Realistic Hunting

Stalk 16 game species that see, hear and smell you. Check the wind, aim through a real scope, and see exactly where your shot hit on the x-ray.

⬇ iPad, phone, console & Windows: Bedrock ⬇ Mac & PC: Java Edition All versions

Which one do I need? Playing on an iPad, iPhone, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch or Minecraft for Windows? That is Bedrock Edition – take the first download. Playing on a computer with the Minecraft Java Edition launcher (Mac, Windows or Linux)? Take the Java download. Not sure? If you bought Minecraft in the App Store or Google Play, it is Bedrock.

Latest version: 0.3.5

Install

Install on iPad, phone, console or Windows (Bedrock)

  1. Download RealisticHunting.mcaddon on your Windows PC, Android phone or tablet, or iPhone or iPad.
  2. Open the file. Minecraft starts and imports both packs.
  3. Create or edit a world. Under Behavior Packs, turn on Realistic Hunting. The resource pack is added automatically.
  4. Head into a forest, taiga or swamp, or use spawn eggs from the creative inventory.

Running a server? Use the separate behavior pack and resource pack. Xbox, PlayStation and Switch can’t import add-ons from files, but you can join a world or Realm that has the add-on.

Install on Mac or PC (Java Edition)

  1. Install Fabric Loader for Minecraft 26.3.
  2. Download RealisticHunting-fabric.jar, plus Fabric API and GeckoLib.
  3. Put all three files in your mods folder and start Minecraft with the Fabric profile.
  4. Go hunting, or find the animals and gear in the Realistic Hunting creative tab.

Upgrading to a new version

  1. Download the new version and open the file. A newer version replaces the one you have, and your worlds use it the next time you load them.
  2. Still running the old version, or Minecraft says it is already installed? Go to Settings → Storage, delete Realistic Hunting under both Resource Packs and Behavior Packs, then open the new file again.
  3. Check the world: in the world’s Edit screen, under Behavior Packs and Resource Packs, make sure Realistic Hunting is active. A world you imported or downloaded can carry its own old copy: deactivate it there, save, and activate the new one.

On a server, replace the add-on’s folders in behavior_packs and resource_packs with the new ones and restart it.

Java Edition: delete the old Realistic Hunting jar from your mods folder and put the new one in its place. Keep only one version in the folder. If the new version needs a newer Fabric API or GeckoLib, update those too.

The game

Every species has its own senses, its own organ layout for the x-ray, and the calibre it takes to bring it down cleanly.

Bluefin Tuna

Bluefin Tuna

Deep oceans · Warm oceans

A torpedo-shaped giant of the deep, very fast and very strong. Put the bolt through the heart behind the gills, or it will tow you around on the line until it snaps.

  • Big game
  • Swims
Porbeagle Shark

Porbeagle Shark

Deep oceans · Cold oceans

A stocky shark of cold and deep water. It hunts sea bass and other fish, and it will turn on a bleeding diver. Hunt it from a submarine, or keep your distance.

  • Dangerous game
  • Hunter
  • Dangerous
  • Swims
Sea Bass

Sea Bass

Oceans · Warm oceans

A silver schooling fish of coastal seas. Schools scatter at the first fright, so swim slowly. A speargun or harpoon brings one in; aim just behind the gill cover.

  • Small game
  • Prey
  • Swims
White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer

Forest · Plains · Taiga

Wary and quick, with a white tail it flashes like a flag when it bolts. It hears and smells you long before it sees you, so stay downwind. Only bucks carry antlers.

  • Medium game
  • Prey
Red Deer

Red Deer

Forest · Taiga · Mountains · Plains

A big deer of open woods and moors. Stags roar in the autumn and carry wide, many-pointed antlers. Herds post a lookout, so move slowly and keep low.

  • Big game
  • Prey
Roe Deer

Roe Deer

Forest · Plains

A small, shy deer that feeds at the forest edge at dawn and dusk. It barks when alarmed. A light calibre is plenty.

  • Medium game
  • Prey
Moose

Moose

Taiga · Swamp · Forest

The largest deer of all, standing taller than a horse. It has poor eyesight but a superb nose. Bring a heavy calibre and place the shot well.

  • Big game
  • Prey
Wild Boar

Wild Boar

Forest · Taiga · Swamp

Strong, clever and armoured with thick shoulder gristle. Feeds at night. A wounded boar may turn and charge, so make the first shot count.

  • Medium game
  • Fights back
  • Active at night
Black Bear

Black Bear

Forest · Taiga · Mountains

Mostly eats berries and roots, and usually avoids people. Get too close, or wound it, and it will charge. Only heavy calibres are ethical.

  • Dangerous game
  • Dangerous
Grey Wolf

Grey Wolf

Taiga · Forest · Mountains

Hunts deer in packs across forest and tundra. Very hard to approach: wolves notice movement from far away.

  • Medium game
  • Hunter
  • Fights back
  • Active at night
Red Fox

Red Fox

Forest · Plains · Taiga

A sly hunter of hares and birds. Responds to a predator call. Use a light rifle or a shotgun.

  • Small game
  • Hunter
  • Fights back
  • Active at night
Hare

Hare

Plains · Forest

Lies still in the grass until you are almost on top of it, then bolts in a zig-zag. A shotgun is the right tool.

  • Small game
  • Prey
  • Active at night
Common Pheasant

Common Pheasant

Plains · Forest

Runs through cover rather than flying, until it bursts up with a clatter of wings. Cocks have a red face and a copper body.

  • Small game
  • Prey
  • Flies
Mallard

Mallard

Rivers · Swamp

The familiar duck of ponds and rivers. Drakes have a green head. A duck call brings them in; shoot with a shotgun.

  • Small game
  • Prey
  • Flies
Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey

Forest · Plains

A big, sharp-eyed bird of open woods. Toms fan their tails and gobble. Very hard to sneak up on: sit still and call.

  • Small game
  • Prey
Hunting Dog

Hunting Dog

Plains · Forest

A loyal companion. Tame it with venison, and blow a dog whistle near it to send it after the blood trail of a wounded animal. It also fetches shot birds.

  • Companion
  • Fights back

How to hunt

Read the wind

Use a wind checker. Animals downwind of you smell you from far away, so always approach into the wind. A scent eliminator buys you some time.

Stay unseen

Sprinting is loud and easy to spot. Crouch, move slowly, wear a ghillie suit, or wait in a hide of camouflage netting or up on a tree stand.

Watch their ears

An animal that has noticed you freezes with its head up. Stop moving and let it calm down, or it will bolt and warn the herd.

Aim through the scope

Right-click to raise the scope and zoom in. Crouch to steady your aim and hold your breath, but not for too long. To lower the scope, jump or switch items (on Bedrock) or let go of right-click (on Java). Every scope is zeroed at 100 m; use the holdover marks below the cross for longer shots.

Pick the right calibre

A .243 is fine for roe deer and foxes, but moose and bears need a .338. Birds and hares are for the shotgun. A bullet that lacks the energy won’t make a clean kill.

Track and recover

A heart or lung shot kills quickly, but the animal may still run. Follow the blood trail, or send your hunting dog. Field dress the animal with a hunting knife to get the meat and trophy.

Hunt under water

Firearms are useless under water: take a speargun or a hand harpoon. A snorkel lets you breathe just under the surface; a dive mask and scuba tank take you deep. A speared fish is on the line: hold sneak to reel it in. For tuna and sharks, take the mini submarine with its harpoon launcher.

Safaris and dinosaurs

Install Safari Animals or Prehistoric Dinosaurs as well, and their creatures become game too: lions, zebras and elephants, or a T. rex, with organs in their own models, a shot report, a blood trail and a trophy. The biggest need a .338.

The shot report

After every hit you see an x-ray of the animal with the organs your shot passed through: the distance, energy at impact, entry and exit, accuracy, and whether it was a perfect, good, poor or unethical shot. Every shot is kept in your Hunting Journal.

Weapons and gear