part of your base economy.

That makes it strong if you want more:

• Leather
• Fur
• Better meat returns
• More consistent processing

The main benefit isn’t just convenience but also efficiency. A field kill provides quick access to resources. A Skinning Bench offers greater long-term value if the carcass is worth bringing home.

Here’s the practical way to decide:

• Skin in the field
  • When inventory space is tight
  • When the area is dangerous
  • When the animal isn’t worth carrying
• Use a Skinning Bench
  • When the carcass is valuable
  • When your base is nearby
  • When you want better resource returns

Hunting Tips That Stay Useful All Game

• Don’t overhunt one area
  • Keep moving
  • Cover more ground
  • Look for clean targets instead of forcing bad fights
• Treat every predator seriously
  • Even basic enemies can punish greed
  • One mistake can turn a simple hunt into a recovery run
• Use hunting to support crafting
  • Bone helps early crafting
  • Leather and fur help gear progression
  • Meat keeps your food supply stable
• Know when not to fight
  • A skipped fight is better than a bad death
  • Some targets are not worth the repair cost

Hunt Smarter With PLITCH!

If you want a more relaxed hunting experience, PLITCH’s ICARUS cheats for the single-player mode can ease the pressure of the game’s tougher survival systems. Unlimited Stamina, Unlimited Health, Unlimited Water, Unlimited Food, and Unlimited Oxygen are especially helpful here, as they allow you to stay out longer, track animals more safely, and recover from mistakes that would normally end a run early.

Perfect Body Temp is also ideal for hunting trips into dangerous biomes where the environment can be as threatening as the wildlife. If you plan to bring home a full haul, Infinite Carryweight makes gathering meat, fur, leather, and bones much easier. Additionally, Instant Crafting, Easy Craft, and No Item Durability Loss help you spend less time managing gear and more time actually hunting.

Check out this blog to learn more about PLITCH and our ICARUS Trainer Showcase on YouTube to see our cheats in action.

Happy Gaming!

More ICARUS guides:

• ICARUS Tips and Tricks for Beginners
• ICARUS Building Guide