Alan Wake 2 – Taxidermy Deer Head Locations

Alan Wake 2 features an unusual but rewarding collectible system involving mounted taxidermy deer heads that players can interact with throughout Saga Anderson’s campaign. These aren’t just decorative items—each one contributes toward unlocking a special in-game reward that provides valuable resources for your journey.

Unlike many collectibles in survival horror games, the deer heads offer both practical tracking benefits and narrative payoff. As you progress through the atmospheric Pacific Northwest settings, keep your eyes peeled for these distinctive mounted trophies in various buildings and structures.

What makes this collection system particularly user-friendly is the built-in progress tracking. When you return to Saga’s Mind Place after finding a deer head, you’ll notice the mounted deer on the wall responds to your interactions. The game provides audio feedback such as “eight remaining” to clearly indicate how many deer heads you still need to locate.

The wilderness surrounding Cauldron Lake contains three distinct taxidermy deer placements. The distribution across this region follows the natural progression of your investigation, with earlier discoveries near initial crime scenes and later finds requiring advanced equipment.

A map showing the Deer Heads in Cauldron Lake.

Deer Head #1

• Chapter: Return 1 – Invitation
• Location: Murder Site – South of the initial investigation area lies a small storage shed containing the game’s first Cult Stash puzzle. Venture into the bedroom section where the initial mounted specimen awaits interaction.

Deer Head #2

• Chapter: Return 2 – The Heart
• Location: Witchfinder’s Station – Positioned in the northwestern sector of the map, this station houses both a concealed Nursery Rhyme puzzle and your second deer head target.

Deer Head #3

• Chapter: After Return 5 – Old Gods
• Location: Rental Cabins – Accessible only after acquiring the Bolt Cutters during the Old Gods chapter conclusion. Complete the Cabin #3 sequence to resolve the adjacent Nursery Rhyme, triggering a Taken enemy emergence from Cabin #6. After neutralizing the threat, investigate Cabin #6’s interior for rewards and the final Cauldron Lake specimen.

Gallery

Deer Head locations #1, 2, and 3 in Cauldron Lake.

Bright Falls offers the highest concentration of taxidermy specimens with five separate locations to discover. These are distributed across your investigation timeline, with some accessible during initial visits and others requiring substantial campaign advancement.

Strategic planning becomes crucial here since several deer heads are located in areas you’ll revisit multiple times. Consider combining your searches with other collectible hunts to maximize efficiency during each area visit.

A map showing the Deer Heads in Bright Falls.

Deer Head #1

• Chapter: Return 1 – Invitation
• Location: Elderwood Palace Lodge – Upon establishing your investigation headquarters with Agent Casey, examine the rear chamber above the fireplace for your first Bright Falls specimen.

Deer Head #2

• Chapter: Return 1 – Invitation
• Location: Oh Deer Diner – Accessible from your inaugural Bright Falls excursion onward, this specimen resides in the storage area behind the main dining establishment.

Gallery

Deer Head locations #1 and 2 in Bright Falls.

Deer Head #3

• Chapter: Return 5 – Old Gods
• Location: Valhalla Nursing Home – During later campaign stages, locate this specimen in the second-floor lounge area, conveniently positioned near a save station.

Deer Head #4

• Chapter: Return 5 – Old Gods
• Location: Wellness Center – This location also contains the valuable Hunting Rifle. Follow these steps precisely:
  • Enter code 17-08-23 into the security terminal to open sliding barriers.
  • Retrieve the missing doorknob component from the reception desk.
  • Utilize the acquired hardware to unlock the storage chamber containing both the firearm and this mounted specimen.

Deer Head #5

• Chapter: Return 5 – Old Gods
• Location: Ranger Station – After resolving the Overlap confrontation and obtaining bolt cutters, explore the southern Bright Falls territory to discover this station nestled in wooded hills before reaching Billie’s Boat Yard.

Gallery

Deer Head locations #3, 4, and 5 in Bright Falls.

The picturesque community of Watery hosts the final four taxidermy specimens in this collection challenge. All can be acquired within a single chapter, though you maintain revisit capability until reaching narrative points of no return.

A map showing the Deer Heads in Watery.

Deer Head #1

• Chapter: Return 3 – Local Girl
• Location: Suomi Hall – Shortly after arriving in Watery, inspect the tavern across the roadway. The rear break room contains both refreshment facilities and your initial Watery specimen.

Deer Head #2

• Chapter: Return 3 – Local Girl
• Location: Lighthouse Trailer Park – Secure the Screwdriver within Coffee World and complete the Gift Shop puzzle to obtain gate access. Search the trailer interiors to locate this mounted specimen.

Deer Head #3

• Chapter: Return 3 – Local Girl
• Location: Kalevala Knights Workshop – Progress through the narrative until workshop entry becomes necessary. The wall-mounted specimen becomes visible upon interior examination.

Deer Head #4

• Chapter: Return 3 – Local Girl
• Location: Ranger Station – Following Overlap resolution and water recession, investigate the station positioned north of Coffee World for the final Watery specimen.

Gallery

Deer Head locations #1, 2, 3, and 4 in Watery.

After successfully locating all twelve taxidermy specimens scattered throughout the game world, return to the Elderwood Palace Lodge in Bright Falls for your reward. Upon re-entry, direct your attention leftward down the corridor where a spectral deer manifestation awaits at the hallway terminus before vanishing into the final chamber.

Approach the now-accessible room to discover it contains practical survival resources including ammunition reserves, illumination devices, and medical supplies. While no additional collectibles or narrative points appear within, the supplies prove invaluable for confronting the escalating threats in later game segments.

A lone deer appears at the end of the hallway in Elderwood Palace Lodge.

This collection endeavor integrates seamlessly with Alan Wake 2’s broader collectible ecosystem. While pursuing deer heads, remain vigilant for other valuable items including Alex Casey Lunchboxes, concealed Cult Stashes, and enigmatic Nursery Rhymes. The Mayor Setter Charm represents particularly useful assistance by revealing collectible locations directly on your navigation interface.

Throughout your exploration from Bright Falls to the ominous Dark Place, threats materialize consistently. Fortunately, comprehensive assistance exists within our extensive guides hub covering all aspects of the Alan Wake 2 experience.

Maximize your deer head hunting efficiency with these professional techniques developed through extensive gameplay analysis. The key lies in understanding the spatial and temporal distribution patterns across the game world.

Route Optimization: Plan your searches to coincide with natural story progression. The Cauldron Lake specimens work well during initial investigation phases, while Bright Falls and Watery locations benefit from later revisit planning when you have necessary equipment like bolt cutters.

Common Oversights: Players frequently miss the Rental Cabins specimen due to its late-game accessibility requirements. Similarly, the Wellness Center deer head often gets overlooked amid the Hunting Rifle acquisition process.

Multi-Objective Collection: Since many deer head locations overlap with other collectible spots, develop a systematic approach to clear multiple objectives during single location visits.

Time Investment: A focused deer head collection run typically requires 2-3 hours beyond normal progression, though this decreases significantly when integrated with other collection activities.

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