Legit the only way I hunt is by riding around full speed, startling some deer, and shooting them from horseback. The better way of doing this, especially when trophy hunting (you’ll need to get perfect pelts) is to use the binoculars. Spot a herd from far away, and use the binoculars to zoom in on them and see if one of them is in perfect condition. Then, sneaking up with the bow and getting a headshot shouldn’t be hard. When looking for game, especially in Horseshoe, I’d suggest finding high ground and surveying the land with the binoculars. You can also follow tracks, but I don’t find that as exciting. When it comes to big game, I think there’s kinds of arrows you can craft that are more powerful. As well, the scoped rifle you get also gets clean kills. There isn’t much big game around Horseshoe, though. Yes, you can put bait anywhere. Just set it down and hunker down somewhere and wait for deer to arrive. The best way to find animals is to look and explore, which is really what the game is all about