Aggressive hunter?

[Tom H]

While traveling to a trap/fence recently on the strategic map I spotted someone and decided to take a chance on whether or not it was a robber. It turned out to be a hunter and his dog. What was surprising is that he was immediately described as an "aggressive hunter" and had the usual red markers on his avatar. I wasn't sure what that meant, wondering if he was just involved in fighting some animal I had not yet seen.

So, I backed off 4 or 5 moves. He came directly after me. I backed off another 4 or 5 moves and, still, he came directly at me. I decided then that I wasn't going to risk him getting close enough for melee and started firing arrows. Eventually, he died but his dog ran off, wounded.

So, has anyone else run across anything like this, not counting Njerp, of course?

There's another odd thing I've run across twice. After encountering hunters, I've found that they've piled up 3 tree trunks and a 15' cord. A raft seemed implausible because it was far from water. I'm just curious what they intend to make.

[JP_Finn]

I haven’t, but I kind of like it being a possibility.
I know I avoid the adventurer type* on wilderness map most of the time. (Unless geared up for razing Njerp camps/villages with pack of dogs and/or posse.

*in case it’s robbers.

[JEB Davis]

This aggressive hunter is cool, I hope it happens for me!
The game's revenge against all the homicidal players, lol.
(Not saying you play like that, Tom. Just a general thing.)

[Tom H]

I checked on that hunter's collections. It's now 3 slender tree trunk, 3 tree trunks, and a 15' cord. There's also a stack of stones and rocks nearby. Is he making a shelter? Cabin? Very interesting. He's also a persistent NPC because he's been there for several weeks.

[Tom H]

I must update the question of the aggressive hunter. Once again, I've had a chance to meet with an 'aggressive' hunter. This time he had arrived at my cabin.

I had found a dog in my large deadfall trap, presumably his. I'd seen his tracks several times. About a week after finding the dog, he showed up while I was outside with my dog pack. I was ready for a fight, so, I wasn't concerned much about his 'aggressive' status. I followed him and established that he was just hunting birds and that accounted for the red status symbols one sees when an enemy is designated. I guess I killed an innocent hunter, the first time...bah.

Regarding that other hunter who accumulated the stacks of 3 tree trunks, 3 slender trunks, stones/rocks, and a 15' cord, he's still out there. There are a few more tree trunks lying around in the nearby area. He's the most persistent NPC I've run across in the wilds. I'd love to hear the explanation for his activities. 

[Owlant]

I have found hunters will go "aggressive" if there is prey near by to hunt. You can watch them hunt animals sometimes successfully. I have killed one before thinking I was the focus.

[PALU]

I haven't encountered the "new" NPCs yet, so no comment on the original question. However, before the new behavior, they still felled trees (I've encountered Njerps doing that as well), but they don't do anything with the logs (in fact, I build the "palisade" around my previous character's homestead mainly with NPC felled trees, long after the NPCs had left). I suspect there isn't much reason for the activity, however, and I believe you need a rope, not a cord, for a raft.

[Owlant]

Oh I just remembered! I saw a Njerk hunt and kill an elk and while he was over encumbered, I killed them from a distance and stole the meat and fur... Oddly enough he didn't harvest the fat! It wasn't on the ground or in his inventory?

Maybe he ate it.