Trapping

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Revision as of 20:23, 17 September 2022 by Tpgramlich (talk | contribs) (Updated to clarify the steps for placing and baiting traps. Also clarified that produce used as bait must be (Fresh) to be effective.)
GameplayPlayerSkillsTrapping

Trapping is a survivalist skill in Project Zomboid. It allows the player to use traps to catch animals, which can then be butchered to be used as food. Higher Trapping skill increases the chance of catching an animal.

Basics

To trap animals:

  1. Get a trap and bait (see trap and bait).
  2. Right-click on the ground while a trap is in your inventory to place the trap in a valid zone (see zones).
  3. Right-click the trap to add bait for the animal you want (see animals).
  4. Wait over 75 tiles away for at least an hour of in-game time (see mechanics).
  5. Right-click the sprung trap and choose 'Check trap' to collect your spoils.

Traps

Different traps are required to catch different animals. Some traps are craftable via Recipes.

The simplest trap a player can use is a mouse trap, which can be found in the world. The player can also use their trapping skill to create traps, if the player's skill is high enough and if they have learned the crafting recipes. All traps except Mouse Traps can be crafted by the player.

All traps need bait to be effective. When using fruit or vegetables as bait, it must be labeled (Fresh) to have a chance at being effective. Frozen items can be used as bait without needing to be thawed first. Traps placed without bait can still break (see mechanics).

Recipes

All traps except Mouse Traps can be crafted by the player. Creating a trap requires the player to have the necessary materials and/or tools in your main inventory to make it. You will also need to learn the recipe for the trap from a skill magazine in order to know how to craft them. Once these prerequisites have been met, you can select the crafting option by either right-clicking the materials in your inventory or opening the crafting interface.

Product XP gained Skill(s) Recipe Ingredient 1 Ingredient 2 Ingredient 3
TrapCage.png
Cage Trap
0 XP Trapping 3 The Hunter Magazine Vol. 3 Wire.png
Wire x5
(consumed)


TrapSnare.png
Snare Trap
0.25 Carpentry Trapping 1 The Hunter Magazine Vol. 1
One of:
Hacksaw.png Saw
Handsaw.png Garden Saw

(keep)
Plank.png
Plank
(consumed)
Twine.png
Twine
(2 units)

(consumed)
TrapStick.png
Stick Trap
0 XP none The Hunter Magazine Vol. 2 TZ WoodenStick.png
Sturdy Stick x4
(consumed)
Twine.png
Twine
(2 units)

(consumed)

TrapBox.png
Trap Box
1 Carpentry Carpentry 1
Trapping 2
The Hunter Magazine Vol. 3
One of:
Hacksaw.png Saw
Handsaw.png Garden Saw

(keep)
Plank.png
Plank x4
(consumed)
Nails.png
Nails x7
(consumed)
TrapCrate.png
Trap Crate
0.75 Carpentry none The Hunter Magazine Vol. 2
One of:
Hacksaw.png Saw
Handsaw.png Garden Saw

(keep)
Plank.png
Plank x3
(consumed)
Nails.png
Nails x5
(consumed)

Trap Types

A trap's strength determines its chance of catching something and if it will break, so higher strength traps have a higher chance of catching something and not breaking. Trap Crates currently appear strictly better than Trap Boxes. That is, they require less prerequisites, less materials and have a higher chance of catching squirrels. Trap strength does not appear to be affected by carpentry or trapping skill.

Item Description Weight Strength Can catch Mouse? Can catch Rat? Can catch Squirrel? Can catch Rabbit? Can catch Small Bird? Base ID Skill Level
Mouse Trap
Mouse Trap
Small trap used by beginner trappers. Used to catch mice and rats. 0.3 50 Yes (30%) Yes (25%) No No No Base.TrapMouse Uncraftable
Trap Stick
Stick Trap
Small trap used by beginner trappers. Used to catch small birds. 0.5 15 No No No No Yes (40%) Base.TrapStick Trapping 0
Snare Trap
Snare Trap
Medium size trap used by novice trappers. Used to catch squirrels and rabbits. 0.5 10 No No Yes (30%) Yes (30%) No Base.TrapSnare Trapping 1
Trap Box
Trap Box
Medium size trap used by apprentice trappers. Used to catch squirrels and rabbits. 1 15 No No Yes (25%) Yes (30%) No Base.TrapBox Trapping 2, Carpentry 1
Trap Crate
Trap Crate
Medium size trap used by beginner trappers. Used to catch squirrels and rabbits. 1 15 No No Yes (30%) Yes (30%) No Base.TrapCrate Trapping 0
Cage Trap
Cage Trap
Medium size trap used by journeyman trappers. Used to catch squirrels and rabbits. 1 20 No No Yes (40%) Yes (40%) No Base.TrapCage Trapping 3

Bait

Baits vary in attractiveness to different animals. Baiting a trap removes -5 hunger from the chosen bait, so baiting a trap may not consume the entire food item. If there is less than -5 hunger remaining on a potential bait, it cannot be used as bait. Only fresh or stale food can be used as bait, however, when using fruit or vegetables, it must be fresh to be effective. You cannot use rotten food.

Recently-added forageables such as caterpillars, millipedes, termites and slugs do not appear successful as bait.

Item Can be grown? Can be foraged? Attractiveness for Mouse? Attractiveness for Rat? Attractiveness for Small Bird? Attractiveness for Squirrel? Attractiveness for Rabbit? Comments Base ID
Apple Apple No Yes 40 35
Banana Banana No ? 35
Bell Pepper Bell Pepper No ? 30 40
Bread Bread No ? 50
Bread Slice Bread Slice No ? 50
Cereal Cereal No ? 45 45
Cabbage Cabbage Yes ? 40
Carrot Carrot Yes ? 45
Cheese Cheese No ? 60 60
Cheese (Processed) Processed Cheese No ? 55 55
Chocolate Chocolate No ? 30 30
Cockroach Cockroach No Yes 50
Cooked Popcorn Popcorn No ? 40
Corn Corn No ? 45 40 35
Cricket Cricket No Yes 50
Grasshopper Grasshopper No Yes 50
Lettuce Lettuce No ? 40 40
Orange Orange No ? 40
Peach Peach No ? 35 35
Peanuts Peanuts No Yes 40
Peanut Butter Peanut Butter No ? 40 40 45
Potato Potato Yes ? 35
Tomato Tomato Yes ? 35 35 35
Worm Worm No ? 50 Can find in Composter or when digging furrows.

Zones

Animals can only be found in certain zones. All traps are usable in every zone, but not all traps are effective at catching animals in certain areas. Roads do not count as trapping zones. Zones cannot be determined definitively from in-game interaction. Zones are hard-coded: a zone won't be re-classified via player actions (e.g. de-foresting, fires, farming etc.)

Zone Weighting for Mouse Weighting for Rat Weighting for Small Bird Weighting for Squirrel Weighting for Rabbit Comments
Deep Forest 10 10 20 15 15
Farm 60 50 35 0 0
Forest 10 10 20 12 12
Town 50 30 30 2 2
Trailer Park 60 40 20 2 2
Vegetation 20 20 30 10 10

Animals

The following animals can be caught in game currently: rabbits, squirrels, birds, mice, and rats.

Item Description Weight Strength Trap Zones Bait Base ID
Mouse
Mouse
Small animal that can usually be found around farms, trailer parks and urban settings.
They can be found rarely in the forests. Active all day long. Butchering will produce small animal meat.
0.2 - Mouse Trap Farm (60), Trailer Park (60), Town (50), Vegetation (20), Forest (10), Deep Forest (10)
Cheese Processed Cheese Peanut Butter
60 55 40
Chocolate Tomato
30 35
Base.DeadMouse
Rabbit
Rabbit
Small animal that can usually be found in the forests. They can be found rarely in urban settings.
Nocturnal creature that usually is out between 19:00 and 5:00. Butchering will produce rabbit meat.
0.2 24 Trap BoxTrap CrateSnare TrapCage Trap Deep Forest (15), Forest (12), Vegetation (10), Trailer Park (2), Town (2)
Carrot Cabbage Potato Tomato
45 40 35 35
Corn Bell Pepper Lettuce
35 40 40
Apple Banana Peach
35 35 35
Base.DeadRabbit
Rat
Rat
Small animal that can usually be found around farms, trailer parks and urban settings. They can be found rarely in the forests.
Active all day long and a bit more rare than mice. Butchering will produce small animal meat.
0.2 - Mouse Trap Farm (50), Trailer Park (40), Town (30), Vegetation (20), Forest (10), Deep Forest (10)
Cheese Processed Cheese Peanut Butter
60 55 40
Chocolate Tomato
30 35
Base.DeadRat
Small Bird
Small Bird
Small bird that can be found all over Kentucky. Active all day long. Butchering will produce small bird meat. 0.2 - Trap Stick Farm (35), Town (30), Vegetation (30), Trailer Park (20), Forest (20), Deep Forest (20)
Bread Bread Slice Cereal Corn
50 50 45 45
Cockroach Cricket Grasshopper Worm
50 50 50 50
Base.DeadBird
Squirrel
Squirrel
Small animal that can usually be found in the forests. They can be found rarely in urban settings.
Nocturnal creature that usually is out between 19:00 and 5:00. Butchering will produce small animal meat.
0.2 20 Trap BoxTrap CrateSnare TrapCage Trap Deep Forest (15), Forest (12), Vegetation (10), Trailer Park (2), Town (2)
Cereal Peanuts Peanut Butter Popcorn
45 40 45 40
Peach Apple Orange
35 40 40
Corn Bell Pepper Lettuce
40 30 40
Base.DeadSquirrel

Spoils

An animal corpse is created when the player checks a successful trap (not when the animal is first trapped). Until then, the animal is stuck in the trap (hence the noise potentially attracting zombies). Butchered meat inherits the proportion of freshness the corpse had. For example, a Dead Bird butchered with 2 days freshness remaining (out of a total possible of 8), will yield Small Bird Meat with 0.5 days freshness remaining.

Hunger numbers in this table represent the base hunger. Trapped animals can vary in size, based on a randomly generated number, within limits that vary by animal type. The animal's size will proportionally modify the corpse's hunger, weight, macronutrients and XP gained. Butchered meat inherits the corpse's hunger.

Item Description Weight Days Fresh Days until Rotten Cook Time Burn Time Hunger (base value) Unhappiness Base ID
Dead Bird
Dead Bird
Corpse of a Small Bird. Can be butchered into small bird meat. 0.2 8 12 25 60 -20 20 Base.DeadBird
Dead Mouse
Dead Mouse
Corpse of a Mouse. Can be butchered into small animal meat. 0.2 6 10 10 50 -10 30 Base.DeadMouse
Dead Rabbit
Dead Rabbit
Corpse of a Rabbit. Can be butchered into rabbit meat. 0.2 8 12 25 60 -40 20 Base.DeadRabbit
Dead Rat
Dead Rat
Corpse of a Rat. Can be butchered into small animal meat. 0.2 6 10 10 60 -15 30 Base.DeadRat
Dead Squirrel
Dead Squirrel
Corpse of a Squirrel. Can be butchered into small animal meat. 0.2 8 12 25 60 -30 20 Base.DeadSquirrel
Rabbit Meat
Rabbit Meat
Obtained by butchering a rabbit. 0.3 2 4 25 70 -30 - Base.Rabbitmeat
Small Animal Meat
Rodent Meat
Obtained by butchering a mouse, rat, or squirrel. 0.3 2 4 20 70 -15 - Base.Smallanimalmeat
Small Bird Meat
Small Bird Meat
Obtained by butchering a small bird. 0.3 2 4 20 70 -15 - Base.Smallbirdmeat

Mechanics

Traps can break or trigger without trapping an animal inside, so check them often. Traps will not catch anything while any player is within 75 tiles of them. One way to count tiles is to use the right-click "move to" function, or if your traps are deep in the forest, build a picket every 10 tiles. If any player moves within this area, there is no need to attend to the traps to "reset" them (unless the player wants to check on them, of course), just move out of range again.

Zombies are attracted to traps with animals in them (similar to their response to generators).

Due to a patched exploit, traps cannot be placed near walls or windows (the UI should prevent you from doing so), nor should the player build windows near the traps, once placed otherwise the traps will be destroyed.

Traps "tick" every in-game hour to check:

  • if an animal is caught
  • if bait is lost
  • if the trap is destroyed

Times when animals may get caught in a trap:

  • Rabbit or squirrel: 19:00 to 05:00 (7:00 PM to 5:00 AM)
  • Bird, mouse, or rat: any time

Every in-game hour the game will run the following checks for every animal type:

  • Is the animal catchable at this time?
  • Is the animal catchable in this zone?
  • Is the trap baited?
  • Is the bait valid for this animal?
  • Is the bait fresh?
  • Are there no players within 75 tiles?

If the answer to all these questions is yes for that animal, then the chance of catching that animal in that hour is:

Chance = (Trap type + Bait type + 1.5 * Skill) * (Zone + 1.5 * Skill)

Each animal that passes this check is added to a list of potential catches. One animal from that list is randomly chosen as the spoils. If no animals passed this check, no spoils are chosen.
If an animal was not caught, the game will then check each hour if the trap should either lose its bait or be destroyed, with the trap strength being the only variable.
Chance to lose bait: 1 / (strength + 10)
Chance to destroy trap: 1 / (40 * strength)

If a trap loses its bait or is destroyed, the animal is not caught.

There appears to be no constraints on the number of traps in a zone, proximity of traps to one another (or their configuration), or way to deplete animals from a zone.

Leveling

A player gains trapping experience when they collect an animal from a trap that they placed. The amount of experience gained for this action is proportional to the animal's size (noting that size is slightly randomised, see spoils), with a floor of 3 XP.

Certain occupations and traits can raise the initial Trapping skill, and the XP multiplier for the skill.

Occupations

Name Points Notes
Park Ranger +2 Trapping
+2 Foraging
+1 Carpentry
Park rangers know all the trap recipes.

Traits

Name Points Notes
Hiker +1 Trapping
+1 Foraging
Hikers know the snare, stick, and wooden crate trap recipes.
Hunter +1 Trapping
+1 Aiming
+1 Sneaking
Hunters know all the trap recipes.

External Links

See Also