A casual stroll in the woods is shattered by the sharp report of a rifle. People are wandering about, tracking elusive prey who seem to sense that it is hunting season.

Cabela’s Deer Hunt 2004 Season, from Activision and Fun Labs, for the Xbox is more than a Sunday afternoon jaunt through the woods. It is game that requires patience and preparation. You can’t go hunting unless you are equipped for the job.

In a sense, this game is mission based. You enter a hunting area, and need to get your bag limit to successfully complete the level. But this is not just a point and shoot. You need to spend a little time in the equip stage of the game before you are ready to venture forth into the wilds of the Arizona desert in search of mule deer, or to trek through the forests of the North Cascades range in Washington for Columbian blacktail.

The game has two basic hunting options: the quick hunt and the career hunt. You begin by selecting what hunting option you wish, then move into the hunter select screen. Each avatar has certain characteristics. A teen male has a higher resilience, but lower stealth and tracking ratings. A male in his mid-60s is rated high in accuracy, stealth and tracking but his strength is low. Two of the five avatars available are female.

Ok, you’ve picked your avatar, time to select a location. There are nine hunting areas, from Alaska and Arizona to Canada, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Washington and Wyoming. You move next to the equip phase. This includes weapon, clothing, and peripherals such as water, a tent, scent mask and the like.

Think you are ready to go hunt? The Sitka blacktail of Kodiak island are calling, so gear up and go.

If you fail to properly equip, you will likely end up with a recurve as your weapon, which has a very limited range. You begin in a camp and can drive a vehicle into the field to get away from the scent of humanity quicker, if you so choose.

Then it is walk, track and hope to get a sighting. This can take a while and the game does have a radar to help you at the easier difficulty levels. Targeting involves using thumbsticks and on the Xbox, you center your rifle with the left trigger and fire it with the right. All this while using the right thumbstick to track a target that will not stand still while you shoot it.

If you do get a shot off, the camera switches and follows the bullet. A well aimed shot renders an animation of a deer jumping with the impact and a splatter of blood. Miss and say goodbye to the target. It is not about to stand there with a bullet whizzing over its head and wait for you to line it up again.

This is where the patience comes into play.

The game is very good graphically, but does have a few breakdowns. The thumbsticks also control movement and if you don’t keep the right thumbstick centered on the direction you wish to go, your avatar does a silly side jog. The environment also has a few anomalies. You can walk through some bushes, but others prove an impassable barrier. And if you prefer the third-person viewpoint, you may lose site of your target and avatar frequently in wooded areas.

Cabela’s Deer Hunt 2004 Season is, without a doubt, a very well-rendered title, that features solid gameplay and will certainly give hunting fans, who happen to be console gamers, a terrific adventure. This game requires players to be patient and pre-plan their hunts - almost like real life, except you don’t have to leave the comfort of your couch or floor to experience the hours tracking that perfect rack for your trophy shelf.

Gameplay: 7.5
Once you enter a scenario, the game moves seamlessly through the expansive hunting regions. However, controls did appear sluggish at times, which can cause targets to slip away.

Graphics: 8
The environments are very well rendered and the animation is excellent. There were a few problems with walking on air, but these were minor and far between and were usually the precursor to a rescue by the warden.

Sound: 7
Your avatar will pant when tired, and while the ambient environment sounds or the sound of the weapon being discharged are well done, they are average. The setup screen has a nice rock-style beat.

Difficulty: Medium
This is a simple game to jump into and play, but a tough game to actually get anywhere in. There are three difficulty levels. While the targets are not as elusive in the easy level, unless you have firm command of the controls, be prepared to see that target dash off. The other end of the spectrum will challenge even the most avid shooter fan.

Concept: 7.5
The game controls are not very intuitive but otherwise this is a solid title with a nice little range of options.

Overall: 8
Cabela’s hunting titles have been around for a long time, and this port is very well done. There are a few minor problems with the graphics and the controls are a bit suspect at times. This is a game that requires patience, preparation and persistence. Combine those three qualities for a successful hunt in a visually compelling game. This title should appeal to hunting fans of all ages.