Cellar mechanics

[Jephraim]

Hi, I am new to this game. I was just wondering about animals stealing my food. Can animals steal food from a cellar? If so, what is the best way to prevent this? Is there an option for food preservation that you can put inside a wooden building!

Thanks in advance!

[Privateer]

Well since you're not a bot (as pointed to in a reply)

 Internal cellars were removed / changed in game in the last few versions. Now all cellars are "outside" You can still put one in a small building, just visualize that it has no roof. If you're storing meat, this should protect it from dogs/cats/bears (unless the door is open). For storing plants a cellar with a good number of small deadfall and or loop snares. You can also enclose it in some fencing.

[Jephraim]

Are animals more likely to try and take plants than meat from a cellar?

[Privateer]

Are animals more likely to try and take plants than meat from a cellar?

 I'd say there are many more animals that will steal plants, but then when I see predator track in my base I usually take action.
squirrel, rabbit, birds, elk, reindeer vs glutten, fox, lynx, bear, wolf, dogs.. I'm sure I've left some out

[Plotinus]

I put a loopsnare trap in my cellar and that keeps animals out / sometimes I catch a bird or a hare in it. Without the loopsnare then sometimes a fox or badger will take some of my meat and birds and hares will eat a lot of my veggies

[Jephraim]

Here is my finished cellar. Mostly surrounded by fences, but I put a few traps on the off chance that I might catch something

[JP_Finn]

Baited traps seem to work best in my experience.

Loop snare for hare and birds.
Light lever trap for birds and arctic foxes.
Small dead fall for foxes, badgers et cetera

And most intruding, thieving wildlife will get trapped before getting to your larder.
(Ravens especially are voracious; they’ll nibble on entire stacks. Usually berries though. But they can still take an equal bite of 50 berries in an instant.

Also, unless it has changed; bears can open doors.

[PALU]

Yes, as JP_Finn said, unless it's silently changed, bears can open doors. That was a rather nasty surprise...

[Jephraim]

What is a good prevention measure to keep bears from opening your door?

[Tom H]

What is a good prevention measure to keep bears from opening your door?

I've trapped quite a few bears near my cabins but not once has a bear ever crossed or broken through a fence, so, build a fence as soon as possible. It's not that they CAN'T get through a fence. They just seem to have a hard time deciding to do so.

Considering the possibility that a bear can open doors, perhaps the fence should not have gates? For myself, I've got baited heavy deadfalls near any gates.

For my cellars, I just put a loop snare on top of them. I've caught lots of birds and hares with those. I've rarely seen tracks of any other animals around my cellars and never repetitively.

 

[JP_Finn]

I’ve had pretty good luck setting heavy bear trap within 300m from the cabin with a raw cut or fat as bait. I’ve even had to go set one while felling trees for a hunting cabin. Had to sleep that night in a punt, off the shore.

I’ve not seen bear cross fence nor open a gate, but I wouldn’t doubt Yogi’s appetite for your picnic.

[JP_Finn]

To stop bears from opening your door: set traps outside, on the 3 tiles accessible from the door. And you can leave the diagonals set, then kick&reset to cardinal one before going to sleep. Light levers are simpler to reset than loop snares or paw boards.

Lot of hassle, somewhat immersion breaking. Not a fan of the style. But it works.

[Tom H]

To stop bears from opening your door: set traps outside, on the 3 tiles accessible from the door. And you can leave the diagonals set, then kick&reset to cardinal one before going to sleep. Light levers are simpler to reset than loop snares or paw boards.

Lot of hassle, somewhat immersion breaking. Not a fan of the style. But it works.

I understand what you mean about abusing the game mechanics. I don't feel that putting a loop snare on a cellar does so. It might be considered that the man-smell of the snare deters predators while birds and hares just don't share that instinct. I agree with you on the 3-trap being a bit of an abuse.

[PALU]

I've had a bear smash a fence while it was trapped in a bear or pit trap, and I suspect they would smash fences to get to you while angry if there is no (apparently) open way to reach you.

I surround my homestead with a line of bear or pit traps on all sides except the rapids. Their primary purpose is to keep dangerous critters out, not to catch animals. I think it might work to set up a double line of fences, although I haven't tried.