There are quite a number of mistakes to be made with these guys, and I’m gonna list them off now.

Mistake No. #1: Encountering a raptor and assuming there’s only one and thus only crafting one bola, only to be outnumbered 3-1.

Reason: Raptors are pack hunters, and ACTIVELY WANT you to think there’s only one nearby so that they can use the element of surprise to overwhelm you and shred through you like paper.

How to avoid: Always carry MULTIPLE bolas. DO NOT think that you’re gonna be safe if you only have one. Besides, to re-craft it every single time is a hassle.

Mistake No. #2: Equipping the bola at the last second because you think that one Ascendant weapon you have is gonna save you.

Reason: You’re not tough. Just face it. Yeah, I see that Ascendant bow you got there, or that sword or shotgun or whatever it is you have. But if you get pounced, that’s your main weakness and their main strength. If you’ve come underprepared, you’re already dead at that point.

How to avoid: Always wield the bola FIRST if you suspect a raptor to be nearby. Otherwise, it’s basically attempted suicide.

Mistake No. #3: Actively hunting a raptor with the intention to tame it and thus coming underprepared.

Reason: When trying to tame raptors, it can get easy to feel all powerful and invincible if you’re really good at killing them to begin with. Therefore, you might get rid of a few items to shed some weight from your inventory so that you can focus on what you need for the taming process. But you’ll probably regret it if you get ambushed.

How to avoid: Never underestimate raptors based on your intentions or other predispositions, as you never know if others are nearby. As you’re probably starting to understand by now, where there’s one, there’s a likelihood for there to be more.

Mistake No. #4: Trying to counter 3 wild raptors with one tamed raptor and being surprised when BOTH you AND it get killed.

Reason: That one tamed raptor you have ain’t gonna save you if you’re dealing with 3 other raptors. At that point you’re outnumbered 3-2. And that raptor can still be pounced, meaning it might as well not exist.

How to avoid: If you HAVE to use tamed raptors against wild ones, always ensure you have at least 2 or more following you so that one pounce doesn’t mean that that particular journey ends there.

Mistake No. #5: Trying to loot the inventory of what you just killed without waiting to see if the danger warning goes away.

Reason: This applies to all aggressive creatures, but especially when it comes to raptors, you can think you’re in the clear, and then get killed by one because you thought you were safe just because you killed ONE.

How to avoid: Always keep your eyes open. Don’t just assume you’re safe just because you killed ONE THING. If the danger warning is still there after 3 seconds, you ARE NOT out of the woods yet.