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There is this great and dangerous forest in this world, way more bioproductive than any where on earth. The climate is humid subtropical, with cold but not freezing winters. There is plenty of fruits, nuts, herbs, roots and even some wood (palmetto) to be eaten in every season, even in the winter. There is also plenty of game, from hares to mammoth-size elephants. There is also small pockets of grassland all over the place which are dragons' hunting grounds.

I want that a race of humanoids (let's call them elves for simplicity's sake) to evolve in this forest and neither agriculture nor animal husbandry are options. Any livestock could be wiped out by some predator and farm will just be free food for wild animals. The only livestock they were able to domesticate to some extense is the Giant Deer, which can be used as a pack animal, a mount and a source of milk, but feeding on them is a terrible idea, they are dangerous, more tamed than truly domesticated and can quite easily flee to join a wild herd.

The thing is, I don't think the local fauna can keep up with a pemanent settlement. All things I read about hunter-gatherers seen to indicate that they will overhunt the local prey population and than they have to move to somewhere else.

Edit: some details that I forget to add but are clearly relevant

1- Alternatives to farmming is a non issue, the forest are more bioproductive than any crop would be, and on top of that animals would feed on the crops just as they would in the forest, so agriculture is just more work for less food overall. The real problem is how a big sedentary comunities of mesocarnivores will feed themselves without exhaust the local fauna.

2- They can and they trade with the rest of the world, but they do not colonized the forest, they evolved in it. So I think self sufficiency is a must.

3- The other problem with trade is that to any one but them, this forest is hell on earth. No merchant in their right mind will go there, the elves are the ones to reach outsiders. And when they do is for luxury goods.

4- While hunting parties are a thing, they can not go that far away. They build fortress for safety, if you go into the forest and dont come back within a week they just assume you died.

There is this great and dangerous forest in this world, way more bioproductive than anywhere on earth. The climate is humid subtropical, with cold but not freezing winters. There is plenty of fruits, nuts, herbs, roots and even some wood (palmetto) to be eaten in every season, even in the winter. There is also plenty of game, from hares to mammoth-size elephants. There is also small pockets of grassland all over the place which are dragons' hunting grounds.

I want that a race of humanoids (let's call them elves for simplicity's sake) to evolve in this forest and neither agriculture nor animal husbandry are options. Any livestock could be wiped out by some predator and farm will just be free food for wild animals. The only livestock they were able to domesticate to some extent is the Giant Deer, which can be used as a pack animal, a mount and a source of milk, but feeding on them is a terrible idea, they are dangerous, more tamed than truly domesticated and can quite easily flee to join a wild herd.

The thing is, I don't think the local fauna can keep up with a permanent settlement. All things I read about hunter-gatherers seen to indicate that they will overhunt the local prey population and than they have to move to somewhere else.

Edit: some details that I forget to add but are clearly relevant

1. Alternatives to farming is a non issue, the forest are more bioproductive than any crop would be, and on top of that animals would feed on the crops just as they would in the forest, so agriculture is just more work for less food overall. The real problem is how a big sedentary communities of mesocarnivores will feed themselves without exhaust the local fauna.

2. They can and they trade with the rest of the world, but they do not colonized the forest, they evolved in it. So I think self sufficiency is a must.

3. The other problem with trade is that to any one but them, this forest is hell on earth. No merchant in their right mind will go there, the elves are the ones to reach outsiders. And when they do is for luxury goods.

4. While hunting parties are a thing, they can not go that far away. They build fortress for safety, if you go into the forest and don't come back within a week they just assume you died.

1- Alternatives to farmming is a non issue, the forest are more bioproductive than any crop would be. The real problem is how a big sedentary comunities of mesocarnivores will feed themselves without exhaust the local fauna.

1- Alternatives to farmming is a non issue, the forest are more bioproductive than any crop would be, and on top of that animals would feed on the crops just as they would in the forest, so agriculture is just more work for less food overall. The real problem is how a big sedentary comunities of mesocarnivores will feed themselves without exhaust the local fauna.

Edit: some details that I forget to add but are clearly relevant

1- Alternatives to farmming is a non issue, the forest are more bioproductive than any crop would be. The real problem is how a big sedentary comunities of mesocarnivores will feed themselves without exhaust the local fauna.

2- They can and they trade with the rest of the world, but they do not colonized the forest, they evolved in it. So I think self sufficiency is a must.

3- The other problem with trade is that to any one but them, this forest is hell on earth. No merchant in their right mind will go there, the elves are the ones to reach outsiders. And when they do is for luxury goods.

4- While hunting parties are a thing, they can not go that far away. They build fortress for safety, if you go into the forest and dont come back within a week they just assume you died.